MANAGER Les Parry reckoned lack of clinical finishing was the only flaw in Tranmere’s performance as they were held to a goalless draw by Colchester United at Prenton Park.

“We missed some really good chances,” Parry said. “You’ve got to take them when they come along. We didn’t and that’s why it ended up 0-0.”

Rovers were back in a more familiar groove in defence, following a 4-2 defeat at Scunthorpe the previous weekend, keeping a clean sheet for the ninth time in 17 League One outings.

Parry was left to bite his lip as Tranmere were denied several penalty claimsby referee Graham Salisbury for pushes in the box on Mustafa Tiryaki, Robbie Weir, John Welsh and Ash Taylor.

“You get fed up talking about referees but one of the 11 appeals must have been a penalty,” Parry said. “We did not get them. I think I might put all of the penalties we have conceded this season on DVD and send it to Graham because we have had penalties given against us for a lot less than what happened in this game. All you can do in the circumstances is hope the official does his job and he didn’t. But you can’t blame the referee for the game finishing 0-0. It wasn’t his fault that we missed some very good chances.”

Parry added: “We’ve got to look at the positives. We came up against a very good and well organised side and created a lot of chances. On another day we could have got two or three goals.”

Parry praised the contribution of Andy Robinson, who put in a bright performance on his return to the side following a two-month absence with a hamstring strain.

“We kept an eye on Robbo,” Parry said. “Before the game started we had it in our minds that he was not going to last the whole afternoon.

“We had Enoch Showunmi on the bench if we had wanted to change things up front. But Mustafa played well. We were creating chances all the time so we did not want to change things.”

The point from the third goalless game at Prenton Park this season left Tranmere in eighth place in the table ahead of two cup ties this week. They travel to Chesterfield on Wednesday for a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy third round tie, then play host to Cheltenham Town in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Tranmere’s under 18s take on Sheffield United in the FA Youth Cup first round at Prenton Park tonight, kick-off 7pm.