Tranmere hosted Bolton Wanderers yesterday evening for a 7pm kick-off in their first group game of the EFL Trophy.
Match Report: Tranmere Rovers v Bolton Wanderers
| Tranmere Rovers 2(5) |  v  | (4)2 Bolton Wanderers |
| Morris (21′) Lewis (40′) | Goals | Sadlier (72′) Carty (90’+1) |
| Merrie (21′, 40′) | Assists | Aimson (72′) Bödvarsson (90’+1) |
| HT 2-0 | ||
Hemmings  Hughes McAlear Merrie Burton | Penalties | Morley Afolayan Isgrove Sadlier Sheehan |
Tranmere secured a penalty shootout win over League One side Bolton Wanderers in last night’s EFL Trophy fixture at Prenton Park.
By the half-time whistle, Tranmere found themselves 2-0 up, but an added time goal from Bolton drew the scores level, leading to penalties.
Rovers took the lead just after 20 minutes, when Kieron Morris scored his first of the season with a low left-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner of Joel Dixon’s goal.
Just a minute later and Elliott Nevitt saw his attempt at goal blocked and at the half-hour mark, Rhys Hughes saw his effort miss to the right of Wanderers’ goal.
Tranmere’s persistence paid off and at 40 minutes, Paul Lewis’ right-footed shot from the right side of the box nestled itself in the bottom left corner of the Bolton goal. Both of Tranmere’s goals were assisted by Chris Merrie.
Both sides had more attempts on goal but it was Bolton who made the next one count, when Kieran Sadlier’s right-footed shot found the bottom left of Mateusz Hewelt’s goal.
Again, both sides had strong attempts at goal in the final 20 minutes, with efforts for Tranmere from Josh Dacres-Cogley, Arthur Lomax, and Kane Hemmings, and a single Bolton effort from Jón Bödvarsson.
However, in the first of five minutes of assed time, Bolton substitute, Conor Carty’s shot from outside the Tranmere box meant the game was to be settled on penalties.
Mateusz Hewelt saved Bolton’s third penalty, taken by Lloyd Isgrove and Tranmere didn’t falter, leading to a 5-4 result.
EFL Trophy – Group B
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | P |
| 1 | Bolton Wanderers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | Tranmere Rovers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Leeds United U21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Crewe Alexandra | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
Tranmere visit Walsall on Saturday 24 September for a 3pm kick off in their next game of the League Two season.
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Line-ups
Tranmere Rovers – Formation 4-2-3-1
23 Mateusz Hewelt GK
2 Josh Dacres-Cogley (C) DF
3 Ethan Bristow DF
19 Neill Byrne DF
26 Dynel Simeu DF
17 Rhys Hughes MF
8 Reece McAlear MF
6 Chris Merrie MF
22 Paul Lewis MF
7 Kieron Morris MF
20 Elliott Nevitt FW
Substitutes
1 Ross Doohan SUB
15 Ben Hockenhull SUB
14 Jordan Turnbull SUB
29 Max Fisher SUB
30 Arthur Lomax SUB
27 Jake Burton SUB
10 Kane Hemmings SUB
Manager
Micky Mellon
Match Officials
Referee: Martin Coy
Assistants: Steve Durnall and Blake Antrobus
Fourth official: Richard Aspinall
Bolton Wanderers – Formation 4-4-2
12 Joel Dixon GK
18 Eoin Toal DF
30 Owen Beck DF
6 George Johnston (C) DF
15 Will Aimson DF
8 Josh Sheehan MF
7 Kieran Sadlier MF
16 Aaron Morley MF
3 Declan John MF
17 Oladapo Afolayan FW
9 Jón Dadi Bödvarsson FW
Substitutes
40 Luke Hutchinson SUB
43 Lamine Toure SUB
23 Lloyd Isgrove SUB
38 Nelson Khumbeni SUB
42 Matthew Tweedley SUB
39 Conor Carty SUB
36 Connor Stanley SUB
Manager
Ian Evatt
Attendance: 1779
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