HEART-BREAKER Darren Ambrose will be looking to do his old club no favours again when Charlton visit Portman Road tomorrow.Ambrose scored twice in the 3-1 Addicks win at the Valley last December but his celebrations were muted as a sign of the respect he has for the Blues.

Derek Davis

HEART-BREAKER Darren Ambrose will be looking to do his old club no favours again when Charlton visit Portman Road tomorrow.

Ambrose scored twice in the 3-1 Addicks win at the Valley last December but his celebrations were muted as a sign of the respect he has for the Blues.

But with both teams going for promotion and both teams struggling for results, Ambrose knows he can not afford to be sentimental.

Ambrose said: “This is a must-win match for us.

“Our season has been a case of getting close to putting a run together only to fall apart.

“Hopefully in the last eight games, starting at Ipswich we can get a run together and end the season on a high.”

Charlton have win just one in seven Championship games but remain in fifth place in the Championship, just three points ahead of Ipswich in tenth.

The clash is a genuine six-pointer as under-pressure Alan Pardew would see his side go six points clear of Ipswich if they win, while Town would go above them if they take advantage of their terrific home form and beat the south London side.

While Ipswich went down at Barnsley, Charlton suffered a 1-0 loss at Burnley, virtually wiping out their automatic promotion chances.

Ambrose said: “It is going to be very tough but we will fight to the end. I reckon we need five or six wins to make sure of the play-offs, starting with Ipswich on Saturday.”

The £1.5m signing from Newcastle United, who has constantly been linked with a return to Portman Road, is at a loss to explain why, like Ipswich, Charlton have been so inconsistent, especially away from home where they have won once in nine games on the road.

He said: “Our away form has been poor. Teams have their game plans set against us and sometimes we can't cope with that.

“At the start of the year we thought we get a run of five or six wins together but that has not happened.”

Despite the rumours, the chances of Town landing Ambrose remain slight. With nine goals for Charlton this season, four in the last six games, Ambrose has been an integral part of Charlton's starting side and not a player Pardew is willing to sell, despite Jim Magilton's admiration.

Ambrose got married in America last summer to Rachel and they have a six-month-old daughter. He is now living in Kent with his family and not considering a move back to Portman Road.

He said: “I had a great time at Ipswich but I'm settled with Charlton now.”

As well as former Town duo Ambrose and Matt Holland, loanees Lee Cook and Leroy Lita are expected to start against the Blues, along with ex Colchester United pair Greg Halford and Chris Iwelumo.