IPSWICH Town's shooting stars all have one target in mind - to claim a regular place in manager Roy Keane's side.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town's shooting stars all have one target in mind - to claim a regular place in manager Roy Keane's side.

If the Blues are to build on their much-delayed first win of the Championship season Keane needs to quickly find a settled and successful strike force.

The big question is who will he pick at Reading on Saturday when three points will indicate a full recovery is on the way and no points will confirm a long hard season for bottom-of-the-table Town.

Ipswich have scored just one goal in each of their last five games and 16 in their opening 15 Championship matches.

Unless this improves a move up the table is unlikely.

Five into two doesn't go, with four-goal leading scorer Jon Walters, plus two-goal Tamas Priskin, one-goal Jon Stead and Pablo Counago and 16-year-old Connor Wickham all fighting for a starting place each game.

Keane has chopped and changed and seems no nearer to finding his most successful front partnership as he was at the start of the campaign.

It was left back David Wright who netted against Derby, and central defender Gareth McAuley who notched the goal in the previous home game against Watford.

Stead, who scored in the draw at Plymouth 12 days ago, appreciates the manager's dilemma.

“It appears that we have an hour to impress each match with the manager changing things around,” said Stead.

“No one has absolutely nailed a front running role for himself yet.

“We have all had opportunities, and the size of the squad dictates that there will be rotation and it is not just the strikers where places are up for grabs.

“A plus side is that if you are out of the side you know there will be a good chance of quickly getting back in.”

Keane is likely to start with Counago and Priskin at Reading after he said that they livened things up when coming on as substitutes on Saturday.

There are those who think Walters is best used wide in midfield and this could well happen at the Madejski Stadium.

Until Keane gets the right combination and the goals start flowing recovery from the current plight will not be guaranteed.

Town defender Gareth McAuley, who is recovering from a thigh injury, has been named in the Northern Ireland squad for their friendly with Serbia at Windsor Park on Saturday November 14.

Striker Tamas Priskin has been named in Hungary's provisional squad for their friendly in Belgium on the same day.