ANDY Cook’s 26th goal of the season gave Tranmere Rovers a hard-earned three points on the road away against Dover Athletic last night.

His 39th minute strike was the only goal of the game to get another important victory.

Micky Mellon was forced into one change to the starting XI which began against Aldershot Town at the weekend, with Ben Tollitt missing out with a knee injury and his place going to Larnell Cole.

It was a bright start for the visitors as the first attack of the game saw lovely interchanging play between James Norwood and Andy Cook, the latter getting the better of his marker and forcing a good save from Mitch Walker in the Dover goal.

Two good attacks down either flank, firstly from Adam Buxton on the right and then Connor Jennings down the left were thwarted by the Dover defence, before Cook brought down a high ball forward by Scott Davies with relative ease and fired a powerful effort from 25 yards narrowly off target.

Mitch Pinnock's right wing cross was headed over the crossbar for the visitors' best opportunity before Cook stepped up with another goal.

A diagonal ball by Jeff Hughes was cut out by Manny Parry but the defender could only direct his header up in the air.

Cook capitalised on the loose ball and steered the ball past Walker and into the back of the net to give Rovers the lead at the break.

Shortly after the restart, a lovely ball by Larnell Cole, reminiscent of his pass to set up James Norwood for his first goal last Saturday, sent Jennings through on goal but a combination of good defending and a good save by Walker denied him.

Cook then had a header saved as Rovers continued to look the most likely team to score.

Ollie Norburn fired narrowly wide from distance before Norwood beat his man with a clever turn only for his shot to go straight at Walker from the edge of the area.

Cook was close to a second goal of the evening when he met a shot sweetly on the volley from distance which went just wide as Rovers battled to keep any pressure from the hosts at arms’ length and secure another important three points.

Tranmere Rovers: Davies; Buxton, Ridehakgh, Sutton, McNulty; Cole (Harris 84), Hughes, Norburn, Jennings; Cook, Norwood. Subs: Taylor, Clarke, Ginnelly, Mangan.

Dover Athletic: Walker; Gallifuoco, Parry, Essam, Lokko, Ilesanmi; Brundle, Bellamy, Pinnock, Jeffrey; Azeez. Subs: Passley, Bird, Nortey, Daniel, Marsh-Brown.

Attendance: 1,231