LONDON, CMC – Grenada international Kairo Mitchell believes his bright start to the National League season for Rochdale is a sign of bigger things to come. However, despite getting on the scoresheet, he has rued his side’s latest defeat on Saturday.
The 26-year-old opened the scoring in the tenth minute for the visitors at Grosvenor Vale but watched as they squandered a 2-1 lead early in the second half to lose 3-2 to Wealdstone FC.
Mitchell, released by League Two Notts County at the end of last season, has netted eight times this season.
“I feel like I’m just getting started as well. I honestly feel like there is so much more to come regarding quality around the goal for myself,” Mitchell said following the defeat.
“I suppose there’s a positive tick for me and from that aspect. It’s eight for the season, but it would’ve been better and had a happier feel if we’d also taken the three points.”
Rochdale made the brighter start and was rewarded when Adam Clayton broke down the Wealdstone defense with a marvelous through-ball, Mitchell latching on to the end to poke beyond a hesitant goalkeeper Jed Ward.
Mitchell is the club’s joint leading goal-scorer alongside Tyrese Sinclair – a 22-year-old forward whose father, Frank, represented Jamaica’s Reggae Boys at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
“We (team) like to work a little bit of possession and get our shape, and we work with me trying to be the focal point down the middle,” said Mitchell, explaining the build-up to the goal.
“I try and make as many runs between center-backs for the likes of Adam Clayton and Harvey Gilmore to try and find me, and I suppose that went well and worked perfectly.”
After Jack Cook leveled for the hosts in first-half stoppage, Rochdale went ahead again through Ryan East’s 52nd-minute strike but disappointingly conceded two more goals to lose their seventh of the season, to lie ninth in the standings on 24 points.
“I felt like we created enough chances in the first half to score goals and even the second half as well, shots being blocked off the line and stuff like that,” Mitchell lamented.
“So it’s felt like it was there for us, so [I’m] just disappointed that we couldn’t get it over the line.
“There’s a lot to analyze, and I suppose that’s something we’re going to have to do during this next week, just get ourselves around in a classroom and [do] a lot of classroom work, and try and analyze where we feel we can get better, and just try and put that into place for the next two games.”
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