Portsmouth finally got back to winning ways at the weekend in their game against Bolton - and boss Danny Cowley is now calling for another good result against Cheltenham, telling the club's official website that he wants to 'build-on' the side's recent positive showings.
Pompey have found themselves sat squarely in the middle of the League One table so far this campaign, with five wins, four draws and six losses.
Recently, the side have endured a torrid run of form that saw them win only one of their fixtures in October before the victory over Bolton.
However, there were positive signs against Ian Evatt's men at the weekend from the club and boss Cowley now wants his team to build on that strong showing and pick up another three points in their fixture against Cheltenham in midweek.
Speaking to the club's official website, he said: "Four points from the past two games has been a real positive for us – but it’s something we want to build on. We’re certainly pleased with those displays, although we arguably performed better – certainly offensively – at Accrington than on Saturday.
“But I thought that from a defensive standpoint, the Bolton match was the best we’ve been for a number of games. Those fundamental principles were there for all to see and football games are always easier to win if you don’t concede."
Cowley then feels that the side need to incorporate both some of that defensive solidity that they showed in keeping a clean sheet against Bolton on Saturday but also add some more attacking guile to their side, as they had in the draw against Accrington when they bagged two goals.
The side have certainly been inconsistent this year in terms of performances, picking up an emphatic 4-0 win over Sunderland only to then lose a game later to Sutton United, conceding two and not managing to bag a single goal.
If Danny Cowley can get his team playing well at both ends of the pitch against Cheltenham, then another good result would certainly be on the cards - and it might finally click Pompey into gear and get them picking up positive results on a much more regular basis.
The Verdict
Danny Cowley is a manager with a lot of pedigree at this level but he just can't get his current Portsmouth team playing well consistently. He's been able to get them firing, he just can't get them doing it on a regular basis.
If he wants a sustained push for promotion this year, then he will need to find a solution soon.
If he can work out how to channel his team to have efficiency at both ends of the pitch in the same game - and they're capable of being solid at the back and front as shown in different fixtures this year - then they may finally be able to push up towards the top six.