It had been a strong seven days for Leam Richardson, a hard earned draw over the best team in the league Bolton Wanderers had been followed up by a routine if not easy win over Accrington Stanley on the Tuesday and then the aforementioned win over Lincoln.

In all intents and purposes it looked like promotion would be sealed within the next couple of games, with favourable fixtures against both Burton and Cambridge many predicted that promotion would indeed come against Cambridge.

But this is Wigan Athletic and in the words of Anthony H Wilson ‘We do things differently here’.

The draw against Burton (that could be the point that saw us up) was followed up by a surprising defeat to Cambridge.

Still MK slipped up that week so three points was still all that was needed to confirm our return to the Championship, a hard fought 2-2 draw at Ipswich in a game that we struggled in but battled back magnificently was next up.

Another point on the board saw the initiative swing back to the Latics, surely it was written in the stars for Latics to complete the job at home to Plymouth?

Well for the first hour it certainly looked like that. Wigan Athletic dominated and on any other given day could have been three goals to the good at half time. Instead a weak free-kick saw Plymouth lead before Latics fought back to earn another point.

The fact that we should have had two if not three penalties in the second half that would have seen us gain all three points to seal promotion is neither here nor there, so another point on the board and once again Latics just needed one point.

Tuesday’s trip to Portsmouth represented another difficult match in this run in, Pompey may have had nothing to play for but beware the wounded animal.

Not reaching the play-offs will have hurt Danny Cowley’s team this year and indeed before they did miss out on the play-offs they’d been in excellent form during the Spring. But Latics literally had a foot in the Championship at half time thanks to virtuoso goals from Callum Lang and Will Keane.

There’s no point focussing on what followed needless to say it was a complete collapse and meant that Latics are still searching for that point to get over the line.

The internet was awash with ‘they were never any good anywhere’ on Tuesday and quite understandably. What was looking a procession has very nearly turned in to a stumble over the line, let’s not get too downhearted though. It will take a remarkable set of results to deny us promotion on the final day.

The key now for Leam Richardson and those lads who’ve achieved so much this season is to re-group, re-focus and get that point and very hopefully three points that will see us secure the title.

If you know your history you’ll know that we’ve struggled over the line at this stage of the season previously, the Premier League promotion season of 2005-06 saw us take it to the final day when we could have had everything sown up long before that.

Although we had promotion sown up relatively early under Paul Cook we still took it to the final day for the title.

The great escape of 2006-07 could have seen us finish relatively comfortably apart from the fact that we failed to win another match after the trip to Manchester City at the start of March.

Eight more games followed which could have seen us get the points we needed to get out of it but we lost all but three of those matches, leaving us to travel to Brammall Lane in a winner takes all shoot out.

We’re currently in a better position than all of those seasons, the lads know exactly what they need to do and I’m sure we’ll do it. It’s been a frustrating few weeks but lets not forget what’s gone before, lets not forget how much this team, this club and yes this manager has achieved.

If someone had said to you after that Hull game last season that we would be top with one match remaining, needing a point to return to the Championship and all three to win the title you’d have thought they were mad.

The time for whether this team can cope in the Championship will come but it isn’t now, lets get those tired and weary bodies over the line first.

Whether you’re heading to Shropshire on Saturday or watching at the Beam Back enjoy yourselves because these are days we thought may never return. Cherish them and our wonderful club whilst it’s here.

Come on you Latics.

Sean Livesey