DAVID Connolly is backing himself to score the goals to fire Sunderland into the top six - so long as his team-mates create the chances, writes Adam Murray.

The striker has scored only three times since his August deadline day move from Wigan, but a hamstring problem has restricted the Republic of Ireland international to just ten starts for the Black Cats.

And Connolly believes he is now showing the form that persuaded Keane to pay £1.4m to Latics, with his injury-time goal at Burnley his second crucial strike in two games after his matchwinner against Luton.

Keane labelled the 29-year-old as the goalscorer the Black Cats needed to mount a sustained promotion push, and Connolly is happy with the weight of expectation that has fallen on his shoulders.

"If I get decent chances, decent opportunities then I think I take them," said Connolly. "The last three goals I've scored I don't think have been easy goals.

"I haven't had a tap in at all. I missed a lot of football last season with injury and not playing as much at Wigan so it's taken a while to get my rhythm.

"I think I'm getting that now and obviously the rest of the lads have got to score goals and chip in but I came here to score goals.

"If I'm given the opportunity and given decent chances then I think I'll take them.

"That's why I came to this club to score goals and play in front of those fans.

"It's a big club and I want that pressure of trying to produce for them. I think we have the highest average attendance in this league and I'm sure when things start getting better and if we get promoted then the stadium will be packed out.

"There's not many clubs can offer that."

While Connolly's starting spot appears assured for the time being, the same cannot be said for his midfield colleagues.

Despite the win over Luton, Keane again tinkered with his starting XI, with his central midfield duo of Graham Kavanagh and Liam Miller replaced by Dwight and Grant Leadbitter on Saturday.

The move had its minuses and pluses with Yorke's error for Burnley's second goal being countered by Leadbitter's 80th minute strike.

Sunderland's fightback, however, came to life when Miller and Kavanagh were introduced in the second half.

"The idea was to try and freshen things up - it was a tough decision I made before the game," said Keane.

"Yorke and Grant in the middle of the park hadn't done much wrong and I left them out last week (against Luton) but you have to try things - that's my job.

"The good thing was than Kavanagh and Miller told me before they came on they'd have an influence on the game and that's what you expect from your subs.

"There's obviously an element of disappointment they were left out and I'd expect that. But you need to hide that sometimes and just get on with your job and respect your team-mates and try and get the right results."

Keane refused to blame Yorke for Burnley's second goal, despite the midfielder's backward header falling straight into the path of Kyle Lafferty.

"When you concede a goal then it's a team goal," said Keane. "We gave away cheaply just before that with a couple of sloppy passes so I wouldn't hold Dwight responsible for that.

"The lads before that put us in a spot of bother so no (I wouldn't blame Yorke).

"It's the same with the first goal. The team has to take responsibility for conceding and scoring goals."