JUNIOR MENDES plans to reward management and fans for their patience with a stack more goals for Town this season.

The 28-year-old scored his first for the club from a twice-taken penalty in last night's 3-0 LDV Vans win against Morecambe which put Town into Saturday's second-round draw on Sky's Soccer A.M programme.

David Mirfin and Lee Fowler (another first Town strike) were also on target in a tie soured by the sending-off of Danny Schofield, who will miss the next three matches and suffer a club fine for an alleged headbutt.

"It's great to finally score because I love the club and the fans and it had been preying on my mind that I hadn't scored for them," said Mendes.

"All the staff and the players have been helping me to keep up my spirits, I've been trying to stay positive and to do the right things and it feels great now to finally be off the mark.

"Hopefully I can now go on and get some more and if the gaffer wants me in the team, I'll be ready. I've been working hard in training, God loves a trier as they say and I'll be doing all I can to help the club have a successful season.

"It's a beautiful club with superb people and the fans have been brilliant to me, so it would be great to kick on from this and stay among the goals."

Manager Jackson praised his three centre-backs, including teen John McCombe on his full debut, after making six changes to the starting line-up.

He is now hoping Tony Carss (knee) will recover to help solve a midfield selection problem against Walsall on Saturday when Jon Worthington, Schofield and defender Efe Sodje are all suspended.

" The score flatters us a little bit, but we weren't helped by Danny's sending off and I will be fining him the maximum I can because it was stupidity," said Jackson, whose side played to the biggest LDV crowd of the night (3,831).

"I think Danny realises he made a mistake and the referee was adamant he headbutted the Morecambe player. He will miss three vital matches after we'd said how important it was for us not to get bookings or red cards."

Jackson will monitor the fitness of Andy Booth (hamstring) and Chris Brandon (virus) before Saturday.

"The lads who went into the side last night did themselves no harm, I was delighted with the three centre backs, who were magnificent, and it was really pleasing to see Mendes and Fowler get their first goals for the club," he added.

"Junior took the worst penalty ever to start with but, when it was retaken, he smashed it in the top corner, which was nice to see.

"Lee has been here 12 months without having a shot on target, so it was great for him to score.

"I was also delighted with McCombe. He did a terrific job."