Mullin’s stunner is fruitful for Rovers

TRANMERE manager Micky Mellon hailed the second-half penalty save by goalkeeper Scott Davies as a key moment in his side’s win again high-riding Carlisle.

Davies leapt to his right to claw away Jamie Devitt’s 75th-minute spot kick after Richie Bennett went down in the box.

Five minute later Jake Caprice’s low cross from the right was turned past his own goalkeeper by Carlisle defender Tom Parkes, then in the 80th minute, substitute Paul Mullin delivered the coup de grace with an unstoppable 25 yarder.

Mellon said: “We played very well and took our chances clinically in a very tight game.

“The outrageous penalty which was given against us was thankfully the turning point.

“Scott got a little bit of grief last week, but he has been brilliant for me and does not make many mistakes. The save at that stage turned the game around because whoever scored the first goal would have been favourites to go on and win it.

“John Sheridan’s teams are always very tough, but we had opportunities to score another couple of goals. I knew it would be hard, so I’m delighted to claim the three points.”

Carlisle did have their moments in attack and Richie Bennett was guilty of a couple of misses. A header across the face of goal bounced off the top of the crossbar, then he turned another effort wide when left alone eight yards out with Tranmere expecting an offside flag.

Devitt’s miss was to prove costly as Tranmere produced their most effective spell of the game to score twice, but Carlisle boss John Sheridan was not apportioning any blame in his comments.

He said: “We were excellent up to the penalty and if we had scored I think we would have gone on to win. However we will take it on the chin. “I have told the players not to dwell on it but to move on and take that quality of performance into the next game. There’s no blame. We win as a team and lose as a team.”

Sheridan felt his side was controlling the game, adding: “We produced some excellent football. When you get beat but play well you take the positives. We could have had three or four goals with the chances we created. We’ve played worse and won. It’s swings and roundabouts.”