MICHAEL Ricketts answered manager Sam Allardyce's call to provide the goals needed to boost Wanderers' hopes of a charge up the table.

So it was no real surprise that Ricketts was included in the line-up against Newcastle at the Reebook after the striker had broken his barren duck to score the vital goal at Upton Park last Saturday.

And two goals from the striker, who had an 11 month barren spell in open play before his goal against West Ham, was a delight for both of them.

"Our big problem is we cannot win games, particularly at home," Allardyce conceded before the match. "We have only won one at the Reebok and we should have done a lot better.

"The minimum return we should have had is three wins, three draws and three defeats but we don't kill teams off because when we get in front we don't keep a clean sheet.

"We are very close to keeping clean sheets. We can come no closer than we did against Chelsea and Blackburn at home and we could have been looking at one at West Ham. But the longer it eludes us the more difficult it gets.

"Until we put that clean sheet scenario right we have to score two goals to win a game.

"We are on equal goals scored as Everton but they have kept clean sheets and that makes all the difference.

"Most of our problems are down to us.

"Getting the likes of Gudni Bergsson and Mike Whitlow back fit helps but it is how long you can keep the old geezers fit."