JAMES Hanson believes he has what it takes to become an “excellent” 20-goal a season striker.

City’s joint-top scorer has been stuck on 11 for nearly two months since getting a first-half double at Leyton Orient.

A hamstring injury in that game forced him to miss the next three and he has been unable to add to his tally in nine starts since.

But he is coming back to form with two strong performances over Easter and was denied a goal by a superb goalline clearance from Preston’s Neil Kilkenny on Monday.

Hanson’s best haul came in the promotion year with 15 goals. He netted 12 in his first season in League One.

He said: “It’s been a bit frustrating but I’ve got to keep working hard on the training ground. I’ve had a couple of chances and there have also been one or two games when the service hasn’t been great.

“But I know I’m not that far away getting 20 goals a season – that’s the difference between a good target man in this division and an excellent one.

“I’ve got to keep working at it and hopefully when the chances come I can take them.”

Five of Hanson’s goals this season came in a blistering opening month before injuries disrupted his rhythm. But Phil Parkinson feels his strike rate still stands up to others who play a similar role.

The City boss said: “When I was at Charlton and we got promotion, Chris Iwelumo got 19 and seven of them were penalties.

“That was perceived as an outstanding season with the big target man getting that many goals. He went on to get a move from the Championship and be sold twice for £500,000.

“Hans has got nearly as many league goals. His ratio is not bad but obviously we want it to be better.

“All strikers have periods when they don’t score but he’s got to keep getting in there and practising on the training ground. He was doing that again this week and working on his game.

“I thought he was outstanding against Doncaster and he’s getting chances again, which is important. The defender pulled off a great block to clear the one off the line on Monday.

“We’d obviously like a few more goals from him but we know that if James keeps doing the right things, getting in the right areas and the ball’s put in there for him then they will come.”