DOUBLE goal-hero Richard Garcia has set himself a tough target - to score more goals than on-song midfielder Neil Danns this season.That's a tall order for the Australian attacker, when considered that livewire Danns has already bagged 13 goals, including seven strikes during the month of January.

By Carl Marston

DOUBLE goal-hero Richard Garcia has set himself a tough target - to score more goals than on-song midfielder Neil Danns this season.

That's a tall order for the Australian attacker, when considered that livewire Danns has already bagged 13 goals, including seven strikes during the month of January.

Garcia has taken time to click into first gear. Injuries, and the tremendous form of fellow team-mates, restricted him to just one league start before the turn of the year.

Yet now the former West Ham 24-year-old is scoring goals for fun, netting after 41 and 56 minutes against Bradford to boost his tally to six goals in the last four matches. He has netted eight for the season.

“I want to catch Dannsy. That's my aim. I don't want a midfielder to score more goals than me!” insisted Garcia after Saturday's 3-1 win over the Bantams.

“Dannsy has had a head-start on me, but things are going well at the moment and I hope to have a good second half of the season.

“I've scored two more goals today, and if I can keep scoring at that rate, then I'll soon be up with Dannsy.

“I'm feeling fitter and sharper with every game. I'm benefiting from playing in my best position, as a striker, rather than having to play wide on the right of midfield. I prefer playing up front,” confirmed Garcia.

The Perth-born front-runner has enjoyed a marvellous last fortnight. He clambered off the bench to score a brace in the 2-1 league win over Port Vale, and then hit the target again in the LDV Vans Trophy success at Cheltenham, and the FA Cup triumph over Derby.

Now he wants to keep the run going: “We all want to win promotion this season,” continued Garcia.

“For that to happen, we need to keep winning matches. We were a bit flat in the first half today, and my first goal stemmed from our first good move of the match.

“It was the first time that we had built from the back, and it was a great cross from Greg (Halford). We didn't look back after that.

“Perhaps all the games we had played recently, took its toll on us in the first half. But we raised our game in the second-half, and I could have ended up scoring a hat-trick. Their keeper made a good save to deny me.

“The gaffer took me off before the end, probably to protect me from getting any more injuries. We have another important game against Scunthorpe on Tuesday,” concluded Garcia.