SAINTS secured their first back-to-back wins of the season as they cruised to a 2-0 win over Tranmere at St Mary’s.

In a hugely one-sided game that Saints dominated from the first minute to the last, goals from Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana saw them comfortably dispose of Rovers.

The win made it five games without defeat and gave them a timely boost on the back of the win over Bournemouth.

Saints came flying out of the traps and put Tranmere under massive pressure right from the start, causing them to retreat with ten men behind the ball just to try and desperately hang on.

Saints created their first opening in just the second minute of the game.

Guly do Prado played an intelligent pass with the outside of his boot through to Rickie Lambert.

He had a couple of yards start but had been caught as he went to pull the trigger and his shot was blocked.

Moments later Guly was in business again, this time with a deft flick around the corner that played Richard Chaplow in but from an acute angle Peter Gulacsi stayed big and made the save.

Lambert came even closer on five minutes when Guly whipped in a superb cross from the right that picked out the head of Lambert.

His effort was powerful but hit the top of the bar and went over.

Gulacsi had to be quick off his line again on 13 minutes to save at the feet of Adam Lallana.

Jason Puncheon was the next to have a long-range effort but it was straight at Gulacsi.

Tranmere had their first attempt on goal on 18 minutes.

Lucas Akins cut in from the right wing and held off a challenge before firing in a solid shot from 30 yards but at a nice height for Kelvin Davis who caught it diving away to his left.

Two minutes later Dale Jennings cut in from the opposite side but whistled an effort over.

Back up the other end Saints pressed again and this time it was Dan Harding who fired into the side netting from close range.

Guly turned from provider to predator as he forced Gulacsi into another save with a shot from inside the area but there wasn’t much power behind it.

Dean Hammond gave him more of a test with a side-footed effort from the edge of the area.

Puncheon did something similar minutes later.

As the half wore on that same old story started to unfold for Saints.

Having not got the early goal that their early pressure deserved, their opponents, Tranmere, were starting to look a little more settled and a little less frantic while Saints looked increasingly frustrated.

But that frustration was ended on 43 minutes when Saints took the lead.

Danny Butterfield picked up the ball on the right and whipped in a cross that picked out the head of Lambert at the far post. He made no mistake with a downward header into the bottom corner for 1-0.

It was a vital that Saints got that lead before the half-time whistle went to change the complexion of the game.

Rather than as has so often happened with the opposition coming out steeled for more defensive work in the second period, Tranmere knew they were going to have to come out and attack to get anything from the game which would suit Saints.

Despite that the second period started in much the same way as the first ended with Saints on the attack and Tranmere on the back foot defending.

Whether they were hoping to keep it to just one and then push men forward late on was unclear but they weren’t even breaking with enough pace to get men up in support of Enoch Showunmi as the lone striker.

Their task went from very hard to looking mountainous when Lallana doubled Saints’ lead on 57 minutes.

Guly did superbly well to slide and keep the ball in a sharp pass from Butterfield on the right by-line, firing in a cross as he did.

Lallana needed no second invitation to side foot the ball in at the far post for 2- 0.

Tranmere made their first change on the hour mark with Ian Thomas-Moore replacing Akins as they switched to 4-4- 2.

Both sides made a switch on 64 minutes with Lee Barnard stepping off the bench for Guly, who was suffering from cramp, while Ryan Fraughan replaced Mendy for Tranmere.

After Barnard had a shot that was blocked by the Tranmere defence Lambert fired in a half volley from the edge of the area that went narrowly over.

Barnard thought he scored after deflecting the ball into the net from close range but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside and it was ruled out.

Tranmere made their final change on 75 minutes with Sam Morrow replacing Jennings.

Puncheon forced Gulacsi into a good save as he tried to a curl an effort into the far corner only for the Tranmere keeper to dive to his right to just manage to keep it out.

That was Puncheon’s last action as he was taken off for Alex Chamberlain on 79 minutes.

Lambert had a chance from a central 20-yard free kick that was won by Barnard but he drilled it wide.

Gulacsi had a tough save to make from Lambert minutes later as Lallana stood up a left-wing cross that the striker headed back across goal only for the Tranmere stopper to dive full length to his right to tip it wide.

Saints made a final change with Lee Holmes coming on for Lallana with four minutes remaining.

Chaplow had a chance to bag himself a goal moments later but slid his shot from just inside the area past the post.

Barnard was the next to have a good chance after being fed the ball by Dan Harding but from about the penalty spot he drilled the ball straight at Gulacsi.

Barnard had another half chance deep into stoppage time when he dived but couldn’t quite divert Lambert’s cross goalwards but it didn’t matter.

The final whistle went moments later and Saints had picked up a very comfortable three points.

For full match report don't miss this weekend's edition of The Pink and for match reaction you can't afford to miss Monday's Daily Echo.

Saints team

Davis, Butterfield, Seaborne, Fonte, Harding, Puncheon, Chaplow, Hammond, Lallana, Guly, Lambert.
Subs: Bialkowski, Jaidi, Dickson, Holmes, Chamberlain, Barnard, Bignall.

Tranmere team

Gulasci, Blanchard, Wootton, Wood, Cresswell, McLaren, Welsh, Mendy, Jennings, Akins, Showunmi.
Subs: Collister, Cathalina, Fraughan, Power, Bakayogo, Morrow, Thomas-Moore.

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