Tranmere picked up their first league points in five outings with a deserved 2-0 success over Southend.

Welcome victory for strugglers

Tranmere picked up their first league points in five outings with a deserved 2-0 success over out-of-sorts Southend. Skipper Ian Goodison set them on their way with a close-range header following a 10th-minute corner. Terry Gornell doubled the advantage with an angled strike after the ball ran loose in the box in the 72nd minute. United's Sean Morrison was denied by a goal-line clearance from Shaleum Logan and Scott Malone missed the target with a well-struck free-kick in the first half. They tried hard to get back into the picture in the last half-hour but Alan McCormack and Sean Morrison wasted chances and home keeper Luke Daniels did well to block an Adam Barrett strike. It needed a fingertip save from Steve Mildenhall to deny Rovers sub Ian Thomas-Moore a third goal late on.