Interim manager Jimmy McNulty is hoping to take charge of relegated Rochdale on a permanent basis next season.

Dale ended 102 years as an EFL club with a 1-1 draw at Harrogate, with Jimmy Keohane’s first-half goal cancelled out by a Toby Sims effort after the break.

But the Lancashire outfit have at least been relegated with a semblance of pride under McNulty, who oversaw three wins and three draws during the final eight fixtures of the campaign.

On his hopes of staying at the Spotland helm in the National League next term, McNulty said: “The club want to go through a thorough recruitment process and I think that’s good. It’s what should be done.

“It’s partly my doing too because, every time the club have wanted to speak to me about the situation, I’ve just wanted to concentrate on the players and the next game. But I know the club want a head coach and, for certain, I want the job.

“We’ve got six results from the last eight games, which no-one would have said we could have done, so I’m happy with how it’s gone and when it’s my turn, I’ll be speaking to the club in the next few days about how we move forward.”

Delivering his verdict on the game, McNulty added: “It was a good away point and I’d like to know how many passes led to our goal, because I really enjoyed watching it.

“We just looked a bit tired in the second half and it showed how short we are as a squad because we had no real options to help out.”

Harrogate finished nine points clear of the bottom two, having lost just one of their final 10 fixtures after flirting with relegation for long periods of the campaign.

Boss Simon Weaver said: “I’m hoping the form we’ve been on can launch us into next season because we had gone through some hardship and the eye of a storm.

“Lessons will need to be learned but this group of players have shown now that they can hold their nerve under pressure. Our supporters have also stayed loyal and they realise the journey that we’ve been on.

“It’s been difficult at times because we’ve had a series of bad runs but that’s when you find out the most about your friends and fans and they have stood by us.”

He also praised right-back Sims, who scored his first goal in the English pro game having made the unlikely switch from US second-tier outfit Pittsburgh Riverhounds in January.

“It’s easy to think that a move won’t work because he’s 25 and hasn’t played at this level before,” Weaver acknowledged.

“But I think we’ve got a gem in Toby and there’s no player I would have wanted more to score our final goal of the season.”

Stevenage boss Steve Evans stressed his side were never going to “go through the motions” at Barrow after signing off their promotion-winning campaign with a 1-0 victory.

He also revealed that the Boro team bus had been transformed into a karaoke party for the long trip back south as he paid tribute to his “fantastic to a man” squad.

Nearly 600 Stevenage supporters travelled up to see their team, who had already secured automatic promotion, seal second place behind champions Leyton Orient with victory in Cumbria.

Jake Reeves’ first goal since December, which came in the club’s 5-0 rout over the Bluebirds, settled the final-day encounter at Holker Street with Barrow unable to find a way past Stevenage keeper Adam Przybek.

Evans said: “We were never going to just go through the motions.

“We realised early on that last season 32 supporters came to watch Stevenage at Barrow and it was almost 600 today.

“That tells you that we’re indebted to the supporters for travelling.

“Adam’s made a few saves in the second half, but if we take our chances it’s as comfortable an away win as we’ve had in a while.

“We got a real good shift from everyone. We utilised the squad today.

“I would have loved to have got some more of the young lads on, but we didn’t have that freedom unfortunately.

“I thanked the players and I told them the team bus doesn’t exist anymore, it’s the karaoke party bus all the way back to Stevenage.

“They deserve it. They have been fantastic to a man, every single one of them.”

Pete Wild’s Barrow ended the season in ninth spot, their highest Football League finish since way back in 1970.

It has been a huge achievement to lift the club towards the play-offs this season after they just about survived in both previous campaigns since getting promoted from non-league in 2020.

Wild said: “We’ve gone toe-to-toe with Stevenage and just not been able to get over the line.

“I think that sums our season up. They had one chance and it goes in, we have six or seven chances and they don’t go in.

“We all know that’s the area we’ve got to get better at.

“The lads have had a go and taken it to Stevenage.

“Once the goal went in the place just slumped. We said at half-time that you can stroll around for 45 minutes and it will take forever or you can run around and see where it takes us.

“One of my big phrases is ‘judge me after 46 games, not week-by-week’ and my 46-game record is OK.

“I’m quite happy with what’s happened this season. Am I happy with ninth? No, I want to be higher.

