Truro City player-manager Lee Hodges is hoping for a Blue Square Bet South return to form against Hayes & Yeading at Treyew Road today.
Hodges, playing at sweeper following a groin injury to talismanic skipper Jake Ash, has had his selection options boosted by the return of former Plymouth Argyle midfielder Marcus Martin.
Martin was ruled out of Tuesday night's 2-1 home defeat by Weston-super-Mare by sickness but reported fit for training on Thursday and returns to the City match-day squad.
Basement side Truro scored a rare 2-1 away win against ninth-placed Hayes & Yeading last month.
Although Hodges craves a home win "for the fans who have stuck by us through thick and thin" he also hopes for an improved performance.
He said: "Despite being bottom of the table we still want to do well in every match we play in – and that's what I want as well.
"We didn't get going the other night against Weston until late on and, to be fair, when we played at Hayes we were lucky to come in at 1-1 at half time thanks to an Andy Watkins goal, because we didn't get going in the first half up there either.
"You can never put your finger on what is going to happen in a game of football and it can sometimes go for you and at other times go against you.
"One thing I do believe however is that you need to start well. We didn't start well in either of those two games and so I will be looking for a response from kick off against Hayes."
Hodges is unlikely to be able to call upon Ash for at least another week while forward Stewart Yetton (knee) is still not match-fit.
Hodges said: "We have got Marcus back, he trained the other night and was fine, but Ashy is still out and Yettsy is still quite not there just yet."
As for today's opponents, Hodges admits: "It's another difficult home game for us. They are only eight points off the play-offs.
"In the back of their minds will be if they can string together some results then they could break into the top five.
"For our part I am anxious we get a long overdue home win for the supporters more than anything else.
"They have stuck with us throughout this season and I realise that our best results – and performances – have come away from home.
"It's always difficult to understand why.
"You can't legislate for it sometimes.
"At Hayes no one would have backed us to win and it will be the same again at our place.
"But it would be really great to give the fans something to cheer about again."
