Ian Dawes is looking to build on the recent successes of his managerial tenure, as Tranmere chase successive away league wins at in-form Port Vale this Saturday.

The interim boss has already impressed since filling the breach vacated by Mike Jackson, with wins over Harrogate Town and Accrington Stanley followed by a penalty shoot-out triumph over Wigan Athletic in the EFL Trophy on Wednesday evening following a 2-2 draw.

But when speaking to media at today's video call press conference, the former Blackpool coach insisted that managing was far from easy.

He said: "It's easier when you've got the players who are giving everything, every game. Not just the starting XI but the whole squad.

"As you saw last night, everyone is hungry at the moment and working hard for each other. The performances and the results have been great."

A consistently modest character, Dawes played down his influence on the games he has overseen, which have left him still unbeaten after three matches.

"I'm not sure it's much of what I've done. I think they've took ownership themselves. I keep talking about the trauma of the gaffer (Jackson) going after the Morecambe game. That gave them a big reality check of what's happened and the need to improve," he said.

"The senior players and all of the others have took ownership and done what they needed to do to move forward and now they're starting to express themselves a bit more, which comes with the confidence of winning games," he added.

One player who impressed in the EFL Trophy match against Wigan on Wednesday evening was debutant Danny Lloyd.

The midfielder was a surprise acquisition this week on a short-term contract but Dawes stopped short of saying the former Salford City and Peterborough United player was purely his own signing, albeit it was one he certainly approved of.

He said: "I'd be lying if I didn't say that I had a part to play, but he had been on the club's radar for a while now. We've been trying to get him in and we eventually got him in a couple of weeks ago. He's been training.

"As a group of staff, we put it to the chairman and I think it was the right decision to make for both parties.

"He's a very talented player. I always think about players, do they suit the football club? I think he suits us with his work ethic and his energy. He's an exciting player to watch. It's a good move for us I think."

Rovers head to Vale Park on Saturday to face a Port Vale side who currently sit seventh in League Two and have won four of their last five league games.

The Whites will be without the services of experienced full-back Liam Ridehalgh, who despite captaining the side, came off against Wigan with a groin problem.

The club's current longest serving player will be assessed over the next 24-48 hours and may require a scan, but has little hope of kicking a ball this weekend.

The match will also come too soon for Paul Lewis (hamstring) but he is expected to resume first team training as early as Monday or Tuesday next week.

Right back Lee O'Connor will also be missing, as he is on international duty.

With results now turning in Tranmere's favour and no white smoke bellowing as of yet from the chairman's office window, Port Vale will offer a stiff examination of just how far Dawes has brought Rovers in the past fortnight, but he continues to play down his own ambitions regardless.

He said: "He (Mark Palios) hasn't given me a timeframe. One thing I know about the chairman is that he'll make sure the appointment is right for the football club.

"However long it takes to do that, I'm here and I'm always going to work hard and make sure I do what I can to help the team prepare for games.

"It may take days, it may takes weeks. I've no idea. I've just got to keep working game by game."