Exeter City moved up to 20th in the League Two table thanks to Jordan Moore-Taylor's second half header against Tranmere Rovers.
City were the better side in the match, but found themselves going in level at the break with Graham Cummins and Danny Holmes on target for either side.
However the second half goal and the 2-1 victory moved City level on points with Rovers and heaped more pressure on Rovers boss Rob Edwards.
Edwards, who was Exeter City's assistant manager last season, is now without a win in four games, while Tisdale's team are unbeaten in three and looking a completely different team to the one that had started the season in such poor from.
Paul Tisdale made one change to the side that had won so well at Cambridge United in the previous match, bringing in Christian Ribeiro for the injured Scot Bennett.
Thirty-seven-year-old Matt Oakley captained the side in the absence of Bennett and vice-captain Pat Baldwin.
Edwards named two former Grecians in his starting line-up, with Matt Gill in the centre of midfield and Eliot Richards up front. There was also a first start for Ben Davies who joined Tranmere on loan from Preston North End on Friday.
A dubious and very late offside flag was the talking point of the first half as a Tranmere side devoid of confidence avoided going 2-0 down thanks to a favourable decision from the linesman.
City had been much the better side in the opening 20 minutes of the match and had deservedly taken the lead when David Wheeler flicked a shot over Tranmere keeper Owain Fon Williams for Graham Cummins to tap home his third goal in as many games.
However, Cummins felt he should have had another goal on 23 minutes when Matt Grimes' shot, from 30 yards, deflected into his path. The former Preston North End striker did well to keep his cool, round the keeper and slot the ball home.
The City players wheeled away in celebration as boos echoed around Prenton Park. But those boos turned to cheers as the linesman's flag went up. It was such a late flag that Cummins had even run past the referee's assistant as he celebrated before he chose to rule the goal out.
And had the goal been allowed, you would have struggled to see a way back into the match for Tranmere, but two minutes later they were level as Danny Holmes hit a shot from the edge of the box that deflected off Moore-Taylor and pulled Rovers level.
Edwards' side began to grow into the game after that, with Richards picking up a ball in the box and blazing an effort over the crossbar.
Then on 33 minutes Max Power broke down the right side of the pitch, breezed past Craig Woodman and pulled a ball back for Abdulai Baggie to screw a shot the wrong side of the post.
If that was a bad miss, but worse was to follow minutes later as Carl Stockton headed a Richards cross over from eight yards out to leave the scores level at the break.
Power had the first effort of the second half as Oakley's poor headed clearance fell to him 30 yards out, but his effort was straight at Pym.
At the other end Sercombe's long range effort was deflected behind for a corner, which saw Moore-Taylor send a looping header inches wide of the post.
However, the linesman's flag became the talking point once more as Cummins had bundled the ball home from close range after 53 minutes from Davies' right-wing cross. This time the flag went up very quickly, but Cummins was less than happy with decision.
Moments later Cummins then hit the base of the post, but again the linesman flag was raised so it wouldn't have counted even if he had managed to get it.
There could be no denying City though as they went in front on 69 minutes as Matt Grimes swung in an excellent free-kick and Moore-Taylor headed towards goal. Fon Williams got a hand to the ball, but such was the pace on the effort he couldn't keep the header from cannoning off the underside of his crossbar and in.
Tranmere pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Marc Laird put an effort into the side netting and Kayode Odejayi failed to get on the end of great cross into the box by Baggie.
At the other end Cummins missed an even better chance as he headed Liam Sercombe's cross wide from close range.
Further chances fell to Tranmere though with second-half substitute Jason Koumas firing a free-kick just wide of the post with seven minutes to go and Odejayi placing another header off target.
However, Pym was not forced into another meaningful save and City hung on for the points.
Tranmere Rovers (4-3-3): Fon Williams, Holmes, Ihiekwe, Donacien, Davies, Power, Gill (Koumas, 61), Liard, Baggie, Stockton (Donnelly, 57), Richards (Odejayi, 57): Subs not used: Holness, Rowe, Fanimo, Brezovan.
Booked: Gill, Laird
Exeter City (5-2-3): Pym, Davies, Ribeiro, Oakley, Moore-Taylor, Woodman (Keohane, 64), Sercombe, Grimes, Wheeler (Butterfield, 67), Nicholls, Cummins (Nichols, 81). Subs not used: Butterfield, Keohane, Noble, Dawson, Hamon, Tillson.
Referee: Mick Russell.
