TRANMERE confounded the form book to take a point off big-spending promotion chasers Huddersfield Town last night.

Rovers could not prevent the free scoring Terriers from adding three more goals to a tally of 31 in 10 League One games at the Galpharm Stadium this season.

But Rovers hit back with three rapid fire equalisers.

It was a performance of commendable spirit and resourcefulness from the visitors, who capitalised on Huddersfield’s tendency to lose concentration at the back after scoring.

The worst start Tranmere could have made against such free-scoring opponents was to concede an early goal.

That is just what they did on six minutes when The Terriers’ playmaker Antony Kay curled a cunning pass around Ian Goodison’s blind side to set Lee Novak free inside the box. The striker, who missed with a diving header four minutes earlier, made no mistake this time with a fierce shot rising inside the right hand post.

Tranmere’s response was to silence the home crowd with an equaliser within two minutes.

Young striker Terry Gornell showed strength and persistence to break between two defenders on the right and edge of the box to fire in a sharp shot that was beaten out by goalkeeper Alex Smithies. The rebound ran straight to Ian Thomas-Moore and the skipper, recalled to the starting line up in place of the injured Chris Shuker, drove the chance crisply home from ten yards.

Kay showed he’s lost none of the fire power that made him such a popular player at Tranmere last season by driving in a venomous 25 yard effort that Daniels was grateful to grab at the second attempt.

Thankfully Pilkington, switching wings to cut in from the left saw his shot take a deflection off Marlon Broomes to loop over the bar.

Tranmere came under a spell of persistent pressure at the start of the second half and conceded a second goal on 58 minutes just when they seemed to have weathered the worst of it.

Rovers were undone by a cross from Gary Roberts that took a deflection off Ian Goodison, bounced off Ash Taylor and ran for Michael Collins to drive powerfully home from 12 yards.

Once again the home defence were guilty of dozing after taking the lead. They allowed Craig Curran to run on to a deflected long clearance as it ran to the edge of the box. The young front man made space on his right foot before driving the chance low into the far corner of the net.

Soon afterwards Tranmere had strong penalty appeals turned down by referee Neil Swarbrick after Gornell fell under the challenge of Peter Clarke inside the box.

The Terriers took the lead for a third time with nine minutes left. Tranmere were opened up by a well worked move down the right in which Lee Peltier and Novak set up the chance for Kay to finish neatly from close range.

But if Kay thought he was going to notch the winner against his former club he was disappointed as Rovers bounced back yet again with an 84th minute equaliser. The visitors had some fortune on their side this time. When John Welsh swept from the right deep into the far side of the box, both Ian Goodison and substitute Michael Rickets challenged for it. But the ball appeared to strike a home defender before rolling gently over the line, setting off the 317 visiting Tranmere fans into a dance of delight.