Truro City player-manager Lee Hodges admits today's Blue Square Bet South encounter with third-from-bottom Billericay Town is a "must-win match".
Basement side City – deducted ten points for entering administration – head into this afternoon's Treyew Road meeting 15 points adrift of their 20th placed visitors from Essex.
Hodges admits: "We know we have to start winning if we want to climb the table and get off the bottom. And we know we have to start winning now because after this game we have got three away, starting at [leaders] Salisbury City on Tuesday.
"We've got Sutton United away next Saturday and then Eastleigh away on the following Tuesday and so it is like I said from the outset of the year, this month is a very tough month for us, because we have got Chelmsford at home coming up as well, and I really rate them.
"So put in that sort of context this game against Billericay is obviously a must-win match."
Hodges misses next Saturday's clash after being controversially dismissed in the 62nd minute of last week's 4-3 defeat at second-placed Welling United, with his side dominating and leading 3-1.
It was the first time in his career that the experienced 39-year-old former Torquay United and Plymouth Argyle defender had been dismissed.
Hodges admitted: "Without doubt it was the turning point of the game but without doubt, after the first ten or 15 so minutes, when I got it wrong with the starting formation, it was probably the best 45 minutes of our season."
Hodges highlighted the inspiration of two-goal target man Kieffer Moore and City stalwart Andy Watkins.
The City boss said: "The strikers, the two of them, were simply superb.
"I thought we'd go 4-3-3 at first which, in hindsight, was a mistake but I changed it quickly, we went 4-4-2 and those two tore them apart.
"The way they both went about their jobs was the catalyst for everything good about our game from going one-down to 3-1 up."
The fact Truro led 3-1 away to the second team in the table before being reduced to ten men has given Hodges hope of a dramatic great escape from the basement.
He said: "I said after the game that if we could play that way week-in, week-out then we would be in with a shout of getting out of trouble.
"I haven't changed my opinion in the week although I know Billericay will be well up for it after losing 5-0 at Eastleigh on Tuesday. They will have plenty to prove after that and want to put it right at our place. We have our own reasons for wanting to bounce back, after playing so well last week at Welling and coming away with nothing."
Hodges waits on striker Moore, who suffered a bout of sickness in the week, but is expected to pass fit for today's big match at Treyew.
The City boss appealed for supporters to, again, turn out in numbers to cheer on City's relegation fight.
Hodges said: "The place is buzzing now. We know we have to do our job and get results on the pitch but the supporters help us because they create a great atmosphere and that gees up the lads.
"Hopefully they will turn out in their hundreds again, and we can win for them."
