Manager Micky Mellon is looking for his side to maintain the same level of performance as they return home following the midweek win at Eastleigh.
Latics host Southend United tomorrow at Boundary Park on the back of a fine all-round display which saw them return with maximum points from Hampshire.
Tomorrow’s game is the first of consecutive home games with Bromley also due to visit on Tuesday night and the manager wants his players to show the same focus.
“We were pleased with how we performed on Tuesday night and it’s important now that we keep our standards high,” Mellon said.
“There are things that we know we need to do in order to get the right results and we’ve looked to keep the tempo and wark-rate of the squad high in the lead up to this game.
“It’s a fixture we’re looking forward to and we expect to see the same committed performance that we got in midweek.
“Our overall attitude and our approach to the game on Tuesday was very pleasing. There were some players who came into the starting XI and others who were brought into the squad and I was delighted that they were all ready to perform.
“The players we used were in the right place and it’s important we build on that to keep moving the team forward.”
“We spoke in midweek after the disappointment of the previous Saturday and we knew where we needed to improve. We were competitive in every area of the pitch on Tuesday and that’s going to be key for us as we look forward.
“We were excellent both with and without the ball and we have shown we have got what it takes to win games in this league. We won at a really difficult place in Tuesday and we should now relish the home games we’ve got coming up.”
The win at Eastleigh took Latics up to sixth place in a tightly-packed National League table with 11 games of the season remaining.
Mellon’s side are about to enter the final two months of the campaign but the manager insists that the net game remains the most significant.
“It’s an exciting time of the season and there are important games coming up but from my point of view, I am only going to concentrate on one at a time,” he added.
“We’ve got a significant game against Southend which will present a test and we need to perform. We want to do everything we can to make the most of our games at home and tomorrow is a big opportunity for us to do that.
“Southend are a capable side with good experience at this level so we know they will offer a challenge.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that every three points on offer now are a massive thing.
“We were competitive on Tuesday and it’s important that we apply ourselves in the same manner in all of the games we have got coming up. If we win our individual battles and our focus is right then the ability of the players will take care of itself.
“We need to show the same work-rate and mentality going into this game. A full quota of players trained today. We’re in the middle of a busy run of games and with some players coming back, we’ve now got an opportunity to use more of the squad to make sure we’re fresh and at the right levels.”
