Newport County return to Rodney Parade on Saturday hoping to attract a crowd and win a match.
County take on MK Dons, who have not played at home since the 0-0 draw with Grimsby Town on November 16.
That was the first of four consecutive League Two draws for the Exiles, three of which were goalless stalemates.
It is part of a series in which Nelson Jardim’s side have won just one in twelve in all competitions.
But it is the three clean sheets from the last four games that offer some hope for a team that had the worst defensive record in the division a month ago.
After having little trouble scoring but plenty of trouble keeping teams out, Newport has doubled its shutouts on the season over the past four games.
Becoming tough to beat is a positive for Jardim, who is keen to continue the consistency but is aware that more is needed from 17th in the table.
“Some draws were very good against teams that were doing well,” Jardim said. “Each of these games could have gone either way; we are not too far away from victory, but we have to be careful that we are not too far away from defeat either.
“But we have to stay consistent in our style and improve in the areas where we are not quite there yet and know that you will be rewarded in the long run.”
Jardim says he has not sacrificed attacking ambition to become sharper at the back, adding: “You never try to do that, you try to work on areas that can be improved, but you try to progress as a whole.
“Overall, we scored a lot at the start of the season, but we also conceded a lot. That was partly because I didn’t know the players and they weren’t used to me and the things we wanted to do.
“But this is a process that will have ups and downs – and hopefully we can get into a situation where we’re only looking up.”
Jardim says MK Dons – one of the top scorers in the division and one place outside the play-offs – will be a tough opponent, but added: “We have started to show some consistency and had points away in tough places. We can be proud of the way we are making progress, but we also know we have to do more.”
The Portuguese hopes the long-awaited return home will help his side’s cause.
“Rodney Parade is huge for us. The fans give us so much energy and are a huge factor in achieving our goals,” he said.
