MELLON’S MEN HAVE STRENGTH IN DEPTH

DESPITE fielding a much changed team, Tranmere Rovers geared up for their play-off semi-final with Aldershot Town by claiming a morale-boosting win at Maidstone United.

This was only the Stones’ second defeat in 15 matches and this run of excellent form ultimately hauled Jay Saunders’ men out of the relegation zone and up to 14th place to round off a decent first season in the National League.

For Rovers, nine players were making their full debut as Micky Mellon chose to rest his key men with big games ahead.

And his second string certainly staked strong claims for starting places, thus delighting Rovers boss Micky Mellon.

“It’s important if you get the opportunity to give the young ones a go and to give them an exam against a good side who have been doing well.

“Fair play to them, it was a really gutsy performance and I was really proud of them.”

Maidstone started the stronger and forced six corners before 15 minutes had passed without really testing Tranmere’s excellent goalkeeper Luke Pilling.

Then, at the other end, Sam Ilesanmi’s neat touch put Aaron Collins in down the left-hand side of the area.

Collins perhaps could have gone for goal, but he unselfishly squared the ball to Callum Lacy who wastefully blazed over.

The Stones were starting to look dangerous going forward and on 26 minutes Bobby-Joe Taylor found Stuart Lewis who hit a shot with the outside of his boot which Pilling got down smartly to his left to make a fine save. Taylor was then involved again when he hit a low effort just wide of the right post and soon he picked out Yemi Odubade who was in a central position inside the box only for Pilling to make another decent stop. But the deadlock was broken on 56 minutes, Lewis and Reece Prestedge got in each other’s way on the edge of the box as Lewis tried to bring the ball clear. The ball came to Adam Dawson, he fed Ilesanmi, who showed good feet to trick his way into space and dispatch a neat finish past Lee Worgan. As the minutes ticked, the Stones pressed forward in serahc of an equaliser but the closest they came was when Alex Flisher turned and lifted the ball goalwards but Pilling was alert and he palmed the ball away as it threatened to creep in under the bar. The result left the Stones’ manager Jay Saunders feeling deflated. He said afterwards: “The goal could have been avoided. “If I am being realistic though, since the Boreham Wood game it’s been hard for the players. “A lot have been playing with knocks, and so the end of the season has been a few games too far for them really.”