Midfielder Teddy Bishop is desperate to recapture the early-season form that saw him score four times in his first nine league games and help Town to top slot in the League One table.
Bishop, 24, felt he played some of best football for the club in that spell and has been subsequently felt exasperated by the return of his injury curse, as well as collecting a red card for two bookings in the 1-1 draw at Crewe which saw him serve a one-game ban and sit out the 2-0 home win over Blackpool.
He said: "It’s a frustrating one really. Obviously, performances haven’t been good enough of late, so you could say confidence is down a little bit. But it only takes a win to really put that right so that’s what we’ll try to do this weekend.
"We know the 0-0 draw with Northampton on Tuesday wasn’t our best performance. It wasn’t due to a lack of effort, it was more a lack of quality and having the confidence to go and make something happen in the final third. Hopefully we can change that on Saturday.”
Bishop was forced off soon after the restart in the 2-1 home win over Shrewsbury back in November and missed the club’s next seven league games. He added: "It was really frustrating, just a tackle that could happen to anyone, but since then I’ve come back and I’ve been in and out of the side.
"It’s almost been a case of not being able to get properly match fit, although it has also been my own fault for the sending-off at Crewe. But I’m definitely ready to go now and get back-to-back games under my belt.”
Asked about his fitness, he went on: "I’m absolutely fine. Before I got injured I was flying and playing probably the best football I’ve ever played in a Town shirt.
"I really believe that and obviously, with the goals I scored, that made a big difference. I felt like I had a responsibility and that if I could get on the ball I could make something happen. A couple of those games, at least, were my best-ever games in a Town shirt.
"The goals came about because of my position on the field. I got myself further forward, into better areas, and my fitness was definitely better as well.
"Look at the Gillingham game — there haven’t been many times in the past where I’ve been flying and getting into the box in the 85th minute to score. That’s something I’ve added this year and hopefully I can get some more goals.”
Recalling the game at Crewe, when he came off the bench in the 63rd minute and was then dismissed just 19 minutes later after being booked twice, he continued: "It was silly really, almost too honest with the fact that I maybe could have gone down or tried to buy a penalty.
"Also, I thought it was a little bit harsh that I didn’t get a tackle in between, but one of these things that I need to move on from and learn from it.”
Ideally, the midfielder would like to earn a run of games in Paul Lambert’s starting line-up and is an obvious contender to fill in for Flynn Downes, sent off late in the goalless draw with Northampton, against in-form Oxford United at Portman Road tomorrow.
"Definitely, that’s what I want and need,” he admitted. "That’s why I felt like I was so influential at the start of the season because I was getting back-to-back games in, feeling really good and the confidence was flowing. If I can get that again I’m confident I can return to that form.
"I do gym work every morning and a few times every week I’ll go into the gym again after training. I’m still doing all my own work on top. When you get into a routine it’s fine so I don’t mind it at all. I know what’s needed if I am going to be a regular starter again.”