ANTTI NIEMI has hailed the strike partnership of Peter Crouch and Kevin Phillips as among the best in the Premiership.

The Finn is backing Crouch as his successor to be named the club's player of the season and is hoping the duo continue a remarkable scoring run which has seen either one of them score every time they have started together in the league.

"I think it's unbelievable where we are at the moment when you look at the goals we've scored," said Niemi.

"We've been conceding too many goals because when you look at the strikers we've got there's not many I would swap in the Premiership.

"I think they've done fantastically well - Crouch especially. There were a few eyebrows raised when he signed for us, but for me he's been the player of the year. Hopefully they can score another few goals."

Saints go into Sunday's crunch derby against Pompey in a precarious league position with just two points separating the bottom four team.

Yet our goalscoring table ranks Saints' strike duo among the very best in the Premiership - above even those at Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool! We have combined the total goals of each club's top goalscoring strikers in domestic competitions this season.

Crouch and Phillips put Saints in third behind only Spurs and Arsenal, but above illustrious names like Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Didier Drogba, Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert.

Although both Crouch and Phillips have been in excellent individual form with 14 and 13 goals respectively, it is their record as a partnership which is most impressive.

In ten starts together, they have amassed a combined total of 15 with one or the other scoring in each league game they have started in tandem.

Saints have, however, been light on goals from other areas of the team.

Crouch and Camara are expected to lead the Saints attack in the derby on Sunday, with Henri Camara likely to again start on the bench.