TRANMERE Rovers will put the disappointment of their first home league defeat of the season behind them when they take on MK Dons this weekend.

Micky Mellon's side were beaten 1-0 by Newport County at Prenton Park last Saturday, slipping to 14th on the table.

During a press conference at the club's Solar Campus training ground this afternoon ahead of Saturday's trip to Stadium MK, Mellon said his team had taken full advantage of a week's training to focus was on what promises to be a 'terrific' game.

Looking ahead to match, he told the Globe: "They're a good side, one of the bigger hitters in the division.

"We know it's going to be tough; it's a fantastic stadium to perform in.

"We believe in what we do and will concentrate on us and see what we can do to affect MK Dons."

Reflecting on the mood after last weekend's defeat, he said: "I try not to get too up or too down with defeats; I try to comb over the performance to see how we can improve for the next game.

"In football, you have got to take the result, look at the performance, move on very quickly and keep working on the things that,we know, get success.

"Even though we lost the game at the weekend, we wouldn't work any differently, really, the following week unless there was something glaringly obvious that we weren't very good at.

"We'll quickly move on and believe last Saturday was a chance to learn and grow as a group."

On this week's training he said: "It's been really nice and the weather has been really good.

"We managed to get a behind-closed-doors game on Tuesday, which meant people got some match time under their belts.

"We always try to keep it buoyant and upbeat and it was a chance to get ready for a terrific game at the weekend."

Assessing his squad's performance: "We try to win every game that we take part in. We've got a really good spell of games coming up now. It's exciting.

"We'll go to MK Dons on Saturday, give a good account of ourselves and aim to beat them."

He admitted it was too early too take much notice of place on league in opening weeks of the season, adding: "I'm really a game-to-game kind of guy; don't really see it as a 'these next four games are as important as any other' situation, because it's still the same prize for all the games.

"I think it's important that we try and get results and perform in order to try and achieve. Unless you do that there's no point in saying that any other part of the season is any more important.

"So, my mentality is to always keep focus on the next game.

"If we manage to stay in some group that's appeared, then all good. If not, we'll just move on.

"At the minute we've played the teams that are in the top end for the first nine games and have coped very well."

Mellon's optimism was echoed by defender Steve McNulty, who said: "We had a good away win against Carlisle and you need to back them up with a good home win.

"We failed to do that last weekend. It was disappointing, but we came in Monday, spoke about it, dusted ourselves down and now we go again.

"I think we've always had the belief that we can play at this level and compete at this level; there's never been any doubt in our minds."

On returning to League Football McNulty - who was in League Two with Luton Town and played a vital role in sealing Rovers' promotion at Wembley in May - continued: "I think there were a lot of people writing me off before I went back in, to be honest, from what I've been told. But, I'm enjoying every minute of it.

"It's a test week-in-week out, you're playing against better players. I'm relishing the challenge and enjoying every minute.

"I just get on with my job and apply myself at every game, go out and do the best I can.

"Some weeks that will be good enough, other weeks it won't."

Analysing the league, he reflected: "I don't there will ever be an easy game in this league.

"We started the season really well.

"You could say we have had too many draws and we need to turn those into wins. That will come.

"I don't see why we can't be in the top seven by May."