Wigan Athletic's attempts at a great escape from the Championship relegation battle will see them take on local rivals Bolton Wanderers at the DW Stadium this weekend.
The Latics looked to be dead and buried just three weeks ago, but victory over fellow strugglers Blackpool at the end of February sparked a revival and kept their hopes of survival alive.
Six points is now the gap to safety with eight matches remaining, but Fulham are floundering on the other side of the dotted line and could be there for the taking should Wigan continue their recent improvement in form.
They have now won three of their last five games and, while defeat at home to league leaders Watford was a setback on Tuesday night, Malky Mackay will know that easier matches are to come.
Promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough, Derby County, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford do still stand in the way of Wigan before the end of the season, but they also face winnable games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and Millwall - all of whom are fellow dwellers in the bottom six.
Hope springs eternal for the Latics, then, but they will need to correct their woeful home form if they are to pull off an unlikely survival bid. No team in the division has a worse record in front of their own fans this season.
Indeed, it is seven months and 16 matches since Wigan last picked up a win at the DW Stadium, with their last six outings there all ending in defeat, during which time they have scored only one goal.
The club has never lost seven home matches in a row during their time in the Football League, and they will be hoping that a derby is just the catalyst they need to avoid picking up that unwanted record.
Mackay will be without the suspended James McClean this weekend, but he has no new injury concerns and is not expected to make too many changes to his midweek side.
While Wigan's home record is woeful, Bolton have not been any better on the road in recent weeks. They have also lost six in a row on their travels since holding Liverpool at Anfield in January, failing to score in their last three.
It is their worst away run since a spell of nine consecutive defeats that finally ended in December 1995, and Neil Lennon will be increasingly happy that his side opened up a comfortable lead over the bottom three during his first few months in charge.
The Trotters are 10 points clear of 22nd-placed Wigan and defeat this weekend could leave them looking over their shoulders, but in reality they should be safe from getting involved in the relegation mire.
Their home form has kept them clear of danger this season, with only Blackpool having amassed fewer points away from home, but they were on the road again on Tuesday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of playoff-chasing Ipswich Town.
Craig Davies was handed his first start in two months in that match but could be held back for this one as Lennon looks to ease him back into the fold, with Emile Heskey pushing for a recall having been rested in midweek.
Adam le Fondre was also missing in midweek due to illness but could return this weekend, while Portuguese youngster Rochinha is in line for another start after Lennon hailed him as the best player on the park during his debut on Tuesday.
Paddy McCarthy and Barry Bannan are among the others hoping for a recall, but Bolton do still have a relatively lengthy injury list with Max Clayton, Darren Pratley, Andy Lonergan, Zach Clough and Mark Davies all sidelined.
Bolton won the reverse fixture 3-1 at the Macron in November before also knocking their local rivals out of the FA Cup in the third round at the start of this year.
Wigan:
Recent form: LWWLWL
Possible starting lineup: Al Habsi; Boyce, Pearce, Maguire, Bong; Perch, Kim, Pennant, Clarke, Ojo; Fortune
Bolton:
Recent form: LWDLWL
Possible starting lineup: Amos; Vela, Mills, McCarthy, Ream; Coke, Bannan, Rochinha, Danns; Heskey, Le Fondre
Sports Mole says: 1-1
No Data Analysis info
