Tranmere Rovers Manager Ian Dawes was pleased with his side’s 4-1 win against Fleetwood Town behind closed doors at The Campus, emphasising the importance of getting minutes under the players’ belts over results.
“Like I said in the previous couple of post-matches, pre-season is a process”, Ian told Tranmere Rovers’ YouTube channel. “I don’t really start judging them (the players) properly until game three and game four when we start getting closer to 90s, today was another step towards that.
“Some played 70 minutes today which was great, and it’s all about being ready for the Barrow game. I’m pleased with the performance and result but again, it’s a process.”
Josh Hawkes stood out in the victory, bagging a first-half brace for Rovers, and Dawes said he was happy with his fitness level at this stage of pre-season. “He’s started pre-season really well.
"I had a chat with Josh the other day, where he is now from his first pre-season with us, he’s come a long way. He looks a lot more physically mature and he’s in a good place at the moment along with a lot of others.
“I’m pleased with the majority of the group and it’s a good exercise for the team today and see what we need to work on, what we’re doing well and we can still improve.”
You can watch Ian’s full interview via our YouTube channel below.