YORK City striker Lee Nogan is confident the Minstermen's three-pronged attack can strike the right note against Oxford United tomorrow.

Nogan, Jon Parkin and Peter Duffield had linked up to great effect as City shot out of the blocks this season, but the early flood of goals is now in danger of turning into a drought.

The Minstermen have managed to find the net just twice in the past five games, with the unfortunate Parkin guilty of some glaring misses in the 3-0 defeat against Cambridge on Saturday.

However, Nogan, who scored ten goals in 64 league appearances for Oxford, feels there is no need for fans to panic yet, with the troublesome trio primed and ready for action against one of his former employers.

"I think it goes like that at times - sometimes the goals fly in and then they don't," the former Welsh international told the Evening Press. "You've got to take the rough with the smooth. You just wait for the next opportunity to come along and hope you can stick it away.

"We keep working on the three (up-front) and in the early games it worked well. It has slipped away a little bit when it hasn't been as compacted, but we did create the chances on Saturday so there can't be too many complaints."

Former Barnsley defender-cum-striker Parkin, perhaps unfairly, shouldered most of the blame for his failure to convert those chances against The Us, but Nogan feels the 20-year-old has nothing to worry about.

"Jon was the only one who got the chances against Cambridge and to be honest I wish it was me," explained Nogan. "If you are creating chances, eventually they will go in. If you aren't creating chances and not getting on the end of things, then you start to worry.

"We've all been there with Jon - I have myself, Peter Duffield has, all strikers have. Look at the top boys going through it now, and they are being paid small fortunes.

"Hopefully Jon will get the same chances tomorrow and will stick one or two of them away."

With Liverpool's Michael Owen and Manchester United's Diego Forlan among two of the bigger name strikers struggling to find the target, Parkin is among illustrious company.

But while Parkin, who scored the winner against Darlington ten days ago, can class Cambridge as just a bad day at the office, Nogan has endured a leaner spell.

Although he has never been an out-and-out goal-scorer - he averages one every five games - the 33-year-old is now due a return having gone six matches without scoring.

But Nogan, who has netted twice this season, remains unfazed by his lack of success in front of goal.

"With three up front, sometimes I'm playing deeper than usual - but hopefully when the chances come my way I'll be able to stick them away," he added.

"The fact I'm not scoring at the moment is not really a concern for me, as long as we are winning games and are up the table then that is the priority.

"I want to score, but goals come in patches - you score three or four then there is another drought.

"If you start to think to about it then it gets worse and you try to take an extra touch.

"Hopefully one will come off my shin or something and I'll be happy with that.

"I scored down at Oxford last time, so hopefully I can get back on the goal trail at home tomorrow."

Updated: 08:27 Friday, September 27, 2002