Sullay Kaikai hailed as a Premier player

The on-loan Crystal Palace winger came off the bench at half-time with Tyrone Barnett and both scored two goals to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 win against Colchester on Saturday.

Barnett started the fightback just 37 seconds after the restart and then levelled just before the hour. Kaikai's two late goals were his first for Salop but they bore the hallmark of a higher level.

And boss Mellon is convinced the 20-year-old is going to the top, saying: "People will laugh but I told him a few weeks ago 'you'll be on Match of the Day.'

"Hopefully that will be a long time from now, because I want to keep him here but that's how good he is and he's a brilliant kid as well.

"He's a terrific player and he's always got a smile on his face too, so he's great to work with."

Both Kaikai and Fulham attacker Larnell Cole are currently on loan to January, but Mellon hinted the pair could stay for the rest of the season.

He said: "We'll be fine. Their clubs have sent them here to be developed by us and they're in a good place. We're delighted they're here."

Mellon hailed the contribution of Barnett, Kaikai and the whole team for the way they responded.

He said: "The players deserve every credit because they have to perform and they had to find that character to turn around a 2-0 deficit, which they did."

At 2-0 down, Town were facing a fourth straight defeat and a fifth loss in six, but the victory shot them up five places to 14th.

Mellon kept what was said at half-time private, but believed the changes could inspire a comeback.

He added: "We'll keep that between us but we, clearly, weren't happy. We knew the next goal was important and to get it when we did was fantastic because the momentum and the crowd were with us.

"I could only see one winner then at 2-1."