Latics tomorrow kick off a run of six matches - five of which are at home - which will have a crucial bearing on their battle for survival in Coca-Cola League One.

Leyton Orient are the visitors to Boundary Park for a fixture which was originally scheduled during the cold snap in January.

And as all six of the fixtures are against teams in and around Latics in the league, it will be a massively important spell for Dave Penney's side which follow the match against the Os with a visit from bottom-four team Wycombe on Saturday.

The Latics manager goes into the run in confident mood after he took great encouragement from the 1-1 draw in Saturday's basement battle at Exeter City.

He said: "The boys were resolute and, after we went 1-0 down, it would have been easy to buckle.

"We weren't happy conceding two penalties, but the players showed great character.

"When you look at the scrappy goal we scored and Dean Brill's penalty save late on to earn us a point, those are the sort of things which sometimes changes your season.

"We are hoping that is the bit of luck we haven't been having in front of goal with Sean Gregan's effort, and let's hope we can carry that on against Leyton Orient."

Penney added the home games against Leyton Orient and Wycombe are massive and it is important they win both to keep Southend and Exeter, who play each other on Saturday, beneath them in the table.

"They are all big games at the moment and it is important we quick up as many points as quickly as possible, especially as all the teams we are playing are in and around us in the table," he explained.

The Latics manager believes it will be a difficult match pointing to the Os who not long ago won at promotion-chasing Charlton Athletic.

However, Orient have not won in their last six matches to slip to 16th place as they are only five points clear of Latics which again underlines the importance of the game.

It has been a topsy-turvy season for the Os who won only twice in nine league matches in November and December to slide from mid-table to the bottom four.

They began 2010 well with three wins and three draws from six matches to climb back into the top half of the table before slipping back. In the last six matches, they have collected drawn four matches and lost the remaining two.

Penney added it is also imperative that Latics fans get behind the team as they can be the 12th man.

He said: "It is important the supporters get behind the players as we see when we go away and see home fans cheer on their team.

"We have to give them something to shout about, but it is important from the first minute that they get behind us.

"That creates a different atmosphere and that helps bring about a different performance."