RUMOURS linking Accrington Stanley sharp shooter Paul Mullin with a move to Second Division strugglers Sheffield Wednesday have been denied by the club.

But it is hardly a suprise that the striker is attracting attention from Football League clubs.

For the 29-year-old is already more than halfway to achieving his goals target for the season - and there are still six months to go.

Mullin leapfrogged fellow hotshot Lutel James as the club's leading goalscorer as his double in the 2-0 win at home to Barnet on Saturday took him to 12 for the campaign so far.

James is two behind Mullin, but the friendly rivalry is set to inspire the duo to bigger and better things for the rest of the season.

"It's superb for me to get this many so far," Mullin said. "I would have been pleased with 12 goals going into January so I suppose I'm a month ahead of schedule.

"I always set myself a target of 20 every season so anything on top of that is a bonus."

And Mullin believes that now he and James feature in the Conference's top seven goalscorers, the team will continue to reap the benefits.

"There isn't another team with two strikers up there so it's good that the goals are shared out," he said.

"There's no secret to it and it's not rocket science either. You just keep working hard, try to get in the right areas again and again and eventually it will go in.

"There will be times when we miss chances, and we have, but we've just got to keep going."

And Mullin was delighted with the chances he took against the Bees on Saturday, scoring with a header and a 20-yard lob.

"I thought we were really positive in the second half we were a little bit tentative in the first half, but Lutel and Rory were put right up front with me and it seemed to make a difference," he said.

"We got the ball down, knocked it wide and got crosses in, which is what we're good at.

"It makes life easier for me because it's hard playing up front on your own. I'll do a job but it's hard creating chances."

He added: "I couldn't really miss the first goal with my forehead but the second was one of my better goals.

"I had a look at the keeper when I was running through and I was going to knock it out to Lutel, then I just thought I'd try to go for the far corner.

"It went over the middle but it lobbed the keeper and it did the job.

"It was probably my favourite of the season but, to be honest, I'll take them in any way possible."

BOURNEMOUTH v Stanley is one of the featured FA Cup second round games on Saturday's Match of the Day programme on BBC1. The club is set to receive £20,000 as a result.

STANLEY are expected to field their first team for the reserves' Lancashire League fixture at Chorley tonight, kick-off 7.30pm.