The Latics take on Southampton in tonight's Coca-Cola League One match with the Saints keen on making a late push for a play-off spot. Ricky Lambert and Adam Lallana are knocking in the goals and have scored an amazing 51 goals to date this season. The Latics have managed to pick up 10 points from their last five matches while the Saints are unbeaten in eight league and cup matches and are currently in eighth-place so it promises to be a good game.
Dave Penney has named the two strikers as the danger men and hopes to snuff out any chances that they have to increase their total. He said, "We have to stop Lambert from scoring which we didn't do when we played them at home. In that match, which we lost 3-1, they only just edged it in terms of possession, but we gave them at least two of their goals. We will have to make sure we are discliplined at the back and defend properly which we have been doing of late. And when we get the ball, we have to make sure we keep hold of it as we did at Huddersfield and to an extent at MK Dons."
"Saints are still pushing for a play-off place, and still think they are going to get in them, so I don't think it will be a boring game. I am sure they are going to come at us, but it is up to us to weather the storm and try to get a foothold in the game. They are the best team in the division, certainly since they added players in the January transfer window. They would be the form team in the second half of the season and even won at Yeovil on Saturday with 10 men. I would consider it to be our toughest away trip of the season."
The last time the two teams met was at The Dell where the Latics came away with a 3-1 win in March 1994. Both sides were then Premier League clubs.