CHRIS LAKEY Jamie Cureton is aiming to put old friendships to one side and get back to what he does best - scoring goals. The Canaries hitman has gone three games without a goal and wants to nip the sequence in the bud before it becomes a problem.

CHRIS LAKEY

Jamie Cureton is aiming to put old friendships to one side and get back to what he does best - scoring goals.

The Canaries hitman has gone three games without a goal and wants to nip the sequence in the bud before it becomes a problem.

“I am confident that I will get goals - I just don't want it to go on too many games,” he said.

“Three games so far isn't too bad, once it gets over five I will not so much panic, but it starts to get annoying.

“I am sure if we create a few more chances I will be confident I can take them.”

Cureton bagged a brace in the Carling Cup win over Barnet and another two in the 2-1 win over Southampton in City's first home league game of the season.

And while he missed a couple of chances against Palace on Saturday, Cureton is happy with his contribution to the team - and confident of adding to his tally soon.

“Saturday I had a couple and thought I definitely should have scored one of them,” he said.

“I think the first one I should have hit the target and the second the touch was probably a bit too good, as I touched it, it stayed under my feet. But it was more pleasing to be having the chances, to be honest.

“You have got to deal with it, these things happen, you are not really going to score every week, as much as you like to.

“You are going to have to go through games and periods where you are not going to score. It is important that while I am doing that I am still offering something to the team.

“A while ago, in my younger days, I probably wouldn't have done. So while I still offer something and still help out and we are winning games, that is the most important thing.”

Charlton have plenty of people on and off the field who know all about Cureton: Addicks manager Alan Pardew was his boss at Reading and his assistant, Phil Parkinson took him to Colchester.

“Pards had a difficult time at West Ham and he has now turned it around at Charlton so it will be good to see him,” said Cureton.

“I'm sure he will have tactics to take me out of the game I would imagine - I would probably say I will get kicked after the first five minutes and then after that we will see.

“But he obviously knows how I play and knows my weaknesses and strengths so I am sure he will have worked on that with his back four.”

On the field, Charlton have Cureton's former Canaries team-mate from the 90s, Danny Mills, and Chris Iwelumo, the man who contributed 18 goals alongside Cureton's 23 for Colchester last season - a tally which earned City's summer singing the Championship's Golden Boot last season.

“He has a couple of goals and they seem to be doing okay at the moment,” Cureton added. “I am sure he is enjoying it. I have spoken to him a couple of times, hopefully he doesn't have too good a game against us.

“He is a physical type player, not one of those who is going to run in behind you, so I think it will be very similar to how we have played most centre forwards this year.”

While Cureton is almost certain to start, there could be a change alongside him, with Czech striker David Strihavka making claims to take the shirt from Chris Brown after his winner against Palace on Saturday.

“He has had a tough time settling in and been getting frustrated on the training ground and not playing as much as he would like, so it is great to see that,” Cureton said.

“Hopefully it will give him a bit more confidence and settle him in a bit more.

“He (Peter Grant) has got options, he has said he is going to use the squad because we have a lot of games.

“But I am just concentrating, hoping that I am playing and I am sure whoever else is playing will do their best and hopefully we can get a run going now.”