Tranmere’s positivity makes the right impression on boss Micky Mellon

Posted Friday, December 30, 2022 by PA

Manager Micky Mellon praised revitalised Tranmere’s positivity that turned one point into three despite going down to 10 men at Barrow.

The sides were locked at 1-1 after 77 minutes when Paul Lewis was red carded for a dangerous challenge on home goalkeeper Josh Lillis.

But five minutes later Rovers captain Kane Hemmings netted his sixth goal of the season – his second in successive games – to seal a 2-1 win and complete a Sky Bet League Two double over their hosts.

“I don’t think you take a point, you try to keep pushing on,” said Mellon as Tranmere followed up their Boxing Day return to winning ways after 10 games in all competitions without victory.

“Of course, you don’t want to lose your point. But we had to stay positive and try to get the win. Between Christmas and New Year you have to go for it.

“And I don’t think anyone can say in the second half we didn’t deserve to win. We were the better side and created four or five opportunities we are disappointed we didn’t do better with.

“Going down to 10 men makes it more difficult but the players dug in and scored a great goal.

“We became resilient and the things you need to do when you go down to 10 men. But we still had to have a threat going forward.

“There is a long way to go but certainly we are winning games at a good time.”

On substitute Lewis’s dismissal, Mellon added: “I can see why it was given but I can also see why he had to go for it. If you go for it though you have got to win it and win it cleanly.”

Barrow drop to ninth after a fourth league game without a win but are only one point off the play-offs. Tranmere are 14th.

Bluebirds boss Pete Wild insisted: “I am really frustrated because it was a game we dominated from start to finish. But we offered them two goals we shouldn’t be offering up.

“We have to take our chances and we haven’t got to gift teams starts like we have done again.

“We had three versus one in the box for their second goal. They shouldn’t be getting the cross in and they shouldn’t be getting the strike away. But then we had a chance to redeem ourselves.

“But a blatant penalty wasn’t given and we came away thinking ‘yes, we have been poor, but we should have had a lifeline’.

“However, we have got 35 points across the first half of the season so it is a good return from where this club was.”