Andy Keogh is hoping to mark his return to the Wolves squad with a positive impact over the remaining 11 games as the club seek to secure their Barclays Premier League status.
The Irishman, who clinched Wolves' first win of the season with the winner at Wigan all the way back in August, came on for the closing stages of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Bolton, his first outing since picking up an ankle injury in training at the end of November.
Keogh has been due to turn out for the reserves in tonight's game with Portsmouth at Havant & Waterlooville until it was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
But he is keen to improve his match fitness ahead of the crucial run-in tp the season.
"I've worked really hard to get back over the last couple of months," he said.
"I knew the run-in was going to be very important so I was doing everything I could to try and get back.
"There are still 11 really important games left and now I'm fit again I just want to do whatever I can to help the team and repay the gaffer's faith in me.
"It was good to be back on Saturday.
"I'd only been in training for a couple of days but I'd worked hard in my fitness with Tony Daley.
"I seemed to pick up the pace in training well enough and was pleased to get on the pitch.
"We'd got the reserve game tonight which would have been more minutes under my belt in terms of getting back to full fitness.
"I tend to hang onto a good natural level of fitness but I just need that bit more ball work and proper game time that will hopefully get me fitter and stronger than I was before I got injured.
"If I get in a match tonight and then hopefully some more minutes at the weekend then I'll be back closer to where I want to be."
Having watched the majority of the match with Bolton before coming on in the closing minutes Keogh shared the view of most with a Wolves persuasion that they should have picked up at least a point, particularly with David Jones and Kevin Foley seeing efforts come back off the inside of the post.
"It was one of those days when we didn't get the rub of the green," he added.
"I thought it was a scrappy game but we played well.
"It was just one error and they scored from it and that's what happens at this level - you get punished.
"We were terribly unlucky not to equalise in the second half and I think a draw would have been the least we deserved."
The recently-changed 4-3-3 formation has seen Wolves look far more solid in recent weeks, but it's nothing new to Keogh, who played the lone frontman role in that game with Wigan in which his early header clinched the spoils.
Boss Mick McCarthy has already stated it could suit the versatile striker whose talents can be fitted into all three frontline positions.
"We've played it during pre-season when it worked quite well and also up at Wigan when I played the frontman role," said Keogh.
"It's been working well for the lads in recent games.
"It is a situation where I can possibly adapt into different roles and I'm looking forward to trying to get involved some time soon.
"It's a formation that can cause teams problems because with a front three you can all rotate and do the same type of job as well as causing confusion for the other team as well."
Next stop is of course Manchester United, still chasing a treble this season with the Premier League and Champions League honours still possible on top of the Carling Cup retained successfully against Aston Villa at Wembley on Sunday.
It promises to be another potentially daunting evening in front of the ESPN cameras (kick off 5.30pm) but Keogh believes Wolves have a chance of a positive result if they play to their potential.
"They've won the Carling Cup which was a great day for them and they've got AC Milan the week after we play them," he explained.
"Hopefully we might just get them on a good day for us.
"All we can do is go about our business and try to cause them problems.
"If we can do that then you never know."
CLICK HERE FOR SIMPLE GUIDE TO RENEWING ONLINE
