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Tranmere Rovers booked an FA Cup tie at home to Tottenham as two volleys from Connor Jennings knocked out sixth-tier Southport in their second-round replay.
After a 1-1 draw in their initial meeting at Prenton Park, Jennings put the League Two visitors in front early on, with a fine dipping effort.
He side-footed in another from Jake Caprice’s cross just before half-time.
Part-time Southport – ranked 59 places lower in the football pyramid – rallied after half-time but could not score.
Micky Mellon’s Tranmere side – who are eighth in the fourth tier – will now host Premier League Spurs in the opening tie of this season’s FA Cup third-round weekend on Friday, 4 January.
After Jennings’ two terrifically taken goals, they rarely looked in danger of being eliminated by a non-league side while a member of the Football League for the first time since the 1975-76 season.
A lively, sold-out crowd of 5,414 at the Merseyrail Community Stadium saw the two sides, who are separated by merely 21 miles geographically, both push for goals in the second half.
But Tranmere keeper Scott Davies denied the Sandgrounders’ Dion Charles with a diving save and Liam Edwards fired narrowly wide for the hosts with their best chance.
Line-ups
Southport
- 1Hanford
- 2RichardsSubstituted forArcherat 80'minutes
- 6Winnard
- 5Astles
- 3Ogle
- 9Charles
- 8WoodSubstituted forGreenat 63'minutes
- 4EdwardsSubstituted forGilchristat 89'minutes
- 7Morgan
- 11Bauress
- 10Sampson
Substitutes
- 12Gilchrist
- 13Mueller
- 14Parry
- 15Archer
- 16Tibbetts
- 17Green
- 18Homson-Smith
Tranmere
- 1Davies
- 14CapriceSubstituted forBuxtonat 86'minutes
- 16Ellis
- 5McNulty
- 6Monthe
- 3Ridehalgh
- 8HarrisBooked at 19mins
- 11Jennings
- 22Gilmour
- 9MullinSubstituted forStocktonat 81'minutes
- 10Norwood
Substitutes
- 2Buxton
- 4Sutton
- 18Smith
- 20Stockton
- 23George
- 24Bakayogo
- 29Cole
- Referee:
- Thomas Bramall
- Attendance:
- 5,414
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home51%
- Away49%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away4
- Corners
- Home7
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home18
- Away10
Live Text
Match ends, Southport 0, Tranmere Rovers 2.
Full Time
Second Half ends, Southport 0, Tranmere Rovers 2.
Mark Ellis (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jason Gilchrist (Southport).
Attempt blocked. Bradley Bauress (Southport) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Steve McNulty (Tranmere Rovers).
Jordan Archer (Southport) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adam Buxton (Tranmere Rovers).
Dion Charles (Southport) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Southport. Jason Gilchrist replaces Liam Edwards.
Adam Buxton (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Dion Charles (Southport).
Substitution
Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Adam Buxton replaces Jake Caprice.
Attempt missed. James Norwood (Tranmere Rovers) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jay Harris.
Offside, Southport. Dion Charles tries a through ball, but Jack Sampson is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Dion Charles (Southport) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jack Sampson with a headed pass.
Foul by Cole Stockton (Tranmere Rovers).
Reagan Ogle (Southport) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Southport. Conceded by Steve McNulty.
Substitution
Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Cole Stockton replaces Paul Mullin.
Substitution
Substitution, Southport. Jordan Archer replaces Jordan Richards.
Attempt saved. Paul Mullin (Tranmere Rovers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Connor Jennings.
Attempt blocked. James Norwood (Tranmere Rovers) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Liam Ridehalgh with a cross.
Liam Ridehalgh (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by David Morgan (Southport).
Attempt blocked. David Morgan (Southport) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dion Charles.
Mark Ellis (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Dean Winnard (Southport).
Corner, Southport. Conceded by Connor Jennings.
Substitution
Substitution, Southport. Devarn Green replaces Marcus Wood.
Corner, Southport. Conceded by Mark Ellis.
Jay Harris (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Morgan (Southport).
Foul by Harvey Gilmour (Tranmere Rovers).
Marcus Wood (Southport) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Connor Jennings (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Marcus Wood (Southport).
Connor Jennings (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Bradley Bauress (Southport).
Harvey Gilmour (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
References
- ^ Relive Tranmere’s win at Southport as it happened (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ Read more: Report as Derby and Forest draw (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ Line-ups (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ Match Stats (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ Live Text (www.bbc.co.uk)
