RYAN Lowe scored four first half goals as Tranmere defeated Cammell Laird 9-0 at Kirklands on Monday night.

Rovers fielded completely different outfield sides in each half with goalkeeper Jason Mooney the only player to play the full 90 minutes.

After two early chances for Lairds that were kept out by Mooney, Rovers took the lead on 14 minutes when second year youth scholar Liam Davies converted Joe Thompson's cross with a shot across goal.

Three minutes later Lowe scored his first when he turned on to a cross from trialists Danny Lafferty and the former MK Dons striker made it 3-0 on 26 minutes with a front post finish from Max Power's low ball into the six yard box.

Lowe completed his hat-trick on 28 minutes when he received the ball from Power inside the area, ran past a defender and shot across the keeper into the bottom corner and he made it 5-0 soon after with another near post finish from Ben Maher's cross.

On 35 minutes Lowe turned provider with a neat chip over the Lairds defence allowing Thompson to run behind, control and volley into the bottom left corner from 15 yards and the first half scoring was completed on 41 minutes when Davies netted his second, firing into the net from Thompson's low corner.

Abdulai Baggie scored the eighth on 76 minutes when he chipped the keeper from outside the area and Jake Kirby made it 9-0 a couple of minutes from time, converting from close range after good work from Andy Robinson.

Tranmere 1st half: Mooney, Maher, Foster, Morris*, Horwood, Lafferty*, Power, Rowe*, Thompson, Davies, Lowe.

Tranmere 2nd half: Mooney, Jackson*, Taylor, Holmes, Phillips, Baggie, Aspas*, Watson*, Riley, Robinson, Kirby.

* denotes trialist Tranmere Rovers has sent its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Dave Hickson who has sadly passed away.

Hickson spent two seasons at Prenton Park in the 1960s after also playing for Everton and Liverpool earlier in his career.