Micky Mellon delighted as Tranmere get off to winning start

Posted Sunday, August 08, 2021 by PA

Micky Mellon was impressed with what he saw from Tranmere as they opened the season with a 1-0 win over Walsall, in a game that saw Premier League referee Mike Dean officiate his own team.

Rovers fan Dean stepped out of the home stands after half time when an assistant referee pulled his hamstring and, after consulting the Walsall bench, took over as fourth official.

Callum McManaman stroked home a neat winner midway through the second half from Chris Merrie’s pass, before Merrie was sent off for a rash tackle in the closing stages.

“I thought we looked a nice unit all day and played some good football,” said Tranmere boss Micky Mellon.

“When we had to defend one v one we did it really well and had a couple of chances to make things a bit more comfortable for ourselves.

“I thought it was a really keenly-contested game between two sides who were really up for it. It was a great atmosphere and brilliant to see supporters back again, it was fantastic.

“The last time I had supporters was with Tranmere at Blackpool last year, and I’ve been away for a year, so it is a good start for us and we will build on that.

“We work very hard on the up, back and throughs so great credit to the boys for executing that with the goal because it’s not easy.

“I’m a long way away from the red card but I always think if it is reckless then I don’t want to see people getting hurt. But I think the boy to be fair who had a fantastic game, has slid for it with no intention of hurting anybody. I would need to see it back again, but my first instincts were (it was) a yellow card.

“We showed composure with and without the ball and made some really good decisions. All we have done is won our first game. We have not done that for five years, and it is good to get the clean sheet.”

Walsall boss Matt Taylor saw promising signs in defeat from his first match in management.

“We have had enough chances to get something from the game,” he said.

“But I think that what you find in football is that if you don’t take the opportunities when they arise, regardless of whatever team you play against, then you have got to be really sure you are going to keep a clean sheet and we didn’t do today. But a huge amount of positives.

“The players are a new group although I won’t use that as an excuse. They are getting to know each other. It is always a game of both boxes and probably in the bigger moments of the game we weren’t really clinical. So I’m disappointed but really pleased with the general performance of the team.”

Taylor confirmed that Dean asked his permission to take over from the injured official, given he had been watching in the stands as a Tranmere fan.

“Mike is a Tranmere fan but I look at Mike as somebody who has reffed me many times in my career and I trust him to do the right job and he did,” Taylor added.

“It is one of those scenarios I have not been through many times in my career and it was a good job he came down as we needed a 4th official.”