Reserve-team manager Lee Duxbury is looking forward to an exciting finish to the season as Latics chase silverware on two fronts.

Latics' second string has won through to the quarter finals of the Lancashire Senior Cup and semis in the totesport.com League Cup.

Duxbury is delighted with the turnabout in his team's fortunes after a difficult start to the season which he attributes to trying to integrate the Hungarian loan players into the side.

He explained: "We started the season with good intentions with seven of the Hungarian players involved in the side, but the difficulty was that five of them were attack-minded players.

"The problem was that they couldn't grasp the defensive side of the English game because in Hungary they were beating teams 5-0, 6-0 and 7-0 and didn't have to defend.

"But if you don't defend against the likes of Manchester City, United and Bolton you will get well beaten.

"You need to play 4-4-2 with four solid defenders and four solid midfielders and do the ugly things whereas early in the season we were effectively playing 4-2-4 as all they wanted to do was to go forward.

"It was only when we changed things that we started winning games as my teams are based on players working hard for one another.

"I expect my wingers, for example, to track back to help the full back and, if they don't do that, I don't want them playing."

The same principles apply to senior professionals playing for the second string and Duxbury says he has substituted a couple of them early in matches because they have not displayed the right attitude.

He said: "No matter what 11 players I have in my team, I expect a certain level of performance  and standards as I had high standards when I was a player and I still have them as a coach.

"Some of the young kids may not be technically as good so you have to give them a little leeway and hopefully the senior players around them will help them out.

"I don't care if a player has made 500 appearances or has no league experience, I expect the same attitude. And if they don't perform in the first 15 minutes, I will embarrass them by bringing them off as I have done it a couple of times.

"It is pointless for a senior player to turn out for the reserves if they are not going to play at a first-team tempo as they will get nothing out of the game."

And Duxbury says he now has a group of players with an excellent work ethic and that is why the team has turned round its season with the exception of a couple of freak 7-0 defeats.

Duxbury believes that being a captain from the age of 18 to 35 has helped him make the transition to coaching as he was already aware what was needed to get the best out of players.

"A lot is down to man-management skills and getting the best out of players for them to get better and for the team to get better. Maybe it is an arm round the shoulder for some while others may need a rollicking," he explained.

Duxbury added it is an important time of the season for the trainees and first-year-professionals as they are all out to impress to try and secure new contracts for the 2010/11 season.

He says all the youngsters will be given a chance to prove their worth in the reserves in the remainder of the season, and it is therefore up to them to grasp their chance.

Of the Latics youngsters, Duxbury has been impressed with the potential of teenage striker Tom Eaves.

He added that it is important the players step up from the under-18s and perform for the reserves, something some of the youngsters have struggled to do.

"They will all be given a chance in the remainder of the season so we will have to see how they get on. They need to show us they deserve a professional contract," he explained.