Omari Patrick’s brace helped Tranmere maintain their unbeaten start in League Two with a 2-1 win over Carlisle at Brunton Park.
Former Carlisle man Patrick opened the scoring for Rovers early on, but Archie Davies responded immediately for the Cumbrians.
Patrick then restored Tranmere’s lead just before half-time with a brilliant strike and that was enough to seal all three points for Nigel Adkins’ men.
After an end-to-end start, Patrick fired the visitors ahead in the seventh minute with a low shot into the bottom left corner.
However, their lead lasted mere seconds with Davies slotting home after good work on the left from debutant Jordan Jones.
Patrick put Tranmere back in front for a second time in the 37th minute when he curled in a left-footed shot after a well-worked short-corner routine.
Carlisle pressed for an equaliser after the break but Paul Simpson’s side struggled to find that all-important final ball and hardly tested Luke McGee in the Rovers goal.
Substitute Luke Armstrong had a chance to equalise late on for the hosts but he headed a Davies cross over the bar to condemn Carlisle to a third defeat in four.
