TRANMERE Rovers boss Micky Mellon felt his side lacked the quality needed to triumph at Southend United on Saturday, reports Theo Beevers.

Rovers, who are immediately above the Shrimpers in the relegation zone, held their hosts to a 0-0 draw.

And Mellon offered an honest assessment of the clash.

“It was a very, very tight game but it was crying out for a bit of quality,” said Mellon.

“We needed that in the final third and it was lacking.

“The longer it goes the tighter the team seems to become because it’s obvious that both teams don’t want to lose the game.

“But we tried everything we could.

“We changed it and we tried to get players further up the pitch in order to try and cause more problems.

“But we just weren’t able to find that bit of quality we needed in order to try and get the victory.”

Tranmere - who were promoted via the League Two play-offs last season - remain 12 points above the Shrimpers with a game in hand.