The Gaffer's thoughts after the 4-1 win at Morecambe
Micky Mellon paid tribute to his skipper Liam Lawrence, as the returning midfielder led his team to a stunning 4-1 away victory at Morecambe. Town had fallen behind but dug deep and goals from Connor Goldson, James Collins, Jermaine Grandison and Tyrone Barnett made it a night to remember on the Lancashire coast.
“It’s an understatement to say that every game now is important,” said a delighted Town boss. “What pleased me was the reaction of the boys from the first whistle. We’ve had some very good players come back into the group and I think that’s important. The players we brought in – Liam Lawrence, young Rhys and Jean-Louis – gave us a bit more energy that we needed. It was a terrific performance and we showed good control in both half’s so I couldn’t really ask for any more.
“When we went behind it’s always important to hit back as quickly as possible. A weaker team than ours with less character might have gone under after what some people have been saying has happened before. We’ve never lost sight of what it is we’re trying to achieve here. People can say whatever they like but we’ve never got too carried away after a defeat and never get too high after a victory. We just keep it level and keep trying to put in performances like that and keep enjoying our football.”
The gaffer had made three changes to the side which had performed below par for much of Saturday’s defeat at Wycombe, but said it hadn’t been a tough decision to shake things up: “I knew that I had players I could bring in to add some energy back to the group. And anyone that’s watched us would know that apart from Wesolowski, that’s about the best midfield we have. Young Rhys who we took from Derby at left-back I thought was absolutely brilliant. All the way through the team I thought there were some terrific performances. We’ve got some good players here all desperate to play, and whenever I think we need them, then they’ll play.”
Tyrone Barnett grabbed a fourth goal for Shrews in added on time just after coming on from the bench, and Micky was asked if he thought the goal would help the deadline day capture: “Well he’s not a player that’s short on confidence that’s for sure,” said Mellon. “He’s been brought here because we think he’s a good player and of course strikers love scoring goals. The way that he went on to it like lightning and the way he finished I thought was superb. We’ve scored a few good goals here tonight; I think Grandison’s was as good a goal as you’ll see at any level. I love him. He’s got such a talent and he’s been a big player for me since I walked through the doors. If he starts adding goals to his game we might have a problem!
“It was huge to see Andy Mangan back because there’s another huge name we’ve been missing. We haven’t whinged and moaned but we’ve missed some really big characters, and some really good players. We’ve just got on with it. The lads that have come in for us have done well but when you lose players and characters like that, it’s always going to change what your team is. It’s terrific that he’s back at such a crucial stage of the season as he’s a top player. But I must say about my skipper – I thought he was brilliant tonight. He gave a masterclass in attitude, drive, ability and it was clear for anyone to see what we’ve been missing and that’s the influence of a top, top player. It’s all looking good. We’ll get them dusted down and look forward to another good game on Saturday.”