WORCESTER City's star striker Mark Owen is hoping that his prolific form can land him a place in the big time.

The 23-year-old's hat-trick against Mangotsfield United in the FA Umbro Trophy last Saturday took his tally to a highly impressive 70 in only 125 games.

He now has 14 goals this season -- five of them in the last two games and once again his form is being monitored by bigger clubs.

Last season Burton Albion had a five-figure bid rejected for the former Wolves trainee, signed from Willenhall Town in March 1998.

If he continues his current form, which has seen him top City's goalscoring charts for the last two seasons, it's only a matter of time before he gets his chance at breaking into the big time.

But for the moment he's happy to keep doing his best and finding the net for Worcester.

He said: "It is every player's dream to move into the big time, but all I can do is keep trying to play well for Worcester and hopefully everything else will look after itself."

Owen's 14 strikes this season have all come in City's last 14 games, after he failed to find the net in the first four games.

He has never looked back since a double strike to open his account in the 4-2 win at Ilkeston Town in early September.

Owen added: "Since the Ilkeston game I have only gone a couple of games without scoring. Everything is going quite well for me at the moment."

Last weekend's treble was the third City hat-trick for Owen, having also hit three against Redditch United last season and Merthyr Tydfil the season before.

But for the moment his main concern is trying to help keep City in the Dr Martens League Premier Division title race.

They were in sixth place going into today's home clash with Dorchester Town, eight points behind leaders Crawley Town but with two games in hand.

Owen added: "It is always difficult when we have so many cup games as we have at the moment -- you can be judged on one performance.

"We now have to knuckle down and get some league points on the board."

He feels that the club which tried to sign him last year will be the team to beat.

"Obviously Burton have started tremendously even though they lost last week, but they have to have a sticky patch.

"Hopefully when they do that, we can make up the ground."

n Worcester have arranged their Worcester Royal Infirmary Senior Cup first round tie at home to Westfields for Monday, November 20 (7.45).