“It’s been tough these last couple of weeks because I’ve never not been playing for something on the last day.

“But there’s a lot of positives to take from this season. We’re all clear with where we need to improve and that’s part of the process.

“We’re a work in progress and have travelled a country mile this season and we’ve got to do that again to get to where we want to be.”

Swindon caretaker boss Gavin Gunning said his players failed to properly execute their game plan despite earning a 2-1 victory over Crawley.

New manager Mike Flynn watched from the stands after signing a two-year contract as Swindon ended their season with a win.

But Gunning said: “We didn’t really implement the game plan too well, even if we did score the two goals.

“It was a bit of a basketball game and there wasn’t a lot of quality in the game but the moments there were came from us.

“They had a couple of half-chances and the penalty is just a bit slack, maybe the boys got a bit tired.

“I just wanted [Charlie] Austin to be playing in a deeper role, he is a clever player but unfortunately it didn’t go that well.

“He [Austin] played quite well but the game plan wasn’t going fantastically, it was a bit hit and miss.

“The decision making wasn’t great but we won the game and that is the main thing we were looking for from the match.”

Crawley fooled Swindon with an early corner as it was played to the edge of the area to give Ben Gladwin space to strike, his low effort taking a deflection and going just wide.

With the first half drawing to a close, Jacob Wakeling flicked a header beyond the Crawley backline and Austin charged clear of the defenders before drilling the ball into the bottom corner.

Two minutes later Jake Cain lined up a free-kick from 30 yards and it flew into the top corner, with Corey Addai unable to get close to it.

The Red Devils pulled one back after Saidou Khan’s late challenge on Nick Tsaroulla in the area gave Crawley a penalty, which Dom Telford stroked coolly home.

Minutes later Swindon had a penalty of their own when Rushian Hepburn-Murphy was brought down. He took it himself but Addai guessed right and made a fine stop.

Boss Scott Lindsey felt Crawley played with the right principles, even if they didn’t get the result against his former club.

He said: “We were in the game and very good with the ball at times. We kind of got locked in a little bit in the first half and couldn’t get out in moments.

“The first goal came from that where we’re trying to play and we get caught and we’re open a little bit and Charlie takes a takes his goal really well – as he does.

“We’re disappointed with the result but we thought we played in the right vein, played in the right manner. We created quite a bit in the second half.

“I’m here to stay obviously. I’ve enjoyed my time, enjoyed the supporters. I want to improve the squad moving forward and not be in this position next year.”

Newport manager Graham Coughlan admitted the frantic finale at Rodney Parade summed up his side’s season as they threw away two points to draw 2-2 with Crewe.

Striker Omar Bogle thought he had bundled in the winner in the first minute of time added on after cancelling out Rio Adebisi’s stunning opener with a penalty 13 minutes from time.

But County were caught napping at the other end in the 93rd minute and allowed Lachlan Brook to earn Crewe a deserved share of the spoils.

“Omar has been very good for us. He should have been on a winning team today,” said Coughlan, who replaced James Rowberry in October with the Exiles only two points above the relegation zone.

“Defensively, we conceded two sloppy goals. It was a real disappointment, the manner in which we conceded the goals. But that’s been there all season.

“We weren’t great, we looked a little bit flat, and it was a typical end-of-season performance.

“The same mistakes are happening too often, so that needs sorting out. Today summed up our season – moments of madness, moments of brilliance, sloppiness.

“Since we’ve come in, we’ve done brilliant to climb the table and put that amount of points on the board. I think we’ve done exceptionally well to dig ourselves out of a bit of a mess that we found ourselves in.”

Coughlan’s men end the season in 15th place on 57 points – 14 clear of the bottom two and with plenty to build on for next season.

“I know what needs fixing and it’s my job to get that done over the summer,” he said.

“I’m hopeful of getting one or two (players) in, and one or two will leave, but I don’t expect wholesale changes.”

Crewe finish one point and two places better off than their final-day hosts and boss Lee Bell is also encouraged as he looks ahead to August.

“It was a good end-of-season game. I thought we were unlucky – we could have scored another couple,” said Bell, who took over from Alex Morris in November.

“But it was a good response from a good bunch of players with good character.

“That’s what they’ve done a lot since I’ve been in charge, and were unlucky not to get three points to take us up another couple of places.

