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Burnley came from behind to beat Tranmere 2-1 this afternoon in the hastily arranged pre-season game, but former Claret Micky Mellon was pleased with the way his team played.

Back at Tranmere having left last summer, he said: “We played very well and matched Burnley’s first team that will play in the Premier League. We did everything that we wanted to do. We competed in all areas of the pitch and I’m really gutted for the players that in the end we were outdone by a 25-30 yard volley Premiership style.

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“In terms of the work out and where we want to be finishing pre-season, we are in a good place. We are still short of numbers but we will work on that in the next few weeks but the boys have done great to come through pre-season and play the number of minutes that they have.”

Sean Dyche will take his team into the last two pre-season games with things going well and striker Chris Wood now on his way back following New Zealand’s exit from the Olympic Games.

“There are a couple of games coming up so we will see how the squad looks after that,” Dyche said, adding: “Woody is coming back, unfortunately for Woody. It’s a shame for him and for them but good for us, in a way. He comes back and will be able to re-acclimatise and get a bit of recovery before he joins in with us.”

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Judging the pre-season so far, he added: “I am pretty pleased and the main thing is, so far, we are injury free. Everyone is fit and well at the moment and long may that continue, of course. Then, if we can reinforce the squad as well, we’d like to think we are growing into pre-season so that when the real stuff starts, we’re ready.”

He said of Tranmere: “They are a decent outfit and pushed us hard, which was good for us so we feel like we benefited from this. It’s a shame we couldn’t play Forest, but I thought it was a real good game, a real thorough game, so I was pleased with it.

“That’s maybe a thing that comes during pre-season, that sharpness around the box, because it could have been a more comfortable performance, as regards goals. But I thought the general performance, forgetting about the goals, was good. I liked the tempo about the play, the energy and I thought there was a nice edge to it, so I was pleased overall.”

Dwight McNeil got himself an assist and a goal. “It was a terrific ball in from Dwight and a great header from Barnesy and then a great finish from Dwight,” Dyche said. He is looking sharp and fit and there’s a nice edge to them. They have come back fit and well. We are still in the market to support the group where we can but when we’re fit and well I’ve always said it, I think we’ve got a good outfit.

“I’m really pleased overall and I’m pleased we took this game on. It’s a shame about the Forest one but I think this was the right game the way it went and the way Tranmere went about it. It was a real proper game, so I was pleased with it.”

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