Tranmere boss Keith Hill says the only disappointment was the scoreboard after Rovers' EFL Trophy final defeat against Sunderland.
The Super White Army gave a great account of themselves and were the better team for large parts of the game albeit not really testing Black Cats stopper Lee Burge.
Speaking after the game in his post-match conference, Hill said: "The only disappointment is the scoreboard.
"I’m so proud of the football club, the players – not just today. I don’t just want to talk about this game in isolation, the tournament has been one of great success and we forget that very easily.
"We’ve played against one of the elite teams in League One and we’ve come up just short. One moment has changed the course of the game.
"I’m so proud of the players. They’ve given me everything since I walked into the building and I’m extremely proud of them.
"Like I said, the only disappointment is the emotional value to the scoreboard – performance-wise, exceptional.”
Rovers were demoted from League One at the end of last season as a result of PPG but are battling it out at the top of League 2 and dumped out Peterborough United and Oxford United on the way to the final.
Hill said: "We have to carry that performance level and a little bit of hurt, from today into the remaining 13 league games, because our priority has been the league.
"We want to play League One football next season. We want to prove that the performance levels against Sunderland, Oxford and Peterborough weren't single games in isolation three times.
"Everyone is going to be different in how they respond to this scoreboard failure.
"But we need everyone collectively working to together, to aspire and have ambition to be a League One team next season.
