Cheltenham Town's miserable away form continued at Prenton Park last night as second half goals from Bas Savage and Edrissa Sonko condemned them to defeat.

The Robins competed well for 69 minutes until Savage headed Tranmere in front, then had to chase the game and Edrissa Sonko headed an 89th minute clincher for the home side.

Robins manager Martin Allen shuffled his large squad, making five changes from Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Scunthorpe – described by him as the best display of his management.

In came defender Lathanial Rowe-Turner for his debut, alongside Lewis Montrose, Saturday's goalscorer Paul Connor and transfer-listed pair Lee Ridley and Andy Lindegaard, with Lloyd Owusu, Scott Murray, Ashley Vincent, Josh Payne and Andy Gallinagh dropping out.

That meant Murray, Payne and new signing Jonny Hayes were the three loan men to miss out with Allen only allowed to field five of his eight temporary signings.

But the Robins made a confident start, with a Ridley long throw finding an unmarked Diallo in the box, then, in the fourth minute, Fleetwood fed Ridley down the left and his cross was met by Lindegaard at the far post, but Danny Coyne turned it round for a corner.

Tranmere had giant ex-Robins triallist Bas Savage up front, but their early threats came from out wide with Scott Brown dealing confidently with three early crosses.

But Cheltenham nearly shot themselves in the foot when Gareth Edds shot straight at Brown after a loose ball from fellow Sydneysider James Wesolowski gave the ball to Chris Shuker, and he set up Edds' chance.

Andy Taylor then sent over a 21st minute cross which Diallo cleared at the near post but Darren Kenton slipped and had to scramble the ball away for a corner.

Two minutes later, Rowe-Turner gave possession away to Savage with a loose header, and in his eagerness to make amends, he lunged in on the big striker, giving away a dangerous free-kick on the corner of the box which Taylor fired the set-piece across the face of Brown's goal and just wide of the far post.

Tranmere fashioned another good chance after 37 minutes as Shuker's cross was knocked down by Savage for Ian Moore to drive an 18-yard shot just wide.

Wright then gave the ball away to Shuker in the 39th minute. More resolute defending kept the damage to a corner, which was cleared, but Tranmere were finishing the half strongly, and another cross from Shuker was headed for a corner by Diallo.

Cheltenham hit back, and Ridley fed Connor, whose low cross was cleared by Ian Goodison, but the Robins won a free-kick when Ryan Shotton fouled Connor on the edge of the box, but the wall charged down Wesolowski's shot.

Fleetwood was sent away by Montrose in the 43rd minute, but his cross was disappointing, and a minute later Wesolowski hit a 25-yard shot which curled away from the target.

Cheltenham nearly took a 47th minute lead in bizarre circumstances when a Ridley cross was spooned goalwards by Fleetwood, and Coyne had to back-pedal and touch it over for a corner.

But Brown had to make a superb 53rd minute save to keep the score at 0-0 when Taylor's 18-yard drive took a deflection off Montrose and the keeper plunged to his right to make the save.

Then in the 55th minute the dangerous Shuker cut in off the left wing to curl a 20-yarder wide of Brown's far post.

Cheltenham won a free-kick 25 yards out on the hour after Connor was fouled, but Lindegaard fired it over.

Ridley was booked in the 62nd minute, and gave away a dangerous free-kick which Taylor curled into Brown's clutches.

Cheltenham made their first change when Ridley was replaced by Vincent but the Robins were on the defensive when Wright lost out to Shuker and an offside flag came to their rescue.

Wesolowski was in the wars after taking a ball full in the face from Goodison, and a crunching tackle from Ryan Shotton, which left him needing treatment off the pitch.

But while Cheltenham were down to 10 men, they fell behind in the 69th minute when Moore fed Shuker, whose right-wing cross was headed home by the unmarked Savage.

Straight after the goal, Cheltenham were back to their full complement when top scorer Lloyd Owusu replaced Wesolowski and joined Fleetwood and Vincent in a 4-3-3 formation.

Cheltenham fashioned a 76th minute chance when Lindegaard's pass was flicked on by Owusu to Fleetwood, who shot first time straight at Coyne.

Cheltenham made their final change in the 79th minute with Gallinagh replacing Fleetwood, Gallinagh going into central midfield as the system changed again, to 3-4-3, and his first touch was a deflected 20-yard shot which Coyne turned over for a corner.

Tranmere came close to an 86th minute second when Savage fed Shuker, and his shot deflected off Wright and the post for a corner.

However, the let-off was brief as Shuker sent over another cross in the 89th minute and substitute Edrissa Sonko was able to squeeze his header between Brown and the near post.

Gallinagh went close again in injury time when he shot over after Montrose flicked on a throw-in, but Cheltenham fell to their fifth defeat in six away games this season.

Tranmere (4-5-1): Coyne; Shotton, Chorley, Goodison, Taylor; Moore, Edds (Sonko 66), Kay, Jennings, Shuker; Savage. Subs not used: Antwi, Greenacre, Ahmed, Achterberg.

Cheltenham (4-4-2): Brown; Kenton, Rowe-Turner, Diallo, Wright; Lindegaard, Montrose, Wesolowski (Owusu 71), Ridley (Vincent 64); Fleetwood (Gallinagh 79), Connor. Subs not used: Higgs, Armstrong.