“We were able to get some younger players onto the pitch, which we’ve done a lot in the past few weeks, and that will give them more experience for next season.

“There’s plenty to build on, particularly in the last six weeks. We’re optimistic for next year, but we know we’ve got to work hard to get the right players in.”

Interim Walsall boss Mat Sadler believes he is ready for the job full-time after the Saddlers handed him his first win in management with a final-day 2-1 victory over Doncaster.

Goals from Conor Wilkinson and Isaac Hutchinson earned Sadler his maiden triumph at the third attempt after last month’s sacking of Michael Flynn.

Sadler has been a coach at the club for the past four years under four different managers and confirmed he was interested in succeeding the Welshman.

“There’s a lot of conversations going on in the next week – for me it was just important that we won and finished the season well,” the 38-year-old said.

“But the club has to get this next appointment really right, they are going to be doing a lot of due diligence, a lot of hard work over the next five to seven days in getting the right person in charge.

“The owners are desperate for success and they are not going anywhere until they’ve got it.

“That’s what is most important for me. I think I’ll have a conversation about it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last two to three weeks, I’ve enjoyed every aspect of it.

“I know football and I enjoy working with people and I think they are the two biggest things that football management is all about. No qualms on that.”

Victory over Doncaster ended a nine-game winless run and meant Walsall finished 16th in League Two.

“In the first 20 minutes we could have scored two or three goals and that wouldn’t have flattered us at all,” Sadler added.

“The players have been absolutely fantastic for me, through every minute of the last 270 minutes’ worth of football, and I’m delighted we got that win today which was thoroughly deserved.”

Doncaster, meanwhile, finished 18th after an 11th defeat in 16 matches, despite Bobby Faulkner’s half-volley pulling one back late on.

But keeper Louis Jones had kept them in the game with several fine stops and boss Danny Schofield said: “There was not a great deal in the game and certain moments went Walsall’s way today.

“Finishing 18th is really disappointing. We want to finish up as high as possible. The aim is always play-offs and it’s not materialised.

“We were in and around that up until the end of February and really fell off it in March and April which is not good enough.

“We need to make sure we reflect and have discussions with everyone at the club and see where we go taking the club forward.

“It is an accumulation of things. We’ve been competitive in a lot of the games and moments and haven’t gone for us. You lose a bit of confidence. In certain moments in games, we have fell short collectively.”

Manager Dave Challinor has challenged Stockport to take their impressive form into the play-offs after missing out on an automatic promotion spot with a 1-1 draw against Hartlepool.

County needed to win and hope Northampton didn’t if they were to overtake them but they will now have to face Salford in the post-season.

Callum Cooke’s second-half strike cancelled out Callum Camps’ penalty to give relegated Hartlepool a point, with the latter also having a stoppage-time spot-kick saved by Ben Killip.

Challinor, whose side are unbeaten since February, said: “In terms of the amount of chances we created and the amount of shots we had on goal, that’s probably the most we’ve had all season, which is really positive.

“We’ve not played that well but still created plenty of chances and that will be important going into the play-offs where those moments are few and far between.

“What I can’t complain about is how much we’ve hit the target, their keeper has made some brilliant saves and got them a point.

“We’re on a brilliant run, we have to make sure that continues into the play-offs. If we do we’ll have a really good chance of progressing.

“But the four teams are really well matched, four really good teams who are there on merit – it’s the toss of a coin how it will turn out.

“The play-offs are certainly the best way to go up but they’re also the worst way for your season to end. The jeopardy throughout a league season is always there, in the play-offs it’s enhanced tenfold.

“I’m looking forward to it because they’re moments you want to be involved in, we have to embrace it.

“We’ve got to win three football matches to get out of this division and if we’d been offered that at the start we’d have taken it.”

Hartlepool’s relegation had already been sealed but, thanks to Killip in his first game since January, they at least finished with a draw.

Killip couldn’t save Camps’ first-half penalty but his string of fine saves was completed by a stop from the midfielder’s second spot-kick of the afternoon deep into stoppage time.

Manager John Askey’s thought are already on rebuilding the Pools squad for a tilt at the National League title he won as Macclesfield boss in 2018.

He said: “As daft as it sounds because we’ve gone down, I’m pleased we’ve come here and got a point.

“Coming here we knew the situation and I was hoping the players would put on a performance for the supporters – and they did that. I couldn’t ask any more of them in a difficult situation to be in.

