Saints lost their unbeaten league run in 2010 at the hands of Tranmere as a late penalty won it for the hosts.

A dubious looking spot kick was awarded with six minutes left on the clock, as Gareth Edds went down easily under a challenge from Dan Seaborne. Striker Ian Thomas-Moore beat Kelvin Davis from the spot to earn three points for the home side in the thick of the action at either end of the game.

Rovers took an early lead through Marlon Broomes' header, but were quickly pegged back by Lee Barnard's sixth goal in five matches for the Club as Saints went on to end the first half looking the more likely to get in front.

A more disjointed second period was broken up by a series of free-kicks which affected the flow of the game, but the knock out blow which arrived with just over five minutes to play killed off the visitors who could possibly have had a spot kick of their own with time running out.

Tranmere: Daniels, O'Neill, Goodison, Broomes, Bakayogo, Edds, McLaren (Mahon 77), Welsh, Curran, Sordell (Savage 66), Thomas-Moore. Subs (not used): Logan, Collister. McCready, Barnett, Shuker.

Saints: Davis, Otsemobor, Jaidi, Fonte, Harding (Seaborne 66), Puncheon, Hammond, Schneiderlin, Lallana (Antonio 81), Lambert, Barnard (Papa Waigo 81). Subs (not used): Bialkowski, Thomas, Wotton, Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Referee: Mr. P. Quinn

Attendance: 6,187

Alan Pardew's men lined up unchanged from the midweek win against Huddersfield at St. Mary's, however, Rovers weren't ready to lie back as they went for an attacking 4-3-3 formation to counter act the visitors' attacking threat.

Tranmere got things underway at Prenton Park with Saints in their blue and yellow kit defending the end housing the 1,500 strong travelling support on a drizzly day in Merseyside.

A lively start from both teams saw the action swing from either end before the hosts won a free kick on the right hand side of Kelvin Davis' area in the third minute of play. The ball was swung in on to the head of Gareth Edds, who cushioned it back across for central defender Marlon Broomes to power home a header from inside the six yard box to give Rovers an early lead.

Saints were not behind for long though. A corner won by Jason Puncheon off defender Ian Goodison was delivered to the far post by the former MK Dons loanee where Adam Lallana brought the ball down and smashed a volley towards goal, only to see his shot hooked of the line by Goodison. The ball landed into the path of Lee Barnard who took it on his chest before firing low into the bottom left corner to level things up just seven minutes after Tranmere's opener.

Buoyed by the equaliser, the visitors began to string a few moves together in the Rovers half, but were almost undone on the quarter hour mark when full back Zoumana Bakayogo struck a venomous effort over the top of the bar from distance.

On 18 a Puncheon corner from the left was narrowly missed by a combination Fonte and Jaidi as the central defensive duo went agonizingly close to putting Saints in front.

Two minutes later, Lallana went even closer as he was picked out at the back post by Puncheon's cross from the left, but the youngster couldn't divert the ball goalwards as it spun across the face of goal before being collected by stopper Luke Daniels.

Lambert fired wide on the counter attack just shy of half an hour on the clock, but the free flowing nature of the opening exchanges had now developed into a slightly scrappier affair with clear chances few and further between until Lallana's curling shot was deflected out for a corner just prior to the interval.

Half Time: Tranmere 1-1 Saints

A brief stop in play shortly after the re-start whilst Rovers defender Broomes received treatment from manager/physio Les Parry was the only early action of the new half before Edds blazed over the Saints goal from 12 yards out.

Puncheon followed suit from a little further out a few minutes later at the end of a fine passing move from the visitors.

On 59 Morgan Schneiderlin was brought down 30 yards from goal just to the left of centre, lining up a shooting opportunity for Lambert. The Club's top goal scorer's firmly struck effort curled wide of the Daniel's goal.

At the other end, Craig Curran's volley on the turn was held by Davis before Ian Thomas-Moore, whose feeble penalty appeal was turned down moments earlier dragged an equally tame shot wide.

Barnard and Lambert both nearly got in behind the Rovers backline, before both sides made tactical switches with Dan Seaborne replacing Dan Harding for Saints and forward Bas Savage coming on for the hosts in place of Marvin Sordell just past the hour mark.

In the 70th minute Lallana was denied by Daniels as he connected to Otsemobor's cross from the right and then the visitors did well to remain alert at the other end as Savage forced the ball across the area to Moore. The striker was kept out by a strong save from Davis, but confusion reigned as play went on whilst the assistant on the nearside was flagging for an infringement only for the match official to allow the game to carry on.

Alan Mahon was introduced for Paul McLaren for the hosts inside the last quarter of an hour before Barnard was then twice denied as he breached the Rovers defence only to be denied by the 'keeper from close range.

Jaidi had a header cleared from the line by Goodison as Saints stepped up the pressure, and with ten minutes remaining, Barnard and Lallana were switched for Michail Antonio and Papa Waigo to add fresh impetus going forward.

Moments later though, Tranmere were awarded a soft looking penalty for an apparent foul on Edds by Seaborne. Schneiderlin and Puncehon were booked for their protests which didn't deter Ian Thomas-Moore from converting the spot kick just past the outstretched arm of Davis who had dived the right way.

With time evaporating away, Saints felt that they should have had a penalty of their own when Fonte went down under a challenge inside the box. The Portugese defender was however, cautioned instead for simulation by referee Peter Quinn.

Antonio's shot from distance was fiercely blocked as Saints threw everything forward late on as four minutes of additional time were added on.

During stoppage time Lambert cleverly turned to fire a shot in from 25 yards which was kept out, but no further chances arrived as Tranmere held on for the win.

Full Time: Tranmere 2-1 Saints