Why Shaun Maloney had extra reason to be happy after Wigan Athletic's win over Blackpool

Scott Smith’s first senior goal was enough to give Latics a 1-0 victory over the Seasiders, to take them to the 50-point mark in League One with seven matches to go.

It was Maloney’s first victory over Blackpool in three attempts, with Latics having lost at Bloomfield Road towards the end of last term in the Championship, and again at the beginning of this term after both clubs were relegated to the third tier.

And it was impossible not to notice the beaming smile on the manager's face as he went onto the pitch at the end to thank the supporters.

"It was possibly a little bit down to the fact two of my most painful memories as a manager have been against Blackpool...they were very difficult to come to terms with,” he said.

"We've had two really tough defeats against Blackpool, and this one meant a lot...that was probably where most of the joy came from.

"They're another local team, and you see that when we play against teams like Bolton and Blackpool...they mean a little bit more to supporters.

"Blackpool travel with a brilliant amount of supporters and, credit to them, it does make for an even better atmosphere, and more intense.

"I think that's why this game meant so much...normally I don't get too animated after games, other than to thank the fans for coming, but I was really after that.

"It was a big game for us, and it was a big win. We needed to get to that 50-point mark as quickly as we could, that was the challenge at the beginning of the season.

"Look, there's still work to be done, I don't want my players to all of a sudden think 'that's us, we're done, we're safe'.

"We've still got work to do, but right now I'm really happy, and the players deserve all the credit...it's not been easy for them either.”

So what now for the rest of the season?

"I just want to see more of what I saw on Saturday...in both the second half when we had to defend, and in the first half when we played with more freedom,” he said. "When we play, and we really trust our positions, we can be a threat against any team, and I need to see that more.

"I still obviously want us to pick up as many points as we can...and there's still a part of me that is still regretting the fact we're not coming into this international break wondering how we're going to hunt down Oxford (in sixth). I'll come to terms with that...probably in the summer…”

But is it too late to mount a last-gasp sprint finish for the play-offs?

"Yeah, I think so...I think it's probably just a little bit too far,” he added, with a rueful smile. "We're still 13 points off, with only seven games to go, so I think that's too much.

"You've Oxford, Stevenage, Lincoln are in incredible form, and I think Blackpool are right in there. There's too big a difference...but if we could finish in the top half, it would be a brilliant achievement by the players.”