JORDAN Clarke has called for solidity all over the pitch to help turn draws into wins.

Latics have picked up back-to-back points from long away trips to Colchester and Crawley within the last week.

But while there is a sense that these are games they would have lost earlier in the season, after an upturn in form under John Sheridan there is frustration that they did have a greater return, especially having taken the lead in both games.

In-form Davis Keillor-Dunn continued his scoring streak with the opener at Colchester on Saturday, only to be pegged back by a second half equaliser.

Then, after Hallam Hope scored a superb goal to put Latics ahead at Crawley on Tuesday night, they then quickly found themselves 2-1 down, before Christopher Missilou popped up with a 70th minute leveller.

Clarke felt the Crawley game in particular was a demonstration of their character to come back from behind and stretch an unbeaten run to seven games.

But he believes more can be done all over the pitch to guard against conceding.

"We had to dig deep in some cases, but we're more disappointed than anything," said Clarke after the midweek draw.

"Again the goals conceded were sloppy in the sense they could have been prevented further up the pitch, there was an element of luck for one of their goals as well.

"It's really disappointing because we want to win and even when we're getting a point now it's disheartening because we want to win so much and we feel we should win.

"First half we didn't really get going at all - passing, keeping the ball - it just wasn't us in the slightest.

"The pitch was a bit soft but both teams had to play in those conditions. It was just getting to grips with playing against a different shape.

"As a full back I feel we were overloaded a lot in the full back areas.

"Second half we wanted to stay higher, get further up the pitch and get passes together, get in behind them and start getting a few attempts on goal and I felt like we did that.

"Overall I'd say we were disappointed because we wanted to win and we want to hold on to leads."

He added: "As defenders we've felt solid for a long time now, it's just putting that consistency in.

"We have felt solid, we do feel solid, it's just times where in games the other team's going to be on top and it's getting everybody to be solid and that's what we need to do a little bit more of to take the three points rather than the one."

Clarke did recognise, though, that progress had been made in recent weeks in order to secure a result.

"It's good that we're coming away disappointed with one point, whereas maybe at the start of the season or around Christmastime we wouldn't have," said the defender.

"It was a good point on the road in the end and I thought there were a few outstanding performances from some of the lads and as a team we ground it out."

Attentions now turn to tomorrow's six-pointer with Sheridan's former club, Carlisle United, who have secured back-to-back wins together under returning boss Paul Simpson to fire them out of the drop zone to sit three points above Latics having played a game more.

But Clarke puts no greater significance this game than any other.

"We want to win every game, and I think the form shows even when games aren't pretty, like (Tuesday) night we're coming away with something, and when we do play well we win," he said.

"We're in a good place. We want to win every game, simple as that."