JOHN Sheridan cannot predict how many points would guarantee League Two safety and Football League survival this season.

With five games left for Oldham Athletic and six for both Stevenage and Barrow it is too close to call in the race to avoid finishing second bottom.

All three teams are locked together on 37 points going into the final games, starting with a typically action-packed Easter programme.

And when asked if he had a target of how many points would be required, given that four of their last five games are against promotion candidates, Sheridan said: "Usually everyone has a points tally in mind that will possibly keep you up, but I couldn't answer the question to be fair.

"I do feel we've got to win a couple at least, whether it (contributes to) seven, nine points or whatever.

"But I just feel that any team can beat anyone.

"I think Barrow and Stevenage are capable of beating the teams they're playing, and I think we are as well.

"Teams will be on the front foot thinking they've got a great chance of winning playing a team fighting relegation, and I think they'll all come thinking they're going to beat us. We've got to be ready for it, simple as that.

"And when we're on our front foot, and the lads have shown me this many times since I've been here, we can compete with anyone in the league. We've done it.

"That's what I've got to look forward to and that's what I've got to try to instil into the lads.

"If I'm going off the last game, playing against a really good Port Vale team who are flying, for 70 minutes we were the better team and we definitely should have come out with something. That's all we can go by, our last game."

Latics have more home games left than away, which is something else Sheridan looks on favourably.

Despite being second bottom of the division's home form table, three of their five wins at Boundary Park have come since Sheridan took charge in January.

"Our home performances haven't been bad at all," he said.

"Against Mansfield we were very good in the first half, Exeter we were unlucky not to get something, we missed a penalty at a crucial time.

"If you look at the home form we've actually done all right, other than Sutton - that's the only game I thought we didn't really deserve anything."

Of hosting fifth-placed Northampton this afternoon, Sheridan added: "It's a tough game, the following should be good but I know our fans will get right behind us, so we've got to be ready. We've got to perform."