Our ineptitude in front of goal has been well documented recently; even Sammy has publicly acknowledged it was beginning to rile him.

It was more than a bit of a shock then to watch us stick five past Rotherham who, in spite of their off-field problems, have still been relatively impressive and consistent this season, and were, prior to their points deduction, sat comfortably above us in the table.

But there was really no need to consult a calendar; all that needed to be done was to glance at the team sheet and spot '20 – J Newby' glaring back. It was his marvellous hat-trick that did the damage and the most pleasing aspect of all was that his goals were just about the only chances he had throughout the game.

I mentioned earlier in the season in this column that I didn't think that Newbs had the ability to be prolific in this division. Analysing his individual stats, however, it's clear that assertion was premature.

In all major competitions this season, Newby has started just 12 games and returned with 10 goals. At any level, that is a remarkable record.

It raises questions of why hasn't he been given more opportunities from the start. Ok, we have no idea how he performs in training each day and the idea of mere fanatics giving counsel to a seasoned professional in McIlroy of the nuances of football is as absurd as Jade Goody advising Albert Einstein on how to write a dissertation about the Theory of Relativity, but the argument still stands.

We had our best run, before Christmas, when Newby partnered Michael Twiss up front. Now when he is partnering Matthew Blinkhorn, we are seeing a return to that form.

I think I read somewhere that he made a hand-written application for a trial with us, instead of instructing an agent to issue a generic request. If that's true, I think it will only endear him to the Morecambe fans further.

I'm convinced he has now shown enough to rival Garry Thompson in the case for contract renewal.

Speaking of Thompson, special mention is also due for what was a truly splendid performance. The way he repeatedly soared past his marker on the right was the origin of most, if not all, of our positive play.

I'm guessing next week at Bradford Thompson will be eager to demonstrate just how good a player he is. I hope he tears them apart, setting up more goals for Newby, so we can pray that - for the love of God - they are both signed up..