ANDY BOOTH has urged the fans to remain patient while Town's young side find their feet in Coca-Cola League I.
The 30-year-old frontman has no idea at the moment whether he will be fit to face his old mate Steve Jenkins and high-riding Peterborough at the Galpharm Stadium tomorrow (3.00).
But he knows it's an important assignment for Peter Jackson's side, who have lost three matches on the trot, failed to score for 360 minutes and find themselves 18th in the table.
"A lot of people seem to be forgetting that we've moved up a division with a very young team," said Booth, who suffered a groin strain in the Carling Cup defeat at Leeds.
"Because of our success last season, expectations seem to have gone through the roof despite the lads still finding their feet.
"It's important for people to remember how far we've come in the last 12 months and get right behind the team in every game.
"We've had a win, a draw and two defeats in the League so far and the fans can help us add another win tomorrow.
"Peterborough have had a good start, but if we can get a goal under our belts to lift everyone then we will be fine.
"We just need a deflection or a tap-in to get us going, because we are definitely creating enough chances. We just need to start converting those into goals."
Booth will be pleased to see Jenkins return to a stadium where he made over 250 appearances, but he hopes the Welsh full-back (who is expected to be on the bench) departs empty handed after a hearty reception from Town supporters.
"Steve is on the transfer list down there and he seems to have been a bit unlucky since leaving us," said Booth.
"The move to Cardiff seemed fantastic for him but it didn't work out and then he was messed about at Notts County.
"I think he's a great player and one of the best full-backs in the division. If he's not getting a game at Peterborough they must have some pretty good defenders or something else has gone wrong."
Peterborough are expected to have Adam Newton in contention again after he missed the 3-0 home Carling Cup defeat to Milton Keynes Dons because of a stomach bug.
Town have Rob Edwards recovered from a hamstring strain and one of his young defensive colleagues, David Mirfin, is looking forward to chalking a first Galpharm win.
"The stadium has been a fortress for us over the last year and we need a win to get us back towards that," said the teenage centre-back.
"We are finding our feet and gaining experience game by game and the lads are confident that we'll soon be heading up the table. Tuesday's performance gave us a lot of heart and we've now got to follow it up."
Town - (from): Gray, Holdsworth, Edwards, Sodje, Clarke, Mirfin, Carss, Worthington, Brandon, Abbott, Booth, Mendes, McAliskey, Brown, Schofield, Senior, Fowler, Lloyd, Yates.
Peterborough - (from): Tyler, Legg, Rea, Ireland, Kennedy, Woodhouse, Thomson, Farrell, Platt, Clarke, Kanu, Newton, Semple, Sonner, Nolan, Jenkins, St Ledger.
Referee - Tony Leake (Lancs).
