Mark Helm has called on Fleetwood Town to turn Highbury Stadium into a fortress. The midfielder's demand comes as the team prepares to host Rochdale this Saturday, aiming to respond after suffering their first League Two defeat last weekend.
A 1-0 loss at Oldham on Tuesday ended an unbeaten start to the league campaign, dropping Fleetwood to 11th place with 10 points from seven games. They are now five points behind leaders Barnet. Helm, a 24-year-old ever-present in Matt Lawlor's side, believes establishing a dominant home form is the next step.
"We need to make Highbury our home and somewhere that is tough for teams to come and get results," Helm said. The interview was conducted on Thursday, ahead of the weekend's fixture.
Building on a strong start
Despite the recent setback, the opening weeks have provided a solid platform. Fleetwood have looked assured defensively, conceding just seven goals, while creating chances and seeing several forwards find the net. Their eight goals scored gives them a positive goal difference. The recent form guide shows two wins, one draw and two defeats from the last five outings.
A major highlight was the Carabao Cup victory over Sheffield United at Highbury earlier this month.
That cup triumph is the blueprint for the home performances Helm wants to see consistently in the league. While he is still searching for his first goal this season, he finished the previous campaign in prolific form and remains a key figure alongside teammates like Harrison Neal and club captain Ched Evans.
The Rochdale challenge
Attention now turns fully to Rochdale's visit. The Dale sit 17th in the table, making this a key opportunity for Fleetwood to get back on track. Head coach Matt Lawlor will be looking for a reaction from his players after the narrow defeat at Boundary Park, where Noah Chilvers' 46th-minute strike decided the game.
Before that, the 3-1 loss at Barnet saw Will Davies net a consolation for Fleetwood, but goals from Kabongo Tshimanga, Charlie Lakin and Idris Kanu sealed the result for the Bees. Sandwiched between those losses was the impressive cup win and a 1-1 draw at Newport County.
The full run of recent results, which you can review on our fixtures page, shows the team's capacity for resilience. They face Rochdale at Highbury Stadium on Saturday 26 September, with kick-off at 3pm. A victory would provide a perfect response and begin the process of making their home ground the intimidating venue Helm envisions. The squad's current status and league position can be tracked on our standings page.
Read the full report at Fleetwood Town Football Club
