IAN Evatt admits his side were taught a valuable lesson at Tranmere in the Papa Johns Trophy.

Though Wanderers fought back from 2-0 down with a second-half volley from Kieran Sadlier and a sparkling injury time effort from debutant Conor Carty, they eventually lost the shootout 5-4 with Lloyd Isgrove missing the crucial spot kick.

Evatt said his much-changed side had given themselves too much to do.

“First half was really disappointing and when you make 10 changes sometimes you can lack continuity, fluidity. Some of those players have not played a great deal of late but it was not that reason it was simply down to a lack of urgency, energy, everything we pride ourselves on.

“First and second contacts, we didn’t win duels, and that is the foundations. You can talk about passing patterns and creating chances but if you don’t have that first bit the rest of it is irrelevant and we didn’t show it first half.

“We didn’t necessarily play great in that second half either but we did show something about ourselves.

“It is a good learning curve and use that for the rest of the season. We know that whatever opposition we are facing or whatever division they are in, if we dip below our levels, that is what happens to us.”

Former Wolves striker Carty has been getting good reports from the B Team and Evatt said he had been pushing his claim to feature for the senior side.

“I am delighted for him, he’s a a really good finisher, a serious finisher,” he said.

“He has been showing up well in the B Team games and when he has joined in training sessions, he deserved some minutes today and I am delighted he has taken the goal like that.”

Isgrove’s return after two successive hamstring injuries was encouraging, despite the missed penalty, and Evatt believes he will play a big part for the club this season.

“I am pleased for him, he has been through the mire, it has been tough for him. But as I said on Saturday we have got a group and a team of fighters and Izzy is one of those and he has come back fighting tonight, I thought he was excellent when he came on.”

With 11 days until the next competitive game at home to Lincoln, Evatt intends to give his non-international players some rest, ready for a heavy schedule ahead.

“The plan is to reset, rest and recuperate. We need to get ready for the nitty gritty of the season, the winter months coming up, October, November, December, January – that is where seasons are built and we need to make sure we are bang at it when we come back against Lincoln.”