JOHN Sheridan praised his side's fighting spirit as Oldham Athletic took a step towards safety with a 2-0 win over Leyton Orient, and said: "It's massive that we stay in this league!".

Latics had led through George Ray's 33rd minute headed own goal. And after being on the wrong end of the last minute of stoppage time goals, Callum Whelan capped a battling team performance with his first goal for the club in the last of five minutes of added time.

The win - their first in nine games - was enough for Latics to climb out of the bottom two, overtaking Stevenage, who they face in a survival six-pointer on Saturday.

And Sheridan welcomed a timely win.

"There was a lot of fight and desire and spirit about us tonight," he said.

"We know what the situation is and we played like we're fighting for our lives.

"I'm well pleased for the players to get a result and a clean sheet, and the supporters again who were magnificent, "We all know the situation we're in and we're going to have to put performances in.

"It's massive that we stay in this league!

"We're going to push and we're going to have to push and push because we've got some big games, but full credit to them after being on a losing run.

"Hopefully that will give us confidence going into a really big game on Saturday."

And Sheridan admitted it was nice to be on the right end of a late stoppage time goal, after Latics countered from a Leyton Orient corner that goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux had gone up for, allowing Whelan the chance to roll the ball into an empty net.

"I know it was towards the end of the game but it was nice to score that second goal, it just gives you that leeway," said Sheridan.

"I didn't even know the keeper had gone up actually.

"Danny's punched it and young Vaughany (Harry Vaughan) has done well to be fair, he's held it and delayed (the pass) and Whelo scored.

"I only realised the keeper wasn't in the net when Whelo's rolled it in. I thought 'what are you shooting from there for?'

"Anyway, it's just nice for us.

"The clean sheet's a big plus as well for us.

"But the most important thing was to win the game and I thought we fully deserved it."