Anyone who wants to give up is in wrong changing room - Wigan Athletic boss

Latics once again shot themselves in the foot at the DW, with a defensive mix-up involving Curtis Tilt and Tendayi Darikwa allowing Chuks Aneke to score the only goal on 19 minutes.

They were unable to get anything going at the other end, and indeed were indebted to Scott Wootton for clearing off the line in the closing stages.

The result leaves Latics three points adrift of safety - with the worst goal difference in the division - and only 14 matches to go.

Richardson, though, says the side - who lost Will Keane in the warm-up with a groin injury - still have plenty of time to get out of trouble.

"The lads huffed and puffed, applied themselves well, gave everything, but just without the little bits of quality that's needed," he said.

"It was a game that we could have won, in my opinion.

"But if somebody at the beginning of the season had given us the scenario of being three points adrift of safety in the first week of March, we'd all have snatched their hands off.

"Our task now for the remaining 14 matches is to turn the narrow defeats into draws, and the draws into narrow victories.

"It's not enough to come up with good performances, we have to turn those into results and points on the board.

"We've had a few good performances of late, but we've not been able to go the extra yard and get the results we've actually deserved and obviously needed.

"We've been getting chipped away at for nine months now, on and off the field.

"It's my job, and it's everyone's job, to make sure all that doesn't affect us too much.

"And the biggest challenge we've got now is to ensure the morale in the group remains where it should be.

"In any sport - be it individual or team - confidence is massive.

"You've got that extra bit about yourself, the extra calmness, which allows you to execute with an extra bit of quality.

"When you're scrapping away...it's the old adage, but you don't get those little breaks and those little decisions, that you need as well.

"But if anyone wants to give up, I would suggest they're in the wrong business - and the wrong changing room.

"I don't think anyone is going to give up, not just yet, while we've got a fighting chance.

"Until it's mathematically impossible, we'll carry on - and I genuinely feel we'll be okay."

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