A Riverside encore - for contrasting reasons - would be huge for Huddersfield Town

Their 2-0 victory there on Easter Monday was their historic first ever in nine attempts at Middlesbrough's home by the Tees, which Boro moved into in 1995.

Seven previous trips had ended in defeat with just one draw.

That glorious late-season afternoon in April saw the Terriers produce arguably their most complete performance of last season at a direct rival. It virtually confirmed their place in the end-of-season play-offs.

How things have changed since. It seems an eternity away.

Town have won just once on their travels since and it is League One as opposed to the Premier League which is now in some fans' thoughts.

Another win on Teesside would be psychologically huge for everyone connected with the club, not least their followers - with some fearing Town may become 'this season's Barnsley' if things don't turn.

For Mark Fotheringham, it would be significant. Despite a tough week which has seen the club drop to the bottom of the Championship, his glass remains steadfastly half-full.

It has to be ahead of a six-pointer at a Boro side who have had a fraught start to the season as well, albeit with a chink of light arriving by virtue of Wednesday's emphatic - if unexpected – win at Wigan.

They are far from out of the woods though.

The Scot, whose side have won just once in his first five games, said: "Hopefully, we will get another big result there on Saturday. That is what I am thinking. In my head, I am going there to win and I know the group are feeling like that as well.

"I know when we play and do our combinations in the final third, we can cause teams a lot of problems. We have to fill these young group with confidence and get them on the front foot to defend the ball and be aggressive in everything we do."

In testing periods, players and coaching staff need to close ranks and find answers from within and that's what Fotheringham – who has dismissed talk of a bust-up with club captain Jonathan Hogg as ‘absolutely ludicrous - and Town must do.

It's a pressurised situation, but the Scot insists he walked into the club with his eyes wide open.

He added: "It is a brilliant pressure. That is what I am here for. I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for when I took this job.

"I will stand there and support these players until the very last minute of games because I believe in them and know they are capable of winning games and i believe 100 per cent that with the work we are doing with the staff, that we will win games and climb these table.

"We are in a battle and must roll our sleeves up and show spirit and determination, week in week out. And we will do that.

"Me as a person, I've got big wide shoulders and I'll face this head on and fight to get out of this situation."

Fotheringham can only issue so many battle cries. Fights are won with the head as much as the heart. Fire in the belly must be complimented with ice in the mind.

Some poor individual decision-making suggests that has not been the case of late, aside from the home game with Hull City.

He said: "You can see it is hurting the lads. They are disappointed.

"But the way they reacted after losing the goal against Preston, they got around Etienne (Camara) and were positive with him. Etienne kept pushing until the very last minute. You could see Preston players were cramping up, but our lads kept pushing and were full of energy.

"If you have got that kind of character and determination, there's no doubt in my mind with that sort of passion, you will get yourself out of the situation.”

Jon Russell, Luke Mbete and Kaine Kesler-Hayden have found themselves out of the squad in recent times with a missive having arrived from Fotheringham regarding their intensity in some early training sessions under his watch.

Fotheringham insists there is a way back in.

He added: “I have been really supportive with them and creating afternoon sessions with those guys which people maybe don't realise.

"I have been going out on the training ground with my staff doing important unit meetings to work on their deficits.

"Even though we are missing a lot of important players, it is still a very competitive squad and a lot of young players pushing from the academy as well, which is pleasing.

"My job is to find a winning formula and that's my job and responsibility as a head coach and my staff – to give the whole place a good feeling.”

That can only really be achieved with points.