“It wasn’t easy for Ben to come in and play like that but you couldn’t ask any more from a goalkeeper, he made some tremendous saves, he’s shown what a good goalkeeper he is.

“Obviously it was still a little bit flat but we’ve got to forget this season and move on to the next one.

“It’s an important time for us now, we need to recruit well and get players in that will suit the way we want to play. There are one or two going, one or two who we’ll try to move on as well.

“We need more athleticism in the team, we need more pace and it’s up to us to try to get those players.

“We can’t have a massive overhaul but where we can we’ll try to bring in better players and I’ll be doing my best to try to get a winning team together.”

Grimsby manager Paul Hurst praised the huge effort his players have put in this season after closing out their first campaign back in the Football League with a 1-0 win against AFC Wimbledon.

An own goal from Isaac Ogundere on seven minutes settled the scores at Blundell Park as Grimsby finished 11th in the standings to complement their FA Cup heroics, after they defied the odds to reach the quarter-final stage.

Victory over Wimbledon – who ended up 21st in the table after going seven games without a win – was their 59th match in all competitions and the promotion winners from last term can finally put their feet up.

Hurst said: “It was nice to finish with a win to make sure we finish in the top half.

“It’s our best league finish for some time and that’s what I’ve been saying.

“Of course, like the fans, I would like it if we could finish a bit higher, but overall in our first season back the idea is to over-achieve, and I think we have done that to a certain degree as a group and a club.

“Add in the obvious cup run and it’s been a good season. It’s been a huge effort and maybe it’s nice that we can finally have a little breather.”

The goal came after seven minutes when Danilo Orsi saw his low cross deflected past Nathan Broome by Ogundere and into the net.

Josh Davison forced Max Crocombe into a decent save with his half-volley soon after the restart and the Wimbledon frontman also sent a powerful drive just wide on the hour mark.

Grimsby went close to grabbing their second when Gavan Holohan and George Lloyd had quickfire attempts blocked in a penalty-area scramble, while Orsi headed wide after combining with substitute Otis Khan in the closing stages.

Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson added: “It probably sums our season up.

“It was another really close game, we conceded a freak goal at the start and it was a major setback for us, but we competed really well.

“We had some really good moments in the game and just lacked some quality, whether it was with our final pass or shot selection.

“I thought we worked the ball in some good areas but didn’t make the most of that and we deserved something out of the game.

“We might have had two penalties in that second half, as well, so to lose to that and a freak goal stings a bit.”

Salford secured a Sky Bet League Two play-off place despite losing 1-0 to Gillingham.

The Kent side were indebted to goalkeeper Jake Turner, who made a string of fine saves to preserve his clean sheet.

The visitors made a positive start and created the first clear opening, with Tom Nichols’ close-range effort gathered by goalkeeper Alex Cairns.

Stevie Mallan tried his luck from distance after 21 minutes, but Turner made the first of several key saves by getting down quickly to push his effort wide.

The Gills stopper was on hand again shortly after the half hour to push over a deflected effort from Louie Barry, and then just before the break to palm wide Mallan’s 30-yard free-kick.

Ollie Hawkins’ early second-half header cleared the frame of the goal before Turner was at it again, this time to deny Matt Smith.

With the game heading for a stalemate, substitute Lewis Page was fouled inside the box by Liam Shephard and Cheye Alexander kept his calm to find the top corner from the penalty spot as Gillingham recorded a third away league win of the campaign.

Salford entertain Stockport in the first leg of their play-off this weekend.

Northampton secured the three points they needed to gain automatic promotion back to League One at the second time of asking with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Tranmere at Prenton Park.

A superb early strike from Sam Hoskins was enough to ensure there was no last-day heartbreak for the Cobblers this time around having missed out on goals scored 12 months ago following Bristol Rovers’ incredible 7-0 victory.

As it turned out, Stockport’s draw at home to Hartlepool would have been enough to clinch the Cobblers’ promotion, but Jon Brady’s men made sure of the job.

Hoskins volleyed home from the edge of the box after just five minutes as Tranmere failed to clear the ball following a corner, with the 2,000 travelling Town fans celebrating wildly at the other end.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic, however, with Kane Hemmings and Lee O’Connor forcing Town goalkeeper Lee Burge into action as they pressed for an equaliser before half time.

