TWO of the Nationwide League's hottest strikers go head-to-head on Sunday as Ipswich play host to Charlton in the first leg of the Division One play-offs at Portman Road. Ipswich's David Johnson and Clive Mendonca, of Charlton, have scored 55 goals between them this season, with Johnson recording his 30th of the campaign during last weekend's 3-2 home victory over Crewe. The England 'B' international's arrival at Portman Road has coincided with a surge of good form that has seen the Suffolk club lose just once in 23 League games, a run that lifted them from the division's bottom three into the play-off zone. If Town progress to Wembley and then on to the Premiership, it will be Johnson's third successive promotion campaign, and the diminutive former Manchester United and Bury player is looking forward to the challenge. "The last couple of years have been amazing," explained Johnson. "My first season with Bury was so surprising. We were actually in the dressing-room waiting on the results of other matches to find out if we were up. Last year we came up from the Second Division, and then I moved to Ipswich. There's a lot of work still to do, but hopefully I'll be celebrating a third. That would be brilliant." Ipswich are without any major injury worries ahead of Sunday's game. Their main concern was club captain Tony Mowbray, who has been suffering with a groin strain, but he has reported fit and could regain his place in the side ahead of Mark Venus. It is the second successive season that Ipswich have reached this stage. Last year they went out to Sheffield United on away goals, after drawing 2-2 at Portman Road and 1-1 at Bramall Lane. But on the back of their recent good form, Ipswich will go into the match full of confidence, and manager George Burley insisted: "After a season's hard work, everything now comes down to these next two matches. We are approaching them quietly confident after our good run. "We are looking forward to the games, although we know Charlton have been in tremendous form themselves in recent weeks. It promises to be a thrilling game, with both sides committed to playing good, attacking football. I don't expect anything to be settled on Sunday. We need to keep our concentration for the full 180 minutes and hope that we can progress further than we did last year."

MENDONCA IS AFTER PREMIERSHIP PASSPORT   CHARLTON'S leading marksman Clive Mendonca is desperate to prove he is Premiership class after scoring 25 goals this season to steer the Robins into the play-offs. Mendonca has proved he is one of the best strikers outside the top flight and he goes to Ipswich for Sunday's semi-final showdown in confident mood. Mendonca, 29, said: I don't see why I shouldn't score goals in the Premiership. I've scored goals wherever I've been and it would be great to get the opportunity to do that in the Premiership. I was maybe a bit unfortunate about four seasons ago to get a back injury that kept me out for a long time after I had been scoring well. Perhaps a few clubs who might have been looking stopped after that. Charlton boss Alan Curbishley smashed Charlton's transfer record to sign Mendonca for £700,000 from Grimsby last summer, and that has proved to be a bargain as Charlton join Ipswich, Sheffield United and Sunderland in the play-off shake-up. The London-born striker has strong connections with two of Charlton's play-off rivals but it will not affect his determination to pip them for a place in the Premiership. Mendonca began his career with Sheffield United and is a Sunderland fan, although he chose Charlton ahead of the Wearsiders when both clubs were interested in signing him last year. Added Mendonca: There were a few clubs in for me including Sunderland but in the end, joining Charlton was an easy decision and things have gone really well for me. Now I just want to make sure we go on and finish the season as we all want to by winning promotion. It's been a great first season for me and going up into the Premiership would be the perfect way to end it.

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