Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins were both on target in Wednesday night's 2-0 carling Cup victory over Barnsley on Tyneside.

However, the club's fans have not seen a Barclays Premier League goal on home turf since February 10 when Liverpool were sent packing with a 2-1 scoreline.

That means Sam Allardyce's men have not found the back of the net in six home league games, including their only attempt to date this season, a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.

Skipper Geremi knows that is a situation which cannot be allowed to continue if they are to prosper this season, and with Owen, Martins, Mark Viduka and Shola Ameobi battling for places in the starting line-up, he is determined to find the solution tomorrow.

He said: "Sadly, we didn't score against Aston Villa and that was really disappointing. We don't want that to happen again.

"Against Barnsley, we got our goals and that lifted the crowd. We hope on Saturday we keep it tight and, hopefully, the goals will follow.

"We have started the season well - that increases confidence and we want to keep building that up.

"The fans deserve something this year and we are trying our hardest to give it to them.

"The aim is to continue our form. We need to keep clean sheets in games and we know if we do that, it gives us a superb chance of victory."

Owen's return to goalscoring form gave both Allardyce and England boss Steve McClaren a lift, and the 27-year-old is now hoping for an injury-free run and a return to the form which brought him seven goals in his first 10 appearances for the club.

He said: "I started off my career at Newcastle and scored a three and a two and we seemed to be on a great little run of form at the time.

"Then injury struck and it has been disappointing since then. But hopefully now I can look forward to playing and scoring for many more years now."

Wednesday's game was Owen's first start of the season, and Allardyce admits the decision over which of his strikers to play against a Latics side which could feature former Magpies Titus Bramble and Antoine Sibierski represents a real, if pleasant, headache.

Mark Viduka and Martins have been his preferred choice to date, and the Nigerian did his cause little harm with a smart finish against Barnsley for his third goal of the season.

The £10million man revealed he is eager to start tomorrow as he fights out a personal battle with Sibierski, who also has three goals to his name this season.

Martins said: "Antoine is a good lad and I enjoyed playing alongside him last season.

"It was a shame he left, but he has scored some goals for Wigan already and he is playing well.

"Titus Bramble is also coming back and it will be a battle.

"But we are working hard to stay unbeaten. The aim is to go on a long, long unbeaten run because it is great for confidence.

"As a team, we are happy with our form, but we can still get better."

Allardyce made his final preparations hoping to finally tie up deals for £2million-rated Bolton defender Abdoulaye Faye and Marseille's Habib Beye, who is poised to complete a £2.7million switch, while a successful completion of those deals could see Nolberto Solano head for West Ham.

Beye, 29, was left out of the Marseille squad for their last two league games and admitted he could not reject the chance to head for the Premier League.

Beye said: "I didn't want to finish here on a negative note.

"Perhaps the start of the season had got into a routine. You sometimes felt like part of the furniture and that takes the pressure away. But you need that pressure.

"I am leaving to rediscover that and something bigger still. It is an offer I could not refuse."

Meanwhile, Allardyce, having spent the summer fearing another club might trigger the get-out clauses in either Owen or Martins' contracts yesterday rejected an approach from local rivals Middlesbrough for Shola Ameobi.