After the break, Rovers continued to pile the pressure on the visitors’ goal with substitute Jay Turner-Cooke and Sam Taylor coming close as Tranmere made it clear they were not prepared to roll over for their promotion-chasing opponents.

At the other end Northampton went in search of a second goal which would have made the game and promotion safe, with Shaun McWilliams and Louis Appere both having efforts blocked.

But Hoskins’ early strike proved to be enough for Brady’s side as Northampton return to the third tier of English football having been relegated in 2021.

Stevenage clinched second place in League Two after Jake Reeves’ first-half goal earned a 1-0 victory at Barrow.

The midfielder netted his first goal since the start of December, which came in the 5-0 rout over Pete Wild’s Bluebirds, as Boro claimed a 24th win of the season and secured a top-two spot behind champions Leyton Orient.

Both sides had early chances but the keepers were untroubled until the already promoted visitors took the lead after 25 minutes.

Barrow could only half-clear Max Clark’s cross to Reeves, who fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

After the break, Stevenage stopper Adam Przybek did well to hold onto a well-struck Robbie Gotts shot as Barrow pushed for an equaliser.

The former Wales Under-21 keeper then produced a fine double save with 20 minutes remaining to deny Ged Garner from point-blank range before stopping his acrobatic effort seconds later.

And Przybek once again frustrated the hosts when he kept out Josh Kay’s left-footed effort five minutes later.

Barrow substitute Jake Young fired over with time running out before Reeves clipped the crossbar with a late effort as Stevenage clinched the points.

Grimsby rounded off their first season back in League Two with a 1-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon at Blundell Park.

An own goal from Isaac Ogundere settled the scores as Grimsby finished 11th in the table, with their opponents 21st after going seven matches without a win.

The goal came after seven minutes when Danilo Orsi saw his low cross deflected past Nathan Broome by Ogundere and into the net.

Chances were generally few and far between in the opening 45 minutes, though Orsi and Shaun Pearson both took aim for Grimsby before half-time.

Josh Davison forced Max Crocombe into a decent save with his half-volley shortly after the restart and the Wimbledon frontman also set his sights on the hour mark, with a powerful drive which flew past the post from 25 yards.

Grimsby went close to grabbing a second when Gavan Holohan and George Lloyd had quickfire attempts blocked in a penalty-area scramble, while Orsi glanced wide after combining with substitute Otis Khan in the closing stages.

Rochdale ended 102 years as a Football League club with a 1-1 draw at Harrogate.

A Jimmy Keohane effort midway through the first half had given the already-relegated visitors hope that they might sign off with a fourth win in eight games.

But Toby Sims earned the Sulphurites a share of the spoils with his first goal in the English pro game, following a January move from US second-tier outfit the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Rochdale had earlier started the game with a confidence that belied their position propping up the entire EFL and took a deserved lead, courtesy of a well-crafted goal.

Veteran striker Ian Henderson was the instigator, showing nimble footwork in the middle of the pitch before releasing Tyrese Sinclair through the right channel. Sinclair’s square pass then saw Keohane beat home keeper Mark Oxley from eight yards.

At the other end, on-loan Southampton winger Kazeem Olaigbe squandered the hosts’ best first-half chance, wastefully missing the target after being sent clear on goal by Sam Folarin.

After the break, a deflected Henderson effort bounced off the top of the bar while Folarin also grazed an upright before Sims levelled in the 74th minute.

The 25-year-old right-back found the net with a six-yard sidefooted volley after being picked out at the far post by Olaigbe’s cross from the left byline.

Swindon have appointed Michael Flynn as their new manager on a two-year deal.

The Robins sacked Jody Morris last week after a run of two wins from 13 matches, with Steve Mildenhall and Gavin Gunning taking charge of Monday’s final Sky Bet League Two fixture at home to Crawley.

Owner Clem Morfuni said in a statement: “This was a thorough and fast-moving process as we had very specific requirements for this role, and Michael quickly became the leading candidate.

“We wanted to appoint a manager who is experienced at League Two level, and Michael’s knowledge of the current squad, the division itself and potential new recruits is very comprehensive and impressive.

“He has a record of recruiting well and has already identified areas he wishes to strengthen with a list of targets, and he will have our full support as he rebuilds the squad.

“We feel we have the nucleus of a good young squad here, and by adding experience and leadership, we believe we can really challenge for promotion next season.

