Captain Liam Hogan is hoping to give fans another memorable away day, and spark hopes of a potential late push for the play-offs.

Latics have taken nine points from top four teams to bring the top seven into view as they steer further clear of the bottom four.

This afternoon’s opponents Eastleigh sit seventh, with 13 points separating the two teams, while Latics are 11 points clear of the drop zone.

And while staying up has been the priority, their recent run has created optimism that this season could be about so much more.

No-one within the Latics camp is getting ahead of themselves with that prospect. But with the opportunity to bridge the gap to the top seven further this afternoon, it does beg the question ‘What if?’.

“It's more than a winnable game for us. We go there with loads of confidence and another chance to take some points off a team that's pushing,” said Hogan.

“If you take points off those teams above us it does bridge the gap and it does leave something open for the last 10-game run-in.

“Could we or could we not maybe push? We're going to do everything in our power to do that.”

Latics’ recent run has changed the narrative from survival to scaling the division.

"I just feel as a group we've started to realise, we've just challenged some of the top teams in the league, why can't we do that throughout the rest of the season?” Hogan continued.

“I know myself standards dropped, in particular the Gateshead game and those teams around us at the bottom end we've dropped points to. To go to teams like Chesterfield and Barnet, and Woking and get your points, it's just a strange game sometimes football.

“For us there are things we've been doing off the pitch that are starting to come to light now on the pitch. If we can keep on this run, finish strong, who knows where we'll finish this year and go into next season on a positive and see this place (Boundary Park) absolutely rocking. We've seen it in the back stages of the game the other night, if we get this going again it's going to be big.”

But Latics have been backed on the road brilliantly too.

"They've travelled away in numbers and optimism,” said the skipper, speaking to the club website.

“Even the Aldershot game they were massive in voice in that game so I imagine something similar down at Eastleigh.

“The job is now to travel well and put in a solid performance that will hopefully bring back some points.”