Colchester United 1 Stevenage 1, player reaction: Mikael Mandron is ready to score more goals
Mikael Mandron celebrates after levelling for the U's against Stevenage in a 1-1 draw. Picture: STEVE WALLER - Credit: Picture: Steve Waller
Mikael Mandron celebrated only the second league goal of his Football League career, to earn Colchester United a first point of the season on what was his U’s home league debut.
Mandron’s first League goal had come on February 1, 2014, with a strike for loan club Fleetwood in a home league defeat to York City, in the fourth tier.
Since then, the former Sunderland trainee has had loan stints at Shrewsbury and Hartlepool, also in League Two, a good season in the National League with Eastleigh (10 goals in 28 league outings in 2016-17) and three appearances for Wigan Athletic earlier this year.
But the long wait between his first and second League goals did not worry Mandron.
The Frenchman insisted: “I couldn’t let it affect me, or dwell on my mind.
“I’ve been waiting a while, but I wouldn’t say that it was a load off my mind to score this goal. It’s not something that has preyed on my mind.
“It’s what I am here at Colchester to do, to score goals, and I’m most definitely delighted to score today.
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“I think as soon as you score your first goal for the club, others will come.”
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Speaking about the game as a whole, Mandron said: “It was a tough game and we were 1-0 down, so obviously we really needed a goal and I’m happy to get it.
“I don’t let missed chances get me down, because as a striker you are always going to miss chances. The most important thing is to stand up and take the next one, which I managed to do today,” added Mandron, who missed a great chance inside four minutes.
The 22-year-old continued: “Hopefully, I will start getting more goals, and that is the first of many this season.
It was a sluggish start to the match, and as a team we didn’t start the match very well.
“But I thought we got stronger in the second half. We pushed on and we created chances.
“I think if we can keep up the momentum we showed in the second half into future games, then we will start winning. We adapted well to the game.
“It was a great pass from Drey Wright (for the goal) and I thanked him for it after scoring. He’s done great work down the line and he was able to pick me out.”
