Tranmere boss Micky Mellon was a frustrated man following his team’s 2-1 defeat at Boreham Wood on Saturday and expressed disappointed both with the goals conceded and the team’s failure to adapt during the first half.
In an interview that was videoed and posted on the National League’s official Twitter account, Mellon gave his reaction to defeat on Saturday, a defeat that almost certainly ends Rovers’ title hopes.
Mellon said: “It’s disappointing how we played in the first half. We never adapted well enough to the conditions or of what was being asked of us.
“In the second half, we came out and were the better side. We scored a good goal and looked like the team that was in the ascendency. We then got undone by a straight free-kick in to the 18-yard box that we’re obviously very disappointed with in a game as important as this. Often, they are the types of things that decide these games.
“When you’re getting towards half-time, you don’t lose goals – you can’t lose goals in games of this size if you’re going to be successful.
“We came out second half and got ourselves back in to the game at one each. We looked like the only team that’s going to go forward and win it and then we give away a poor goal.”
The Tranmere manager was then asked, slightly stupidly, to access Rovers’ promotion aspirations having dropped to fourth in the table.
He responded: “We’re fourth in the table – that’s it. We cannot access any better than that.
“I’m disappointed to lose a game of football, disappointed with the goals that we conceded.
“My job now is to leave that disappointment behind and prepare for the next game.”
While defeat did not see Tranmere slip further behind leaders Macclesfield, it was a huge opportunity missed to close the gap. Macc go to Maidstone on Wednesday to play their remaining game in hand. Victory would open up a 10-point gap between themselves and Rovers, with games fast running out.
The race for the play-off spots meanwhile is incredibly close, with it even possible for Tranmere to drop out of the top seven completely next weekend.
Rovers will be hoping for home comforts as they return to Prenton Park to entertain Eastleigh in a game to be broadcast live on BT Sport (12:15pm).
