IT seems rather fanciful given the position John Sheridan found Latics in when he returned to the club last month, but it is pointed out to him that they are are 20 points off the play-offs with 48 to play for.

"Can we dream?", he is asked.

"Well you can, I won't be," comes the reply.

Sheridan went back to Boundary Park with one remit and one aim - to keep Oldham Athletic, the club he loves, in the Football League - and that mission has not yet been upgraded.

Even on a run that has turned fans' gaze up the table rather than over their shoulder thanks to a haul of 11 points from a possible 15, Latics are still working on the head coach's initial goal. And, he says, there is still plenty of work to do to get there.

"I said when I first came in to get points on board as early as we can if we can, get ourselves in a position where we're closer to teams so all of a sudden, where there were only two teams two or three weeks ago, now you look at it there's probably six teams, seven teams. And I've always mentioned that, a little mini league," he said.

"We're going in the right place at this moment in time to finish top of that league if we can, and that's all I can think about, make sure we're out of the relegation zone and the bottom two.

"While we're in a bit of form it's got to be over not five games, it's got to be over 10 or 15 games, whatever it may be.

"We've got to continue what we've been doing which is being hard to beat and winning games."

Latics have picked up three wins from those unbeaten five and confidence, as well as the team, is climbing.

But, while points are paramount, Sheridan is concerned with consistency in performance.

"I'm not scared of losing, it's just football isn't it. It's inevitable," he explained.

"If I felt that confident that we were going to be winning every week I'd be managing somewhere else I think.

"It's the level of football.

"The important thing is our consistency in the levels of performance and I think if you're consistent in this league - I truly believe there's not a lot between the teams, top to bottom - but the consistency is a lot higher. Forest Green are more consistent than us, Northampton are more consistent than us, but the last five games, our form is showing that we're quite a consistent team, and I can only go by the last five games because that's all I've been here for.

"We are, in the last five games, a top three team. But because of where we are in the league we've just got to take one game at a time.

"Colchester is a big game because of where we are and where they are in the league. If they beat us it just gives them a little bit of advantage, if we beat them we go above them in the league and then you're just hoping results go right. But we've just got to take care of ourselves.

"We go in believing that we can win the game."

Sheridan was without injured forwards Mike Fondop and Junior Luamba for last weekend's win over Bradford but, although he remains without the suspended Dylan Bahamboula, he has no fresh injury concerns ahead of tomorrow's trip to Colchester.

"It will be a similar squad to last Saturday, so we go there with a strong squad and hopefully I can pick the team that will get will get us the three points," he said.