Darel Russell says it's time for Norwich City to turn performances into results - and give themselves the perfect present over the festive period. The Canaries face bottom-three side Charlton on Saturday desperate to shake off the gremlins that have followed them around in their last two games when good performances have not been matched by the outcome.

Darel Russell says it's time for Norwich City to turn performances into results - and give themselves the perfect present over the festive period.

The Canaries face bottom-three side Charlton on Saturday desperate to shake off the gremlins that have followed them around in their last two games when good performances have not been matched by the outcome.

City followed the home win over Ipswich with defeat at Watford and another setback at Reading on Saturday, and victory over a team in the drop zone is imperative if City are to avoid getting stuck in the muddy waters of the relegation battle.

But Russell (inset) is convinced he has seen an important change during those three games which, with a little help from Lady Luck, could see a change in fortune.

"I think last week we moved on and it definitely feels as if we've turned a corner in our performances and the consistency of our performances," he said.

"That's three games now we've played with the same consistency and we've just been unlucky in the last two. We can't make excuses and we have got to progress and take those performances on now and turn them into the complete result, like we did at Ipswich.

"Every game we have to go out there and win right now if we are going to do what we want to do this season.

"This week is real important - it's the game before Christmas and we want to get ourselves a good Christmas present and get ourselves three points and take that on to Boxing Day."

City's meagre playing resource saw Russell swap his midfield role for that of lone striker in the absence of the ineligible Leroy Lita at Reading. Lita will return against Charlton, barring injury, but Russell says he's happy to play up front - even if a miss at Reading is beginning to haunt him.

"I just worked hard and put myself about and enjoyed the battle I had with (Ivar) Ingimarsson in the first half," he said. "It was a good battle between the two of us and obviously in the second half as we've got Carl Cort now he can take on that role so I was trying to play off of him.

"I enjoyed it and worked hard, I am just disappointed I didn't get on the scoresheet, especially that first chance, and Michael Duberry has then made a great block from my header. When you play up there you want to try and get that goal because that's what you're up there to do and I'm disappointed on that front."

Defeat at Reading was sparked by the controversial late penalty, when referee Trevor Kettle decided Mark Fotheringham had handled, although City to a man claim he was pushed.

"It's unbelievable because I thought we worked fantastically hard and most definitely deserved something from the game," said Russell.