Tranmere Rovers 2 Bristol Rovers 0: Bristol Rovers suffered their first defeat in seven away games as a goal in each half rekindled Tranmere's play-off hopes at Prenton Park.

Aaron Cresswell's deflected free-kick gave the home side the lead eight minutes before the interval and Ian Moore thumped home a second for the Merseysiders to settle the outcome after 64 minutes.

The visitors, who had won four of their previous six outings on opposition soil, found clear chances harder to come by this time.

The closest they came to a goal was late on, when Rickie Lambert drew a good save from keeper Danny Coyne with a 22-yard free-kick.

Pirates' coach Paul Trollope made three changes to the side that had suffered a 2-1 home defeat by Huddersfield Town as he abandoned the 4-3-3 formation adopted for the previous two games and returned to a more familiar 4-4-2 line-up.

Wingers David Pipe and Jeff Hughes were back in the team after illness and injury respectively, with Aaron Lescott replacing Joe Jacobson at left-back. The young Welsh defender returned to the bench, along with Jo Kuffour – who had netted Rovers' goal against the Terriers – and Craig Disley.

There was a largely uneventful start to the game and it was 15 minutes before either keeper was called into action. Then a low free-kick from Cresswell got past Rovers' defensive wall past wall but goalkeeper Steve Phillips made a comfortable save.

Rovers glimpsed a half-chance after 17 minutes when Ryan Green's hopeful punt forward was chased by Lambert, but the striker miscued his attempt at an angled volley.

Hughes twice had opportunities to cause Tranmere problems midway through the half but was dispossessed on both occasions, before Phillips was equal to former Bristol City striker Bas Savage's attempt to stab the ball past him at the near post.

Tranmere's breakthrough came amid a hint of controversy when Byron Anthony was judged to have handled the ball as he tried to intercept Ben Chorley's pass towards Moore. The Welshman insisted he had made contact with his chest, but referee Karl Evans awarded a free-kick after consulting his assistant and Cresswell's shot, which took a deflection off team-mate Antony Kay on the way into the net, was the difference between the sides at the interval – although Lambert headed a Stuart Campbell corner not far over the top in stoppage-time.

Rovers glimpsed a way back into the game two minutes into the second half when home defender Ian Goodison made a hash of cutting out a ball forward. Darryl Duffy pounced on the error and broke clear, but was stopped in his tracks by an offside flag in what looked a close decision.

Savage drove a fierce ball across the face of the visitors' goal a few minutes later as the hosts looked to extend their lead. Then, at the other end, Duffy let fly with a low shot from near the corner of the 18-yard box, although Coyne saved comfortably.

Trollope made a double change in the 57th minute with Kuffour coming on for Pipe and Disley replacing Chris Lines. Moments later, Savage had a fine chance to double the home side's advantage but pulled his right-foot shot wide of the far post from 12 yards.

Tranmere appeared to have a let-off after 62 minutes when Disley seemed to have been brought down inside the box by Goodison, only for referee Evans to book the Rovers man for a dive. And seconds later the outcome was put beyond doubt when Charlie Barnett broke down Tranmere's left and supplied a cross which Moore crashed home first time to rekindle the Merseyside club's hopes of a play-off spot.

It could have been three shortly afterwards as Edrissa Sonko tried to break through. He was halted by a shuddering challenge from Anthony, but Lescott then failed to clear his lines and Sonko seized on the ball again but fired over the top.

The Pirates almost grabbed a consolation 11 minutes from time but Coyne made a tremendous stop from Lambert's 22-yard free-kick and then got up quickly to smother Duffy's header from the resulting loose ball.

The Scouse marksman set his sights again from similar distance when the visitors won another free-kick in stoppage-time, but his strike flew a yard over the top.