David McGoldrick will be looking for a hat-trick of live-on-Sky goals when Barnsley’s visit to Portman Road tonight features on the satellite channel.

Town’s leading scorer with six goals this season recalled: “I’ve scored in the last two games that were on Sky so let’s hope it happens a third time. But I’m not too fussed about the fact that the game is live on Sky.

“The last time we played under the lights was against Yeovil when we came back from being 1-0 down to win 2-1. There was quite a buzz at the ground that night and I think it will be a good atmosphere on Friday.

“I like playing there because you tend to be a bit more attacking at home. I get a bit more freedom to express myself than I do away from home.

“Think about my second goal against Brighton and the space I had after Murph flicked it on. If you’re away from home I don’t think you are going to get that space because the other team are so solid.

“I love scoring goals and if they all came at Portman Road it wouldn’t matter but ideally I’d love to be chipping in all over the place.”

McGoldrick has dismissed the notion that scoring his first away goal for the club was akin to lifting a heavy weight off his shoulders.

The striker broke his away duck to earn a valuable point in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bolton, taking his tally for the season to a creditable six.

That makes it 10 in total for Ipswich — he scored four during his loan stint from Nottingham Forest last season — from his 28 league and cup appearances.

The lack of an away goal wasn’t something that was preying on his mind: “I wasn’t too worried.

“I want to chip in with some away goals — obviously they all matter — and it was good to get a point with my goal at the weekend.

"It was good to break the duck, like people have said, but I wasn’t really too bothered beforehand that I hadn’t scored any away goals.”

Meanwhile, he insisted that neither he nor any of his colleagues have been side-tracked by the almost non-stop speculation linking Town boss Mick McCarthy with a return to his former role as manager of the Republic of Ireland international team.

He said: “It’s not a distraction. Mick hasn’t changed one bit in his approach to any game or even training session. He’s still lively and he still shouts at us — there’s no change there.

“I never even gave it a thought that he might move when I signed for Ipswich in the summer. Mick wanted to sign me and I didn’t think about anything else.

"I’m delighted he is still here and I want him to stay. All the boys want him to stay so let’s hope he does.”

Photo: Action Images

oscarwhiting added 09:15 - Nov 1 Would love to see him score a hat trick tonite. Big win lads.
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