The 24-year-old Bermuda striker netted four goals, including a first half hat-trick, as Rotherham romped to a 7-0 win that sent their opponents crashing into the Third Division.

Now, the 15-goal target he spoke about looks like being reached comfortably as he moved his tally for the season to 12 in 23 games with seven remaining.

"It was not a bad day,'' Goater said modestly on Saturday evening when reached at his home in Rotherham. "I have had quite a good run and was hopeful of getting one, but the chances came to me and I was able to take them.'' It was the first time Goater has scored four goals in a single match as a professional and his first hat-trick for the Rotherham first team since the Scunthorpe match last season which Rotherham won 5-2.

It was also Rotherham's biggest win since the 1970s as the evening newspaper in the area The Green-un carried a headline afterwards that read: "Millers living in seventh heaven''.

Surprising Rotherham did not move a place in the standings, remaining seventh from the bottom.

"A result like that and all it did was improve our goal average,'' said Goater.

His own strike rate is starting to look respectable, too, with eight goals now coming in his last six matches. That should not only help him secure a new contract but could also have one or two clubs taking notice.

"My record is looking respectable now after such a slow start,'' said Goater, who has only just recently regained a starting place on the team.

"I haven't got that phone call so I'm looking to have a real good end to the season and then hopefully someone will give me that call.'' Goater opened the scoring in the ninth minute when he poked the ball past the goalkeeper at the second attempt following a long ball into the box by Ian Helliwell.

Number two came in the 29th minute from a long goalkick which Helliwell flicked on and Goater ran through the defence before hitting a left foot shot from eight yards out on an angle over the diving keeper.

"I can't remember too much about the third,'' Goater admitted about the 36th minute effort which completed his hat-trick as Rotherham led comfortably 4-0 with Shaun Goodwin getting the other.

Then, after top scorer Imre Varadi scored twice in the second half to take his season tally to 18, Goater closed out the scoring in the 87th minute with a header which he says was similar to the effort he scored recently for Bermuda against the United States.

This time the pass was from a deeper angle from Andy Williams as Goater beat the keeper to the ball and scored with a back header. Now Rotherham's most in-form striker has his sights on promotion-chasing Port Vale (fifth) and leaders Reading in the next two matches.

"We've got seven games left and we need two wins to be safe,'' says Goater.

"When I go into training I'm sure the lads will crack a few jokes and after that it's back to business. The fans will want to see it again, what you did before is quickly forgotten.''