Carlisle United 0 Tranmere Rovers 1: A Rod McDonald own-goal saw managerless Carlisle United slip into the League Two relegation zone after a fourth straight defeat without scoring.

The Blues' struggles continued in their first game since the sacking of Chris Beech as Gavin Skelton took caretaker charge.

Recalled defender McDonald diverted a cross past debutant keeper Mark Howard early in the second half.

Howard later saved a Kieron Morris penalty but Carlisle couldn't find a way back.

United have now gone six hour without scoring in the league and are second bottom.

The latest flawed afternoon was watched by a 4,831 crowd which included controversial ex-United owner Michael Knighton, who watched the game from the directors' area on his return to the city for an event at the Old Fire Station last night.

Carlisle appear firmly in a relegation battle as they again failed to find enough inspiration against Micky Mellon's side, who went fourth cheered by 899 vocal travelling fans.

Caretaker boss Skelton, assisted by Eric Kinder, made three changes to the side selected by Beech at Bristol Rovers last weekend.

He handed a first outing to new keeper Howard, while fit-again McDonald returned to the defence and Jordan Gibson also got a recall.

Lukas Jensen, Danny Devine and Brad Young dropped to the bench, where Joe Riley also returned after injury but Kelvin Mellor missed out.

Tranmere boss Micky Mellon named an unchanged side, with ex-Blues defender Nathaniel Knight-Percival among their subs.

Carlisle survived a third-minute scare when a free-kick opened them up and Sam Foley volleyed home, but the offside flag interrupted the Tranmere celebrations.

At the other end a low Callum Guy cross reached Zach Clough, whose shot from the right was parried by keeper Ross Doohan.

Gibson saw a shot from distance go wide and Guy had an effort blocked, but serious chances were scarce, as Carlisle had to play for a couple of minutes with 10 men as Lewis Alessandra went down the tunnel to have a head injury patched up.

Tranmere built a series of attacks down the right, where Callum McManaman combined with overlapping full-back Josh Dacres-Cogley.

But they failed to test Howard in the first half.

The keeper punched clear one shot before Jay Spearing fired over the bar.

A corner for Carlisle led to a scramble and an off-target shot from right-back Corey Whelan, before Elliott Nevitt failed to direct a good cross on target for Mellon's side.

Josh Hawkes and Kieron Morris then failed with attempts for the visitors, United's attacking efforts having dried up by this stage despit their largely solid and organised defending.

Tranmere then pounced to open the scoring early in the second half, carving through Carlisle's right-back area twice, Morris linking with Foley, whose low cross was inadvertently turned past Howard by McDonald in the 48th minute.

Three minutes later Carlisle could have levelled when Gibson met a Jack Armer cross in front of goal, but keeper Doohan turned the finish past the post.

And on 55 minutes Rovers should have punished United further, when Hawkes drifted easily past defenders and was brought down by Jon Mellish.

But debutant Howard was equal to Morris's driven penalty to keep the Blues in the game.

Skelton tried to inject fresh life into the side by bringing on Riley and Tristan Abrahams for Whelan and Clough.

Mellish then went close from 20 yards on the hour mark and United were denied a penalty when Dickenson went down after a collision with Doohan as he tried to profit from a muddle between the keeper and let-back Calum MacDonald.

United failed to create anything as their attacking ideas grew increasingly futile and aimless, Skelton sending on Taylor Charters in their final change, Tranmere making two changes of their own as Liam Feeney and Lee O'Connor came on.

In the 84th minute Gibson and Alessandra had shots blocked after a break, Dickenson next to have an effort thwarted by a defender for the Cumbrians.

An injury-time scramble almost led to a United chance via Abrahams, but Tranmere held firm and the Blues entered the relegation zone, second bottom on goal difference.

United: Howard, Whelan (Riley 56), Armer, McDonald, Feeney (Charters 76), Guy, Mellish, Dickenson, Gibson, Clough (Abrahams 56), Alessandra. Not used: Jensen, Devine, Toure, Young.

Booked: Clough

Tranmere: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, MacDonald, Davies, Clarke, Morris (O’Connor 77), Spearing, Foley, Hawkes (Feeney 72), McManaman (Watson 88), Nevitt. Not used: Murphy, Knight-Percival, Maynard, Duffy.

Goals: McDonald 48og

Booked: Hawkes, Watson

Ref: Andrew Kitchen.

Crowd: 4,831 (899 Tranmere fans)