STUART Watkiss is demanding a strong start from his Kidderminster Harriers players to reverse their home slump tomorrow.

Harriers are hardly favourites to beat high-flying Morecambe after their Aggborough form nose-dived spectacularly with three straight Conference defeats.

But, crucially, Watkiss' men have given away the first goal in every one of the six matches on home turf so far, leading to a dismal descent into the bottom half of the table.

While they were saved by late goals earlier in the season, the luck has vanished and Watkiss needs his players to pull a much-improved display out of the hat.

To aid that task, he will be able to call on experienced midfielders Martin O'Connor and Terry Fleming whose returns could be crucial against the fourth-placed visitors.

O'Connor will be brought back to run the midfield after resting a knee problem, while Fleming has served a one-match ban for his red card in the 2-0 defeat at Crawley.

As a result, Watkiss is likely to change the ambitious 3-4-3 formation that failed to serve him against Tamworth last weekend and make further changes.

He said: "We've gone back to basics. There's no magic formula or wand to be waved. It's been about hard work and a lot of time spent on the training ground this week.

"Every team will have a dodgy spell during the season and it's about how you come out of that spell -- and how quickly. It's important we are right for this game which we haven't been recently.

"There will be changes though I have to say I'd rather keep an unchanged team. But the performances of late, along with a couple of injuries and a suspension, have meant we cannot do that.

"Players have gone into the team and come out again pretty regularly, especially up-front, which does show you things have not been going to plan.

"It's down to form and there has been a lack of confidence in the players, especially at home when our opponents have scored first and we've not been playing well.

"We end up playing catch-up all the time. You can see the frustration on the players' faces which has a knock-on effect to the crowd and their reaction in turn has a further knock-on effect to the players.

"Hopefully, we can start well and get the crowd going. We need to get more crosses into the box and efforts on goal than we have of late."

Forward Taiwo Atieno (back) and Michael Blackwood (back and hamstring) should be fit for selection as Harriers look to disrupt Morecambe's promotion bid.

Jim Harvey's Shrimpers have lost four of their six away games, including a 1-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers last weekend, but did thrash Burton Albion 4-0.

But they are yet to lose at home with the likes of Michael Twiss, Danny Carlton and Wayne Curtis ensuring a feast of goals.

Watkiss added: "They are always there or thereabouts but have not been able to go that extra mile.

"They have a good manager, who has been there a long time, and the reports on them are favourable in that they try to pass it. We have a game on our hands but most concentrate on ourselves."