Ipswich Town striker Daryl Murphy admits he is disappointed with his goals tally this season, but says he is not beating himself up about it.

Having averaged five goals a season previously in his career, the 32-year-old enjoyed the campaign of his life in 2015/16 and finished as the Championship’s 27-goal top-scorer as the Blues finished in the play-off places for the first time in a decade.

Town rewarded the Irishman with a new two-year deal last summer, warding off several suitors for his signature, but this season Murphy has scored in just five of his 31 club appearances, netting eight goals in total.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game at Huddersfield, 10th-place Town aiming to avoid a fourth straight league loss, he said: “My form has been up and down. I never thought for one minute that I would repeat what I did last year, but you set yourself goals and targets and I haven’t scored as many as I would have liked. There are still a few games left though.”

Asked if last season had added pressure on his shoulders, he said: “It probably has, but I don’t mind the pressure part of it – that’s part and parcel of the game. I know myself I should have a lot more goals than I do by now. It’s something I continue to work hard at in training and hopefully I’ll get it right.

“I look back on a few games. The one at MK Dons sticks in my mind when I probably should have had a hat-trick. Last year they would probably have gone in, but this year they haven’t.

“There’s no point getting too down about it. I’ve been through this before and beaten myself up, worried and it’s not helped. I just have to make sure my performances are right and the goals will come.”

Asked if he had feared being dropped at any stage, Murphy said: “I probably have, yeah. Maybe there have been times where I’ve felt I didn’t deserve to play.

“Of course I am thankful to the gaffer. I think he knows that, on my day, I can be a handful for any defence. I need to show that and repay that faith.”

On Ipswich’s recent poor form, Tuesday night’s 1-0 home loss to Hull making it five defeats from six in all competitions, Murphy added: “We know we need to up our performances if we’re going to finish in the top six. If you win two or three games in a row then you’re right back in there and you’re thinking ‘what was all the fuss about?’ That’s the league, it always has been.”