Gilbey confident ahead of Tykes visit to DW

The Tykes secured their Championship status for next season with their 2-0 win over Blackburn last weekend, while Wigan are still fighting for their lives at the foot of the table.

But Gilbey says the Latics players have taken confidence from their 3-2 win over Rotherham on Saturday, and haven’t given up in their fight for survival.

“We’ll be going in with a lot of confidence – you never know in this league,” he told Wigan Today.

“We have just got to go into the game with the same mentality (as the Rotherham game) and try to get three points.

“It’s out of our hands so it’s up to us to get the performances and the wins.”

Gilbey, on target for the first time since the opening day loss at Bristol City, played with Tykes duo Elliot Lee and George Moncur at Colchester United, and knows from them what is expected from the opposition.

“I know a few of the lads are there,” said Gilbey.

“I know their manager always wants them to be on their game.”

The summer signing from Colchester has missed the majority of the season with an ankle injury, but has flourished since he has returned to the team against Nottingham Forest in February. He admitted though that he would have liked to have got his name on the score sheet sooner.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he smiled.

“It’s good to finally get one, especially at home.”

Wigan travel to promotion-hunting Brighton & Hove Albion on Easter Monday, but Gilbey believes that if the side can repeat their good performance in the trip to Newcastle, they can go some way to getting a result.

“They’re trying to get promoted to the Premier League so they’ve got a big incentive,” he said. “I think we went to Newcastle without any pressure and we were really good, and we were unlucky not to get a point there at least.

“So if we can go there with no pressure and play our own game we can hopefully get a win.”

But Gilbey knows there is more drama ahead for Latics, and he just hopes it brings the same reaction as the result last weekend.

“It shows we’re all on the same page – we can do with more of it through the rest of the season,” he said.