TRANMERE Rovers' boss Micky Mellon says his side will take lessons learned from their New Year’s Day defeat with them when they face Barrow in an away game this weekend.

The team started 2018 with a 5-2 beating by AFC Fylde. It followed a run of successive victories over the Christmas period.

Reflecting on the result during a press conference at the club's Solar Campus training ground this afternoon, Mellon said: "We won't just look over it, call it a blip and brush it off.

"We will look at ways that we could anything or prepared anything differently.

"We have spoken and combed over issues arising from the game, but won’t make a big issue of it.

"It's football at the end of the day, but we’ll comb over it and if there’s anything we can improve on then we will.

"We have high standards and we don't like losing games.

"So the last game we will refer to as the last exam we had. We're disappointed with the goals that we lost in that game. We'll carry on looking forward."

On returning to the pitch, he said: "It has been nice to get back on the grass; always is after a bit of a lay-off, so we're getting ready for the next game now.

"We've had two days off, so it has been hectic.

"The players looked fine today. We've tried to keep a settled team over the Christmas period and we said we'd use the bench as much as we could.

"We'll look at the energy levels over the next couple of days and, of course, there's no gauge for that but we'll look at training at that but they all looked fine today."

Looking ahead to Saturday's game against Barrow, Mellon continued: "It'll be another tough game. They're all tough in this league.

"We have to go there with the right mentality, as we always do, and whatever gets flung at us, be good at answering that.

"We know that Barrow have threats that we'll make sure the boys are aware of and at the other end of the pitch, we'll have to be good in order to try and punish them."

Among the injuries is goalkeeper Scott Davies, who had to be replaced during the first half of New Year's Day encounter with AFC Fylde.

In an update during today's press conference, Mellon said: "Scott has a 10-inch tear of his quad so he is going to be out for a little bit.

"For how long, we don't know, that to some degree is up to the healing powers, but we'll hopefully get him back soon.

"We're considering all options available to us in terms of who can carry it forward, so we’re working on that at the minute."

Assessing the side's performances to date this season, striker Connor Jennings added: "We've had a good run of form, but New Year’s Day was a disappointment and we’re looking to win the game against Barrow to put that right.

“Anybody can beat anyone, but you have to be fully focused.

"It’s been a good month for the club.

"I don’t think it’s been a terrible season, but it's starting to click.

"What's changed is that we are just putting it in the back of the net.

"The fans have been fantastic."