Rovers continued their pre-season schedule with a couple of 60-minute friendlies against League Two side Tranmere Rovers behind closed doors.

John Eustace’s men came out on top in both games, with the first finishing 3-0 and the second finishing 5-3.

Rovers went ahead after nine minutes in the first game when Joe Rankin-Costello got to the byline and picked out Callum Brittain, who slotted home.

Tyrhys Dolan doubled the lead, finding the bottom corner with a clinical finish after good work by Sam Szmodics and Sam Gallagher.

Rankin-Costello added a third after half an hour, reacting quickest after Szmodics’ effort was blocked by a defender.

Szmodics also had a chance to get on the scoresheet after a well-worked move but fired just wide of the far post.

At the other end, Aynsley Pears made a double save to deny Luke Norris and Sam Taylor before Kieron Morris sent a strike over the bar.

Minutes later, the goalkeeper made another decent stop to keep out Regan Hendry’s strike at his near post.

There was a short break after 45 minutes before Brittain picked out Gallagher in the box and his shot was saved from a tight angle.

The full-back then sent a curling effort over the bar before Gallagher saw a shot saved from the edge of the penalty area.

The second game featured a younger line-up, although the likes of Arnor Sigurdsson, Dilan Markanday and John Buckley were involved.

It took just five minutes for Markanday to open the scoring with a low left-footed drive into the bottom corner.

Jack Vale then had an effort saved from the edge of the box before Sigurdsson’s follow up was turned behind.

Pat Gamble doubled the lead with a ruthless finish on the turn after Tranmere had failed to clear their lines from the resulting corner.

Markanday made it three, keeping his cool to go round the goalkeeper and tap into the empty net after latching onto Vale’s pass.

Tranmere pulled one back through Josh Hawkes, who smashed home the rebound after Joe Hilton had made a smart stop.

Markanday had a chance for his hat trick but could only fire into the side netting. Moments later, Vale restored the three-goal cushion with a header from close range after getting on the end of Jake Batty’s cross.

Georgie Gent almost got in on the act but his goal-bound strike was kept out by a brilliant block on the line.

Buckley was then tripped in the box and the midfielder kept his cool to slot home the fifth goal from 12 yards.

Sigurdsson made way after 45 minutes, with promising youngster Igor Tyjon getting some minutes on the pitch.

Tranmere pulled another goal back when Harvey Saunders nodded in Kristian Dennis’ cross at the far post.

Markanday had another chance to complete his hat trick but his header from Gent's cross was saved. Tyjon was also denied by the Tranmere goalkeeper on the follow up.

Saunders scored again on the stroke of full time, heading home a corner to double his tally for the afternoon.

First line-up: Pears, Brittain, Carter, Hyam, Pickering, Travis, Tronstad, Rankin-Costello, Szmodics, Dolan, Gallagher

Second line-up:  Hilton, Duro, O’Riordan, Gamble, Batty, Buckley, Garrett, Markanday, Sigurdsson (Tyjon 45), Gent, Vale

Unused subs: Khan, Wood