Matthew Bates reacts to Pools' end of season victory at Tranmere

Pools produced a confident, cultured performance down at Prenton Park against a Tranmere side who are looking to return to the Football League via the play-offs.

And Bates admits it would have been easy to take an eye off the ball with safety already in the bag and the summer so close.

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But his Pools players did anything but - and he was impressed.

"I think it was one of the best performances away from home we have had this season – I’m really pleased," he said of the 2-1 win, which came courtesy of goals from Liam Donnelly and Rhys Oates.

"It’s the last game and we were at a team who are already in the play-offs. We went two goals up and I think we fully deserved the win.

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"We have been struggling at times being good in possession and then bad out of possession, or the other way round, but today we were good at both.

"We were very good, played some lovely stuff and were solid at the back.

"Liam took his penalty and he takes them for Northern Ireland Under-21s.

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"There was a wait before he could take it and he was confident.

"The lads could have come here and been on holiday and thinking of their summer, but they weren’t and they played very well."