Pearce: No let-up now finish is in sight

Latics host Coventry this weekend looking to cement the League One top spot they took last weekend for the first time this term.

With six matches to go, it’s the ideal time to hit the front in the race for the Championship.

And despite having already racked up a 19-match unbeaten record, Pearce says Latics will be upping the ante in the final month of the campaign.

“There’s a lot of confidence and belief in the dressing room at the moment,” Pearce told the Evening Post.

“And the way it’s going at the moment, we’re going into games thinking we’re going to win every single week.

“Obviously to do that we need to keep working hard and keep doing the basics right – and that’s what we’re doing.

“We won’t take our feet off the gas either. We’ll keep going.

“Obviously there’s been a lot of games in recent weeks, including the Easter period.

“It’s going to be a collective effort, and we’ll need the whole squad to get us over the line.

“At the moment, all the lads who are coming in to the team are doing a job, and hopefully that will continue.”

Having been playing catch-up since the first day of the season – after a disappointing defeat at Coventry – Pearce acknowledges the significance of taking over at the top just in time to host the Sky Blues in the return fixture this weekend.

“Obviously we’re all delighted to be top,” the 28-year-old recognised.

“It was a totally new team this year, and it was always going to take time to get going.

“That proved to be the case – we didn’t have a good start to the season at all.

“The lads are gelling now, we all get on really well and we’re starting to show everyone what a good side we are.

“Burton kept churning out the results, but slowly we’ve been catching them, and now we have.

“It means nothing at the moment, though.

“We’ve still got six games to play and we need to target maximum points to make sure we get promoted.

“It’s about keeping on feet on the ground and working hard like we have been doing. I think we’re capable of staying there, but nobody here is getting carried away.

“We’ll continue taking it one game at a time, like we have done all season.”

Latics will look to pick up where they left off at Shrewsbury, who were put to the sword 5-1 last weekend in an emphatic statement to the rest of the division.

The home side took the lead through Sullay Kaikai, but goals from Conor McAleny, Yanic Wildschut, Pearce and Will Grigg (2) ensured the points came back to Wigan.

“We were disappointed to come in at half-time at 1-1,” added Pearce.

“We didn’t feel we’d played as well as we knew we could.

“The gaffer gives us a bit of a rollocking at half-time, and we went out there and proved what a good side we are.”