Wigan Athletic: Five things we learned from West Brom (a)

1 What a difference a week makes! Prior to the Millwall game, Latics were three points adrift of safety with 13 matches remaining. Fast-forward a week and Paul Cook's men are now three points clear of the drop zone with 10 games left. Hull City started the week 10 points clear of Latics, seemingly in mid-table safety - now the gap is down to one, with Latics full of momentum and the Tigers in freefall. In fact, everyone up to Reading in 16th place still has work to do. And with possible points deductions on the way for a couple of other clubs, this could yet be the most entertaining relegation dogfight in years....but that doesn't really matter because...

2 Play-off bound? Latics have done more than drag themselves out of the bottom three with a hat-trick of wins. They've also seen the gap to the play-offs cut to 16 points. Pie in the sky? Probably. But given Paul Cook's men are top of the form table over the past eight matches - including away wins at automatic favourites Leeds and West Brom - perhaps IEC acted hastily in admitting to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that promotion was looking 'unlikely'. Latics are still available at 4,500-1 with one leading bookmaker to win promotion this term. Worth a quid?

3 Captain Fantastic! No-one has done more since the turn of the year to drag Latics up the Championship table than skipper Sam Morsy. Again at West Brom, the Egypt international led from the front and inspired those around him to dig deep. His third league goal of the campaign marks his best return since joining Latics in 2016, with a quarter of the campaign to go. And he - along with team-mate Nathan Byrne - now has only match to negotiate before the threat of a two-game ban for reaching 10 bookings disappears. That he has found the best form of his Latics career while one mistimed tackle away from suspension is as remarkable as it is impressive.

4 King Leon! Not many Latics fans would have known much about Leon Balogun before his arrival from Brighton on transfer deadline day in January. Well they certainly know about him now! The German-born Nigeria international has been a rock since getting into the side, initially to deputise after Chey Dunkley's unfortunate red card against Middlesbrough. But the way Balogun has added a cool, calm and collected air to the backline - resulting in the likes of Kipre, Byrne, Naismith and Pearce also raising their games - has been a major factor in the side's upturn in results. That he was able to play so majestically at West Brom while feeling under the weather - he was sick at half-time but insisted on going out for the second half - is ridiculous.

5 Moore, Moore, Moore! If Cardiff boss Neil Harris had got his way, Kieffer Moore would be in the Welsh capital to help the Bluebirds' play-off charge. But Latics managed to hang on to the Wales international during the January window - and boy is he worth his weight in gold at the minute. A jaw-dropping backflick against Cardiff last month was bettered by his opener at Reading last week, and his assist for Sam Morsy's winning goal at West Brom was his 10th goal involvement in the last 15 matches. For a side still the second-lowest goalscorers in the Championship, that is an invaluable contribution - just when his side needed it the most.