BENIK AFOBE and Lee Novak notched the crucial goals as Town maintained the momentum of their exciting promotion push.
Lee Clark’s men had to overcome stubborn opposition, a tricky Prenton Park pitch and the early loss of Liam Ridehalgh through injury as they made it 19 League I games unbeaten and five wins in six.
This was also a fifth consecutive clean sheet, and bearing in mind the early reshuffle in which Jack Hunt replaced Ridehalgh and Lee Peltier switched from right to left-back, it was highly encouraging ahead of Saturday’s big home showdown with freescoring Peterborough.
Town had to deal with some Tranmere pressure before Afobe forced his fifth goal of the season in the 38th minute.
But there was only one nervy moment after that – when substitute Adam McGurk was unable to convert Enoch Showunmi’s inviting 72nd-minute cross – and the visitors were good value for their third 2-0 win in as many visits to this venue, sealed by Novak’s slide-rule 87th-minute finish.
The competition created by Clark means the Geordie striker hasn’t had that many minutes of action this season.
But the 22-year-old, who had replaced Afobe just five minutes earlier, showed the scoring instinct which brought him 12 goals last season is still there with his fourth of this term.
Peltier played Novak in and the frontman nudged the ball past diving keeper Tony Warner on the edge of the area then rolled home a low shot which had Town’s travelling army behind that goal dancing with delight.
Those same fans had seen Town work hard to keep Tranmere out in the closing stages, when both highly-rated Dale Jennings and Ivorian Zoumana Bakayogo, pushed up from left-back to midfield, were prominent.
Referee Darren Deadman turned down early penalty appeals when ex-Leeds Showunmi went down under Jamie McCombe’s challenge – the big defender certainly seemed to make contact with the ball rather than the man – then Aaron Cresswell curled in a free-kick which just evaded stretching defender Ash Taylor.
Joey Gudjonsson volleyed wide after Rovers made a hash of clearing a Gary Roberts corner, but Tranmere were soon back on the attack, and Bakayogo had a shot blocked by McCombe before Kevin Kilbane made a key challenge to rob Jennings as he cut into the box.
Bakayogo was on the attack again in the 23rd minute, when Ian Bennett got down well to save his low angled shot, and Town were relieved when Robbie Weir drove across the face of goal and wide.
A 30th-minute attack from which Roberts headed narrowly over from Danny Ward’s centre only to be penalised for a push on Taylor was a signal that the tide was about to turn.
First the energetic Scott Arfield tested Warner with a volley after an Afobe effort was only partially cleared.
Kilbane volleyed against the left-hand post from the resultant corner taken by Roberts, who then returned the ball to the danger area for McCombe to nod on, and when Warner could only parry, Afobe forced it over the line from close range.
It was a pick-me-up for Town and a setback for Tranmere, whose frustration was shown when Joss Labadie and Jennings were booked for late tackles on Gudjonsson and Hunt respectively.
Town remained composed and looked in control for the bulk of the second half, with Tranmere’s best chances of a leveller coming when McGurk missed and then Jennings headed a Weir cross straight at Bennett soon after.
For Clark’s men, substitute Jordan Rhodes’ well-struck long-range drive was held before Novak netted.
