Boss Mick McCarthy has refuted suggestions Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's scintillating start to the season is because he is now leaner and meaner - insisting it's more a case of being able to build up momentum and reacting positively to fresh competition.

Ebanks-Blake produced a majestic piece of control and finish in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Newcastle, his second goal in successive weekends to follow on from an excellent pre-season.

Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher are of course providing some hot competition for the Molineux striking berths, with all three knowing standards will have to remain high for them to remain in the team.

"Sylvan has responded in the right way," said Mick.

"That's just what he's done, and that's what I hoped because I've got three terrific strikers now and they are all vying to get in the team.

"Of course when you buy somebody it can have a negative impact from one of them, but you hope by the competitive nature of footballers - that's good footballers like Sylvan - that it would spark him up. 

"I was at clubs when they kept buying centre halves but that only made me I would play better and keep them out of the team. 

"Sylvan has proved he's one of those characters as well, because he's done great.

"His build is just the same though.

"That's him, and when he was at Charlton and he got a ball in the corner and dribbled past them and smashed the ball in the net he was the same build. 

"As he was when he was scoring all those goals in the Championship - there's no difference to him at all."

So did Ebanks-Blake ever doubt himself amid the dark days of last season?

The man himself prefers to look forwards rather than back, but Mick admits it would only have been natural for the striker to have had one or two concerns.

He added:  "I don't know about that because I've never had that discussion, I can only tell you when I was a player if things aren't going for you, you do have those thoughts. 

"But the good ones come back and dispel all those fears which he's done. 

"He was unlucky, he came out of the team and Doyle was just awesome last year, and we played with one up front and that wouldn't be his forte. 

"But he has worked so hard. 

"He was terrific, it was epitomised on Saturday not only by his goal but by the cheer he got for stopping Enrique getting out of the corner and winning a corner for us."