Tranmere Rovers 1 Eastleigh 2

ANDY Mangan missed a penalty and Lois Maynard was sent off as Tranmere's nine-game unbeaten run was halted unceremoniously by Eastleigh in a bizarre contest at Prenton Park.
 
In a match that ended with only 19 players on the pitch, the Spitfires took the lead early in the second half through Joe Partington before their advantage was doubled by James Constable in the 54th minute.
 
Substitute Steve Jennings pulled one back late on but Rovers, who finished the match with only nine men, could not produce an equaliser in a barnstorming finish.

The squad's disappointed manager Gary Brabin said afterwards: "We’ve been beat so I’m gutted over that. I thought it was a game of mixed emotions.

"I think that’s an understatement. I’m just disappointed we’ve been beat.

Brabin kept faith with Lois Maynard in the heart of his midfield, leaving captain Jennings on the bench, but James Norwood and Marlon Jackson came into the side at the expense of Jonny Margetts and Adam Mekki.
 
Following a scrappy opening, Tranmere’s Maynard found his way into the referee's notebook on the quarter of an hour mark for a sloppy late tackle on Josh Payne.
 
The visitors had a real opportunity just past the half hour mark when sleepy defending from a free kick presented a chance to Jamie Turley but his close range shot was well saved by Davies.
 
James Norwood then found himself one-on-one with Ross Flitney but could only shoot straight at the Eastleigh goalkeeper’s legs in an opening half starved of quality.
 
Flitney then kept the scores level by producing an excellent double save – first denying Maynard’s header from a corner before keeping out his second attempt on the rebound.
 
Rovers had a penalty claim waved away by the referee shortly before half time to the outrage of Norwood – the striker’s loose lips earning himself a yellow card for his troubles.
 
Less than a minute later however, Norwood did win a penalty when Partington brought him down in the box.
 
But with kidology from Flitney on the penalty spot Mangan fluffed his lines and the Eastliegh stopper made a comfortable save.
 
Halloween is not for another three weeks, but Mangan’s miss was merely a trailer for the second half horror show that was about to unfold.
 
Immediately after the break Eastleigh took the lead when Partington smashed a header home unmarked from a Jai Reason corner.
 
Tranmere’s afternoon quickly got worse when Maynard then picked up a second yellow card resulting in an early bath for the hapless midfielder.
 
If Brabin thought the afternoon could only get better, he was mistaken. A disastrous slip from Liam Hogan gifted the ball to James Constable who calmly lifted it over Davies into the net.
 
The misery didn’t stop there as Tranmere’s most effective player of late, Adam Dawson, limped off with what looked like a groin injury on 67 minutes.
 
Jennings, Mekki and Liam Ridehalgh were all brought on as Rovers looked to find a way back into the contest.
 
But when the hosts were denied a clear-cut penalty for handball with 20 minutes to play it was obvious their luck was out for the day.
 
Unbelievably, Rovers hit man Mangan then hobbled off injured and with Brabin having used all three substitutes Tranmere found themselves down to nine men.
 
More controversy followed when Eastleigh goal scorer Constable was shown a straight red for kicking out at Jay Harris, reducing the contest to nine versus ten.
 
With little over ten minutes to play substitute Jennings threw Tranmere a lifeline side-footing home from 12 yards.
 
Yemi Odubade had a chance to wrap up the points for Eastleigh in stoppage time but saw his shot brilliantly saved by Davies before Drury hit the post a minute later.
 
At the death goalkeeper Davies came up to the Eastleigh box for a free kick but it came to nothing and Rovers were condemned to defeat in what was an absolutely bonkers football match.

On his squad's performance, Gary Brabin said: "We played really well first half. Some real good play. We dominated. We should’ve had a penalty before we got one that never got given.
 
“Then we were given a penalty. Our leading goal scorer who you fancy in those situations has missed so we come in nil-nil but I think it gives them a bit of a lift at half time.”
 
“I’m sick of hearing sorry. We play well and we seemed to make a mistake and it results in us being punished.” 

Match stats
 
Tranmere Rovers: 1 Jennings 79

Eastleigh: 2 Partington 47, Constable 54

Half time: 0-0

Star man: Dan Harding (Eastleigh, Left back)

Attendance: 5,133

Entertainment: 5/5

Ref rating: Ryan Johnson (5/10)

Tranmere (4-4-2): Davies 6; Sutton 5 (Jennings 57, 7), Riley 4, Hogan 4, Hill 5; Jackson 5 (Mekki 60, 6), Maynard 5, Harris 6, Dawson 6 (Ridehalgh 67, 6); Mangan 6; Norwood 7.

Subs not used: Turner, Margetts

Eastleigh (4-4-2): Flitney 7, Partington 7, Evans 6, Turley 6, Green 5 (Harding 45, 8); Midson 6 (Odubade 76, 6), Payne 7, Drury 6, Strevens 7, Reason 7, Constable 6.

Subs not used: Lafayette, Noice, Cook

Tranmere:

Shots on: 6, shots off: 10, corners: 11, fouls: 6, offsides: 6, yellows: 2, reds: 1

Eastleigh:

Shots on: 4, Shots off: 4, corners: 2, fouls: 13, offsides: 1, yellows: 4, reds: 1