PAUL Jewell has warned Middlesbrough that misfiring Michael Chopra is ready to get back on the goal trial.

The Blues chief marksman has not scored since opening the season with a brace against Bristol City – a run that now stretches to half a dozen games.

The dry spell could have been over against Coventry City on Monday night when the Town number 10 missed two gilt-edged chances and could have netted a first half hat-trick.

But the Ipswich boss has backed his �1.5 million signing to deliver the goods again starting with a visit to in-form Middlesbrough, managed by former Blues play-off heroes Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus.

Jewell said: “I think in fairness to Chops, that is as many chances as he’s had all season in one game. He’s been feeding off scraps really when you look at the majority of our games this season, we haven’t been making that many opportunities.”

During a pulsating first 25 minutes which saw Town race into a 2-0 lead, Chopra sliced a shot wide from the edge of the six-yard box before failing to make a true connection to Grant Leadbitter’s low cross.

The former Cardif City man also saw a decent header go wide of the far post and then just missed the target with a 20-yard effort.

But Chopra had a hand in two of Town’s three goals and earned a rapturous applause from the home fans after being taken off by Jewell late in the second half.

And maintaining his place in the forwards’ union, Jewell added: “As an ex-striker, I know you’d rather be missing the chances than not getting them at all. I’m sure if he got those three opportunities on Saturday, he’d take at least one.”