WITH last season’s tally already surpassed, forward-thinking Maison McGeechan is revving into top gear with little intention of taking his foot off the goalscoring gas.

The 22-year-old was pressed into central striking duties against Cammell Laird on Saturday after leading marksman Danny Mitchley was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Finding the net twice, the former Bolton Wanderers academy player – who has also represented England at under-16 and under-17 level – is now comfortably into double figures this campaign.

Goals have been a feature of his game in recent years – 30 in 39 outings for Ambleside United preceding nine last year in Kendal colours – and McGeechan expects this tide to continue flowing.

“I’m on 12 goals now which is more than last season already and I would like to get 20 plus this year – I don’t see why I shouldn’t,” he said.

“I had a very slow pre-season and made the mistake of going on holiday and it didn’t set me up right for the first few weeks of the season.

“I know that was an error and it took maybe four or five weeks before I really kicked the season off but since then I don’t think I’ve done too badly and have helped the team out.

“Generally speaking I just want to contribute to the side getting towards the play-offs if we can and get the club back to where it belongs and where I feel a lot of the players belong.”

McGeechan’s second goal against Lairds was an impressive strike, a thunderous shot across goalkeeper Michael Langley which found the top corner.

Although it was the first – a composed finish while in the clear following Danny Coid’s through-ball – which arguably gave McGeechan greater satisfaction.

“I was delighted with the second goal,” he added. “I didn’t think too much about it, just got my head down and struck it and it found the top corner.

“I was quite happy with it and won’t complain about goals like that.

“But in some ways I preferred the opening one as goals like that are more team efforts and good football is what we like to do as a team – everyone knows we are a footballing team.

“I enjoy playing on the last man so it was nice to play some football and get a goal like that.”

However pleased with his own contribution, this could not mask the overriding sense of disappointment felt by Cammell Laird snatching a late leveller to leave Parkside Road with a point.

A mirror image of the previous week when Dave Foster’s side lost a commanding lead when seemingly in control, McGeechan acknowledges Kendal cannot keep throwing away points from winning positions.

“We didn’t lose but it’s one we should definitely have won, especially the way we conducted ourselves in the second-half,” he said.

“It was always going to be a tough game, they had a brilliant season last year by reaching the play-off final after being tipped to go down.
“And we knew they would be physical and direct but we just couldn’t hold on after getting that two-goal lead.

“In recent games we have dropped points from winning positions, it’s a shame and it is something which needs sorting and sorting quickly.

“We’ll pick ourselves up and continue to play some football.”