ALAN Shearer is ready to rocket his way into the record books once again, with the fastest-ever century of League goals by a Blackburn Rovers player.

The England and Ewood striker needs just one more goal to become only the sixth man in the club's history to reach the magic "ton".

But if he is to join the Ewood elite at the first possible opportunity, against Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow, Shearer is going to have to break down a defence which has kept six clean sheets in the last seven games.

The fab five who have clocked up a century of League goals for Rovers so far are: Simon Garner (168 goals), Tommy Briggs (140), Ted Harper (121), Jack Bruton (108) and Bryan Douglas (101).

One more Premiership goal from the surefire striker will see him join that illustrious company.

And it will also make him the first player in the country past the 100-goal milestone since the Premier League was formed in 1992.

That is a feat even more outstanding in view of the fact that he missed half a season's football through the career-threatening cruciate ligament injury he suffered midway through his first winter at Ewood.

His rivals, such as Tottenham's Teddy Sheringham are way behind in the overall scoring stakes.

Our unique table shows that Leeds United - Monday's opponents at Elland Road - have suffered most from the Shearer firepower, with eight goals in just five games against the Yorkshire club, including his first Rovers hat trick.

West Ham, Everton and Coventry have all suffered significantly, while tomorrow's Ewood visitors Tottenham have been breached three times in five games by Shearer. Bolton are the only current Premier League team not to have conceded a goal to Shearer so far, though he has faced them only once for Rovers.

Co-incidentally, Bolton are the only team to have scored against Spurs in the last seven matches, drawing 2-2 at White Hart Lane last Saturday.

Spurs boss Gerry Francis will no doubt have his team on Shearer-watch tomorrow, though he will expect them to play to their strengths and, at the moment, those seem to be in defence.

But that is the sort of challenge Shearer relishes and, apart from his, hopefully imminent, Ewood century, the striker continues to set a series of remarkable statistics, such as:

His goal against Manchester City means he has scored in the last 11 Premiership games staged at Ewood - all 10 this season, plus the final home game of last term.

Since making his full comeback from cruciate ligament surgery - his first League start was against Sheffield Wednesday on September 25, 1993 - Shearer hasn't missed a Premiership game, with 96 consecutive appearances and 82 goals.

Shearer's tally of 18 goals from 20 League games so far this season includes only two penalties. At the same stage last season, he had 16 Premiership goals, five of them from the spot. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER: Gerry Francis

LAST THREE AWAY GAMES: D W D

DID YOU KNOW THAT? Alan Shearer's goal against Spurs at White Hart Lane in February 1994 was his 50th in League and Cup competitions for Rovers.

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