And it's not been a happy six weeks on the road, with Hornets failing to find any real rhythm, momentum or consistency. But we end our riduculous road-trip with a must win four pointer.

With the next-to-bottom Bulldogs just one point behind Hornets and within striking distance of our points difference, this game is a real test of what really beats under the badge for Bobbie Goulding's men. If we truly want to compete for a playoff berth and not get sucked into the relegation current, we must win. It's as brutal and straightforward as that.

Hornets can't afford to bugger about with ill discipline, slack ball control and poor completion - we must go out there and do whatever is required to come away with the points. But, equally desperate, Batley will be in much the same state of mind.

Coming into the game on the back of a good old-fashioned flogging at Castleford, Gary Thornton will be looking for a marked improvement and will see Hornets as a potentially favourable target.

As always Batley's gameplan will revolve around a big pack running off Barry Eaton - but they showed in the game at Spotland that they like to play expansive football off the back of that foundation and with the slope working in their favour, Hornets will have to knuckle down and 'win ugly' if necessary.

The game at Whitehaven was particularly disappointing. 'Haven were barely better than Hornets for long stretches, but daft mistakes at key moments gave the Cumbrians enough momentum to get a roll on and, aided by some soft tackling in the centre channels, they exploited them to the full.

If Hornets are to come away from the Mount with anything the players will need to be switched on for the full 80 minutes; error-free and fired up for a battle. There's no doubt that this one won't be pretty, but it's in games like this that you find out who the real heroes are.

With a raft of home games ahead of us, an uplift in form and spirit will raise the whole club for the race to the season end. Sunday is the day for everyone in the club to prove themselves: a day for players to show what they're really made of; and a day for supporters to show that our spirit remains undiminished.

It's time for all of us to dig deep for the cause. Time for all of us to stand up and be counted. So show your support for Bobbie and the lads, get over to Mount Pleasant and get behind our team.

We'll see you at Batley.