By Scott Cooper
March 3 2003

Kenny Miller is the hottest striker in the country, with 12 goals from just 9 games, you will have to go a long way to find a striker in better form.

Kenny Miller insists that his first hat-trick of his English Football career was only a matter of time away. Talking to icbirmingham the Scottish International who scored his 12th goal in 9 games in the Wolves 4-0 demolition of Crystal Palace on Saturday said "Getting three points against Palace was the most important thing but obviously the hat-trick was a massive bonus,

It's been threatening for a few weeks. I got a couple against Leicester and a couple against Ipswich, so it's good to get the third goal.

"Since Christmas there has been a massive improvement in the way the team are playing and the chances have been coming thick and fast.

"Before then the chances were not coming and I'd only got about six goals but now I'm getting at least three or four opportunities a game."

  Dean Sturridge who experienced a similar run of form in the run to the end of the season last season grabbed his 7th goal of the season after coming off the substitutes bench is only to happy to warm the bench for Miller whilst he is in such good form.

 He said "Last season Nathan Blake and myself were scoring the goals and keeping Kenny and George on the bench but now the roles have been reversed,

I understand that they are on top of their games and I am on the bench waiting for one of them to get tired or injured for a chance to get in the starting line-up.

"It was good for me to get a goal and I think we won the battle all over the field.

"It's going to take a catastrophic failure from someone else for us to reach the top two but all we can do is stay in the playoffs, keep the momentum going and stay sharp."

 Meanwhile, Dave Jones said in his Press interview after the Palace game that Kenny was on fire and scored a three great goals.

“But he worked his socks off and when you work hard and you’re a good player, then you get your rewards.

“Against Watford, he was unfortunate not to get a goal, but he’s popped up in the first half and got the break which he didn’t get in the week.

“But I’ve never known a player have a scoring streak like that while I’ve been here. The last one I can remember as a manager is when I was at Stockport.

But the competition’s tough here, there were a some disappointed faces when the team was announced for this game.”