Tranmere drop to fifth with Sutton draw

Sutton slipped to ninth in League Two after being pegged back in a 1-1 draw with promotion-chasing Tranmere.

Defender Ben Goodliffe opened the scoring for the hosts after just 15 minutes with his first goal since October.

But Josh Hawkes hit his fifth of the season to ensure Micky Mellon’s side went three games without defeat.

Matt Gray’s U’s are three points off the play-off pace after their third game without a win.

And Rovers are now fifth on goal difference after just two wins from their last eight.

The hosts started brightly in the sunshine as Enzio Boldewijn’s header was cleared off the line early on.

But the early pressure paid off as Goodliffe headed home Boldewijn’s corner in the 15th minute.

Veteran stopper Joe Murphy denied Sutton a second when he kept out Omar Bugiel.

Tranmere threatened in the second half and got their deserved equaliser with 22 minutes left as Hawkes poked home at the back post.