AS droughts go this is the Sahara desert of all dry spells for Tommy Miller.The Blues midfielder has not scored for 25 matches, stretching back 18 months with Sunderland, Preston and now Ipswich.

By Derek Davis

AS droughts go this is the Sahara desert of all dry spells for Tommy Miller.

The Blues midfielder has not scored for 25 matches, stretching back 18 months with Sunderland, Preston and now Ipswich.

Miller's last goal was in a 2-1 Sunderland defeat at Portsmouth, in April 2006 - so long ago he can barely remember it.

He never scored at all last season with the Black Cats, or when he was on loan at today's opponents Preston and this season Miller has fired 16 shot goal-wards without success so far - something he is desperate to change.

Miller said: “I would be lying if I said it wasn't playing on my mind. I have had a few chances, hit a post but really I should have scored by now.

“Hopefully I will score now because I have always done well against Preston in the past. Especially when I was at Hartlepool I always seemed to score against them.

“I don't want to tempt fate but I'm hoping to carry that on.”

But however much Miller wants a goal he is not looking for a short-cut by wresting penalty duties away from Alan Lee.

Miller said: “That might get me off the mark but Alan is doing very well there at the moment and I'm sure I can score from open play anyway.”

Among the many offers Miller considered during the summer was a permanent deal at Preston but the 28-year-old, who has this week moved into a house in Woodbridge, chose Ipswich instead.

He admitted to suffering a little while playing for Paul Simpson's side against his home-town club Sunderland when both were chasing promotion.

He said: “It was a strange feeling because Preston won 1-0 and I couldn't look my dad in the eye after the game. I got some stick from some Sunderland fans for clapping the Preston fans after the game but I was there to do a job.”

Miller is expected to keep his place today with Pablo Counago likely to return.

Sylvain Legwinski is possibly the player making way while Billy Clarke is set to keep his place with Gary Roberts having a watching brief.

Today's squads

Ipswich Town: Alexander, Supple, Wright, Harding, Casement. De Vos, Bruce, Wilnis, Legwinski, Garvan, Clarke, Haynes, Peters, Roberts, Miller, Walters, Counago, Lee.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, Chilvers, Hill, Sedgwick, Nicholls, Davidson, Carter, Hawley, Agyemang, Carroll, Mellor, Gallagher, L Neal, C Neal and St Ledger.