TOMMY Miller might have fulfilled a childhood ambition by scoring on home soil for Sunderland last weekend but, perhaps more importantly, the midfielder's close-range strike also helped someone else celebrate as well.

After starting the season with a frown, his father, Tommy Miller Snr, is finally walking around with a smile on his face.

The Hartlepool United chief scout, who is part of a family of Sunderland fans, was understandably delighted his son signed at the Stadium of Light this summer.

But that delight was gradually turning to distress as fellow fans began to gently rib him for the Black Cats' poor start to the campaign.

Miller Jnr has helped to put that right with his two goals in a week helping to earn four much-needed points against Middlesbrough and West Ham.

And, after some of his friends gave him a rather wide berth in recent weeks, the Shotton Colliery-born star is suddenly the flavour of the month again.

"I think people saw from my celebration just how much that first Stadium of Light goal meant to me," said Miller, who has played in every Premiership game this season. "It was a special feeling and a moment I'd dreamt of for some time.

"It was a relief to me to get it and it meant I had a much better weekend. My poor dad has been getting it in the neck this season because I hadn't found the net until the Boro game - now he's down the club with a great big smile on his face.

"There's been a lot of pressure on me from family and friends - they've been willing me to do well and, when things haven't gone so good, they haven't really known what to say.

"It's much easier when you've got something positive to talk about and the telephone was ringing all weekend."

While Sunderland's players maintained an upbeat air in public, private doubts were inevitably beginning to creep in as they failed to pick up a point in their opening five games of the campaign.

Miller never lost faith in his own ability, but admits last month's opener at the Riverside gave him a welcome confidence boost.

"I was starting to worry a bit," he admitted. "Goals have always been a big part of my game and you start to wonder when the next one is coming from.

"Suddenly, two came along at once. For the first one, I just took a gamble and struck it first time. The second goal was a real poacher's goal, but it gave me just as much satisfaction."

Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy was quick to highlight Miller's goalscoring credentials when he signed him from Ipswich this summer.

The 26-year-old has scored 37 goals in the last three seasons and sees finding the back of the net as a key component of his game.

"I'm disappointed if I don't get into double figures," he said. "Everyone was expecting me to be a regular scorer here but I suppose I can't expect to maintain that record at the highest level.

"The Premier League is a massive step up - there are some big teams and some world class defenders to contend with.

"Maybe they close you down faster and get into position quicker. I can think of a couple of occasions this season when I would have scored goals in the Championship which have eluded me in the Premiership.

"A lot of the other lads are still learning my game and likewise.

"I don't always make the runs they expect and they don't always play the balls into the areas I expect. But that will come and it's already getting better.