ZIAN Flemming has put his scoring touch against Preston North End down to pure “coincidence”.
The Dutchman netted against the Lancashire side again last Saturday during the 1-1 draw to make it six goals in four games against the same opponents.
It is his best scoring record against any club in his career with this purple patch including his first Millwall hat-trick last season.
But the 25-year-old insists he does not go into games against Preston more confident just because of his hot streak.
He told NewsAtDen: “To be honest, it’s not an exciting answer. It’s just a coincidence.
“I knew that I scored quite a few goals against them before this game and obviously the people around you know. But for me it’s just a coincidence so I approach it like any other game.”
The draw ended Millwall’s run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions and leaves them seventeenth in the Championship table, ten points off the play-off positions.
Flemming is hopeful that the Lions’ new loan signings, Japhet Tanganga from Tottenham Hotspur and Michael Obafemi from Burnley, can give the club a boost over the second half of the season.
He said: “If you look at where those guys have played, you can tell they’ve come from a good level. So yeah we’re excited to have them here and they’re additions to our squad in numbers but also in quality.
“And I’m hoping they will go and show that a lot in the coming months, and I expect them to do so.”
It has gone under the radar somewhat but Flemming has found some form in recent weeks and has four goal involvements in Millwall’s last five matches.
He has played plenty of football over the last six weeks with Millwall having a congested fixture list to contend with over Christmas. Flemming said he would be open to a Premier League-style winter break in the Championship.
“I think what the Premier League does make sense,” Flemming said. “Obviously I come from the Netherlands so I’m used to a winter break so I think it would be more than logical to have one weekend without a game, so the players can check out for a bit, maybe go on holiday, maybe go and see their family for a few days or a week and then come back mentally and physically refreshed.
“As it stands, this is how it is and it’s also a part of English football culture so I do kind of like it as well, but I think it’s better for the wellbeing of players if there would be a little, tiny bit of a winter break.”