Wigan Athletic’s Shaun Maloney has called upon his side to make a final push out of the Premier League relegation zone.
Roberto Martinez’s side sit five points adrift of safety but crucially have a game in hand on all the sides directly above them and play Aston Villa on the final day of the season.
The DW Stadium side were just minutes away from securing a vital win against Tottenham last Saturday, but conceded a late equaliser and were left to settle for a share of the spoils.
Maloney was disappointed to surrender the points against Spurs and feels that the result has left them needing three wins to ensure survival.
“At the minute it still feels like it’s in our hands, but we might have to win three of the last four to keep it that way,” Maloney said.
“A point against a side like Spurs is never a bad result but it kind of felt like a defeat. The vital thing at this time of year is to pick up three points, and again we didn’t do that.”
Martinez’s men are struggling in defence due to injuries to Antolin Alcaraz and Maynor Figueroa, and the Spaniard believes that the influence of Paul Scharner, who re-joined the club from Hamburg in January, has been key in keeping Wigan’s hopes of escape alive.
He said: “Paul has been a very good influence so far. He brought a real experience at the back and has taken a lot of responsibility in helping the team to get results.
“The relationship between the players and the fans is crucial at this stage of the season. Paul has always been an admired player by the fans and he brings that chemistry.”
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