Final plea from Wigan Athletic boss to his side ahead of crunch

Latics head to Reading this weekend – their penultimate game of the campaign – knowing only a win will give them any chance of prolonging their unlikely bid for surely the greatest escape yet.

Even that might not be good enough if results elsewhere go against them, but Maloney doesn’t want his side to die wondering.

"We've got a chance," he said. "When you take everything into account - including the point deduction - to have taken it to the penultimate game shows the job the players have done.

"And I would love to take this to the last day (against Rotherham).

"That's the biggest motivation we have to win the game on Saturday.

"Of course, results elsewhere have to favour us.

"But if we could take it to the last day, anything can happen.

"This club has done some pretty amazing things before, especially in the Premier League.

"I don’t know if this would be the best one yet, but I’m not sure there have been any better.”

There's added spice with third-bottom Reading also realistically needing to win to give them hope of avoiding the drop.

Maloney, though, doesn't feel there'll be any added pressure.

"It's a huge game, but every game has felt like that for us," he added. "Because we're both down in the bottom three, it's a huge game.

"But that intensity is something you have to thrive on rather than be fearful of.

"I've spoken a lot about the younger players recently, but I also have to give credit to the senior players.

"The captain and the vice captain have led from the front...Jamie Jones, who's come back in...Jack Whatmough, who's a quiet leader...Ryan Nyambe, who's had to play in some difficult positions, often in one-v-one against the opposition's best player.

"The spirit, and the desire to not get beat, and also the desire to win, has been incredible, and it's testament to them all."