Aaron Hughes believes a timely return to the scene of Fulham's great escape last season will bring momentum to the side's new bid to climb away from the relegation zone.

Victory at Portsmouth's Fratton Park on the last day of the last campaign kept Fulham in the Premier League. Now they return to the south coast on Sunday with only goal difference keeping them out of the bottom three.

A three-match losing sequence on the road has not helped, but Hughes said: "Everyone's got good memories of Fratton Park and we'll be going there with confidence."

The Northern Ireland international defender added: "We don't want to be where we were last season. So it's important we believe in ourselves, and I see belief among the players in what we're doing. We're working very hard but we're not getting what we deserve."

Fulham's chances of another victory over Portsmouth could rest on summer signing Andy Johnson ending his recent drought and netting his 100th career league goal.