So then, who would have taken four points from the next two at 1pm on Saturday afternoon? I know I would, and I suspect most of us would.

Two performances from Latics that were good for different reasons saw us rise to the heady heights of 21st (but hey, it’s a start) and finally there are signs to life for this awful season.

Let’s look back at Bromley. A third home win of the season and although we made it look difficult at times we scored three goals, all inside the box.

Showing a killer instinct we’ve lacked far too often this season. I’m sure many of us shared the same sinking feeling when Bromley went ahead after six minutes and again when they equalised on the stroke of half time.

But Brad Burrowes popped up to bag his first goal for Latics to cap off an impressive performance and he wasn’t the only one.

Christian Saydee who looks a different player since his return from injury and indeed since he stopped being managed by Ryan Lowe. His goal was important but his all round play even more so.

A word for young K’Marni Miller too with a goal on the eve of his 20th birthday. In an interview with BBC sounds after the match he said he’d celebrate his birthday by staying in watching Telly.

Like a proper Yorkshireman.

His performance though was fantastic and as others have mentioned, do we finally now have the personel available to play the wingback system we’ve been trying to play for the last 2 or 3 years?

If Saturday could be considered a nervy 3 points Tuesday’s match with Mansfield was a totally different prospect. I’d argue it was the most entertaining 0-0 I’ve seen for a long time and it was just a shame we didn’t have enough to get over the line.

Latics went unchanged apart from Scott Hogan coming in for Christian Saydee clearly an effort to manage the latter’s fitness as he returns from injury.

Though the roles would be reversed closed to the end of the first half as Hogan was replaced by Saydee due to a serious looking injury.

It leaves Latics seriously light up top as Gary Caldwell revealed post match that both Dara Costelloe and Sonny Perkins were already out injured for the foreseeable.

Latics had done ok up to that point against a physical looking Mansfield side. Indeed the Stags were the latest side to look like they were straight out of the Space Jam cast. After the giants of Bromley on Saturday.

But Latics stood up to that physicality and looked all the better for it.

There was so much to be hopeful about on Tuesday. Don’t dismiss Mansfield as just Mansfield.

At the moment they’re doing better than we are and had only suffered one defeat in five matches ahead of Tuesday’s match and we more than matched them.

Big performances from a number of lads. Joe Whitworth’s distribution is excellent.

Finley Burns had his best match yet for us. Looked composed and didn’t panic when under sustained pressure.

Reggie Walsh and Charlie Gray were everywhere. A bit more composure from the latter in front of goal and he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

Brad Burrowes is improving every match, really threatening player and what can you say about Big Chris Saydee.

He looks a different player from last season. Whatever he’s doing and Caldwell is working. He reminded me of Emile Heskey in his pomp at points.

A win would have been the icing on the cake, it’s a shame we couldn’t get that goal but I think we’ve made a huge step forward over the last week. Avoid a slip up on Saturday and it’ll have been a great week.

So on to Borehamwood it is. Let’s hope Latics make it 3 unbeaten.

 

Sean Livesey

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• Tags: 12th man, Caldwell, FA Cup, featured, football, latics, League One, WAFC, wigan, Wigan Athletic