“We are convinced Michael is the right man to lead us and give us the best chance of achieving our goal.

“Let’s win promotion and push our great club closer to where it should be.”

Former Newport boss Flynn, who was sacked by League Two Walsall earlier this season, will be assisted by Wayne Hatswell.

The 72 EFL clubs are set to play their 46th and final league game of a gruelling season this weekend, with promotion, play-off and relegation spots still to be decided.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the state of play across the three divisions.

Championship

Burnley are champions and Sheffield United have secured automatic promotion in second place.

Relegation spots are also confirmed following the Blades’ loss at Huddersfield on Thursday night, with Neil Warnock’s side securing safety at the expense of their final-day opponents Reading. The Royals will join Blackpool and Wigan in dropping down to the third tier.

Meanwhile, victories last weekend put Coventry and Millwall in prime position to make the play-offs alongside Luton and Middlesbrough, but there is a cluster of three teams hoping to sneak into the top six on the final day.

Sunderland, West Brom and Blackburn can all theoretically qualify should they win. Three points for the Black Cats would virtually guarantee them a play-off place if Coventry lose or Millwall drop points, while – barring a thumping win at Swansea – Albion are likely to need Sunderland to slip up as well.

Blackburn face Millwall in the knowledge that a win will see them leapfrog their opponents, but their goal difference of -3 leaves them relying on other results to go their way.

League One

Plymouth and Ipswich are promoted but the title race remains undecided. Plymouth have a one-point advantage but Ipswich’s vastly superior goal difference – +66 compared with +33 – means they will be champions if they better Argyle’s result on Sunday.

Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Bolton have qualified for the play-offs and will be joined by either Derby or Peterborough. The Rams travel to Wednesday knowing a draw is likely to be enough for a top-six berth, while Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough must win at Barnsley and hope for a favour from the Owls.

MK Dons, Morecambe and Cambridge are in a three-way fight for League One survival. The Dons will stay up with a win at Burton, but a draw or defeat would open the door for their rivals.

Morecambe can overtake the Dons by bettering their result against Exeter, while Cambridge can overhaul both teams (should they fail to win) with victory over the already-relegated Forest Green.

Accrington, meanwhile, are all but down following defeat against the U’s last weekend. Stanley require a win and an unlikely 16-goal swing to go past MK Dons in 20th place.

League Two

Champions Leyton Orient and second-placed Stevenage will be playing in League One next season, but Northampton’s defeat against Bradford last weekend has left them in danger of missing out on automatic promotion for a second successive campaign.

Having been denied by an incredible 7-0 Bristol Rovers’ victory on last season’s final day, the Cobblers know that a win at Tranmere this time around will see them go up. Anything less, however, will give Stockport the opportunity to secure promotion with three points against second-from-bottom Hartlepool.

With the Pools already relegated alongside Rochdale, it is only third spot and the play-off places that are mathematically still up for grabs.

Turning attention to the play-off picture, a point for Carlisle, Salford or Bradford will guarantee a top-seven finish, while defeat would see eighth-placed Mansfield draw level on points if they beat Colchester.

The Stags also need to make up a deficit in goal difference, with Carlisle, Salford and Bradford currently eight, four and three goals better off respectively.

Tranmere have announced the appointment of caretaker boss Ian Dawes as the club’s new permanent manager.

Dawes, 60, took temporary charge of the Sky Bet League Two club for the third time after Micky Mellon was sacked in March.

Rovers said in a statement: “The club has considered several highly qualified candidates, however Ian’s coaching abilities, knowledge of the playing squad and the staff as well as the club’s aims to balance player development with winning games ultimately made him the standout choice.”

Andy Parkinson will continue in his role as first-team coach, while the club continue their search for a technical director.

Dawes said: “It’s an honour to be appointed manager of Tranmere. Having already had three interim spells, I’m now ready to take control of the team and implement my own style and ideas.

“It’s an opportunity I’m relishing and I want to reassure the fans that I personally hate failure and would not have taken the job unless I was confident of bringing success to the club.”

Tranmere have climbed up three places to 11th in the table since Mellon’s departure, with Dawes winning two and drawing four of his eight games in charge.

Dawes will be targeting a top-10 finish before Monday’s final game of the season at home against automatic promotion hopefuls Northampton.