Otis Khan believes Tranmere produced an effective performance versus Barnsley which deserved more than the final scoreline reflected.
A goal in each half booked the home side’s place in the fourth-round of the FA Cup, despite Rovers remaining in the contest for the majority of proceedings.
Though unable to continue the club’s cup journey, Khan delivered an upbeat assessment of the match as he marked his return to the side.
“I think we worked hard. We had the better of the chances and we stuck to a game plan. I’m disappointed with the two goals we conceded, but I thought we were really in the game,” he said.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been out with COVID and it was nice to get back out there with the boys. I’ve had a bit of a break so I feel refreshed.
“There’s always an extra incentive when wanting to play against your old team. I wanted to win, but things like that happen. I thought we gave a good account of ourselves and we’ll have to move on quickly now.
“Everyone was working hard for each other and running. I don’t think there was a massive difference between the levels: we were competing, running and doing everything we were told to do. We all did well, it was just that final bit.”
Having gone toe-to-toe with a Championship side, Khan now hopes this performance can be used as motivation to attack Tranmere’s remaining league fixtures in a confident manner.
“We’ve got a lot of good players in the team, everyone knows that. It’s a really good squad for League Two and everyone is behind each other. We just have to make sure we push on.
"Everyone knows what the goal is this year for the team, and everyone is behind it.”