When midfielder Jon Mellish bagged his second goal on Tuesday night it became the fourth time this season that he’d registered a brace – and it also took his league tally to 10 with his overall goals scored figure hitting the very impressive 15 mark.
On this occasion his double strikes came just two minutes apart, and they helped his team towards a third consecutive 2-0 victory as they climbed to ninth spot in the division, just three points away from the play-off places.
Speaking to manager Chris Beech about his goalscoring protégé after the game, we suggested that there was still more to come from his ever-improving all-action player.
“Jon isn’t the finished article, but who is?” he replied. “Everyone can always improve. Jon is one of those people, but so are Lewis Alessandra and Rod McDonald, who have both got a lot of experience.
“I include the staff in that, I want us all to want to improve and get better. We’re not in a position to pay for answers, we’ve got to find them and grow them. Jon is one of the many people that I want to get better.”
“Early in the season there were a lot of people who didn’t want him to play,” he added. “I remember before the Barrow home game there was a big debate about why certain players had left, and what are we doing with Jon, who had never been a central midfielder.
“If I’m a supporter I obviously want to see great technical things, but if somebody is going into tackles, heading everything, running more than anybody, giving his all and scoring goals, I don’t think you can criticise that.
“We all obviously want him to get better at certain details, but I think he’s deserved my support. He got his goals and it’s welcome back Jon, I’m so pleased for him. He’s an honest lad and I know he does get that level of stick off a few people. But, and I don’t mind repeating this, he runs more than any other player, longer, harder and quicker, in any game this season.
“His stats are always the highest and that really does show great honesty. To have 15 goals out of that, you just can’t complain.”
And the supply line for the goals on Tuesday cam from Callum Guy, who was almost unplayable in his midfield berth.
“Callum’s set pieces were right on the money and it’s a shame we didn’t score from a couple more of them,” the gaffer commented. “He’ll probably be a bit disappointed he hasn’t got a couple more assists to his name because we should have scored from the quality of the deliveries he sent in there.
“He got himself two assists, and Jon scored with his right foot, which is great. They both played well, but I don’t think we can actually single out one or two players. They all played their part because they all showed just how much they wanted the three points.”
