MELLISH HITS THE NET WITH RELISH!

IN A year that has thrown up plenty of surprises, the goalscoring exploits of Carlisle’s Jon Mellish are something that even he didn’t see coming.

- Adam Le Roux

The former Gateshead man had barely even played in midfield before the start of the current campaign but is now one of the first names on the team sheet at Brunton Park after a prolific start to the season.

Pre-weekend, the 23-year-old had already hit ten goals in 15 games this campaign – reaching double figures with a brace in the final two minutes of extra-time of United’s FA Cup first round tie with Hayes & Yeading last weekend, as the Cumbrians squeaked to a penalty shoot-out victory.

It is a remarkable haul for a man who was signed primarily as a defender in the summer of 2019 and hadn’t even scored in the EFL until the start of October this year.

Masterstroke

But his conversion to a box-to-box midfielder has been a masterstroke from Carlisle boss Chris Beech, even if it took some getting used to.