Plymouth 1-3 Tranmere

A brace from West Brom loanee Lateef Elford-Alliyu helped Tranmere on their way to a 3-1 win away at Plymouth Argyle which saw the Whites move up to 17th in League One and three points above the drop zone.

Joe Mason pulled a goal back for the Pilgrims in injury time but Enoch Showunmi's goal ten minutes from the end had killed the game as a contest as Tranmere recorded their 4th away win of the season at Home Park.

The early stages of the game were dominated by the hosts with a succession of corners that were dealt with well by the Tranmere back line, for whom January addition Mark McChrystal was particularly impressive, as the pressure was absorbed.

The visitors, who found themselves just above the relegation zone at the start of play, came into the game as the half wore on and started to dominate proceedings, looking like the better side in comparison to their stretched opponents, who could name only six substitutes.

As expected, there was little quality early on with most of the proceedings being fought in cagey midfield tussles with neither side looking to press home an advantage. It was more nip and tuck than ebb and flow as the physical nature of both sides was exposed, giving the referee a busy time with the whistle.

Lateef Elford-Alliyu pounces to score Tranmere's opening goal at Home Park

Tranmere, however, eventually decided enough was enough and took the lead halfway through the first half. A knock-down by targetman Enoch Showunmi was coolly converted by Lateef Elford-Alliyu, who soon disappeared under a pile of bodies, for his third goal of the season.

On the balance of play it was only fair that the visitors took the lead to the delight of the small travelling pack who had made the long journey from Merseyside.

The lead appeared to be doubled a mere five minutes later but Lucas Akins' effort, which would have been his first goal in Tranmere colours, was ruled out for offside by the assistant referee.

Regardless of that minor setback, the travelling side were still in search of a second goal with Akins' diving header forcing a good save from loanee goalkeeper David Button in the Plymouth goal.

The hosts rarely threatened, though Kari Arnason's snapshot flew past the post of goalkeeper Tony Warner late on in the half as Tranmere went into the break with a 1-0 lead. It was obvious that the game was nowhere near over and a second goal would be needed in order to provide some form of comfort and to secure the points.

Elford-Alliyu celebrates his second goal with the help of his team-mates

Plymouth came out of the blocks a lot faster than their opponents in the second half and went close on a few occasions but Warner was rarely called into action as much as home manager Peter Reid would have liked. New Zealand's World Cup star, Rory Fallon, was putting himself about but the centre back pairing, Goodison and McChrystal, was up to the challenge.

For all the pressure they had, Plymouth failed to make it count and paid the heaviest of prices after 64 minutes.

A Tranmere corner routine was cleared but the ball came to Elford-Alliyu on the edge of the box and the youngster's powerful drive was too much for Button to handle as he flapped at the effort and saw the ball squirm through his hands to gift Tranmere a 2-0 lead to the delight of the away fans behind the goal.

The Pilgrims were now needing a miracle though the comeback almost started but for a brilliant save by Warner with his legs from Mason, who had earlier hit the post, as the hosts looked to half the deficit as soon as possible.

A third goal for Tranmere would end the game as a contest and it duly arrived through Showunmi's first goal since his winner away at Notts County on November 20th. The Nigerian was set free following a defensive error from Marcel Seip and finished confidently past Button for Tranmere's third goal to seal all three points.

Enoch Showunmi's 8th goal of the season wrapped up all three points for Tranmere

The mass exodus that followed saw hundreds of Plymouth fans pile for the exits in their droves, having seen more than enough for one afternoon. Tranmere fans, in comparison, were loving every moment of it as they revelled in the three goal cushion.

With the game effectively over, Les Parry rang the changes with the workhorses Akins and Elford-Alliyu both being replaced late on. One of the replacements, Zoumana Bakayogo, almost scored a fourth to rub salt into the wounds but he shot narrowly wide from a difficult angle.

The only blemish on Tranmere's performance was the Plymouth goal that came a minute into injury time. A fine finish by Mason ensured there was to be no clean sheet for the Whites though the final result was more than satisfying.

As much as I would love to lavish praise upon Tranmere, it has to be said that Plymouth contributed to their own downfall on more than one occasion. As good as Tranmere were on the day - very, in comparison to recent performances - Plymouth were poor and look like they are in big trouble.

Granted, they had their spells of possession and pressure but neither were turned into clear-cut chances. The departures of Craig Noone and Bradley Wright-Phillips have left the Pilgrims painfully exposed as a weak attacking unit.

Of course, the most important thing for Plymouth fans at the moment is that they have a club to support but relegation to League Two would be disastrous for the city and the club would be even less saleable than it currently is. Relegation is a distinct possibility at the moment and Plymouth would do well to stay up given their poor showing today.

Tranmere, meanwhile, need to build on a good performance with a result against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night before looking to make good use of their games in hand to propel themselves up the table and away from the relegation zone.