Aiming to strengthen their position in the top 10 of the League One table with two games remaining, Blackpool will make the short trip to the Brick Community Stadium to take on Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
Two defeats in the last three outings have seen the visitors fall out of the playoff race, while their hosts have climbed up to 15th spot with back-to-back wins.
Match preview
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Wigan Athletic return to action at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday aiming to make it three straight victories in League One for the first time this season and continue a relatively positive start to life under the management of Ryan Lowe.
He took the reins in mid-March, when the Latics sat 15th in England's second tier following Shaun Maloney's departure, and Lowe was initially unable to inspire a major improvement, with his first six games at the helm producing four draws and two defeats.
They have since stretched an unbeaten run to five games with their first two wins under the new boss over the Easter weekend, though, firstly visiting basement side Shrewsbury Town and taking all three points as Dale Taylor netted the only goal 19 minutes from time.
The Latics then hosted Rotherham United on Monday and moved to within two points of their visitors with another one-goal triumph, as James Carragher made the difference in the 36th minute.
Now sitting 15th with a five-point gap up to 12th place and three games remaining, with one in hand on the majority of sides around them, Wigan Athletic will aim to keep building confidence under Lowe and continue a winning run to keep any top-half hopes alive.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip at the weekend aiming to end their campaign on a high having seen their playoff hopes fade away in recent weeks.
In what has been a relatively positive season since Steve Bruce's appointment, having earned 61 points from their last 37 outings after a slow start, Blackpool moved into the fight for a top-six place with a hot streak between early March and early April, picking up five wins from a six-match span.
That left the Tangerines on 60 points from 40 league outings, but they have since fallen away from the top-six picture following a dip in form, having firstly suffered a 2-1 loss away at Rotherham United earlier in April, ending a three-match winning run.
Bruce's men were able to bounce back on Good Friday, visiting Stevenage and picking up a 3-1 victory thanks to Rob Apter's hat-trick, only to again fall short at home to second-placed Wrexham on Easter Monday, having failed to find a leveller after Apter reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the dying minutes.
Still sitting 10th in League One but now nine points behind the top six with only six points left to fight for, Blackpool will at least aim to end the campaign with a pair of victories with the chance to climb as high as eighth depending on results elsewhere.
Team News
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Wigan Athletic will remain without Tyrese Francois, Will Goodwin, Steven Sessegnon, Matthew Smith, Luke Chambers, Silko Thomas and Oliver Norburn due to ongoing injury issues, with the latter unable to feature against his parent club regardless.
Ryan Lowe should field the same starting XI which picked up two victories during the Easter double-header, with Dale Taylor continuing to lead the line having notched up 10 goals and seven assists in League One so far this season.
James Carragher, Will Aimson, Jason Kerr and Luke Robinson are bound to line up in a back four in front of Sam Tickle after consecutive clean sheets, while Owen Dale, Baba Adeeko, Jon Mellish and Jensen Weir should all keep their places in midfield.
Blackpool head into the weekend without Andy Lyons and Josh Onomah, who are confined to the treatment room.
Niall Ennis will hope to keep his place up front alongside Ashley Fletcher, who has contributed 11 goals and eight assists in League One so far this term, with Jake Beesley, CJ Hamilton and Tom Bloxham competing for attacking spots.
Rob Apter offers further threat from the right wing, having scored four goals over the Easter weekend to move onto eight for the season in League One, while Albie Morgan and Lee Evans are mainstays in the middle of their 4-4-2 shape.
Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Tickle; Carragher, Aimson, Kerr, Robinson; Dale, Adeeko, Mellish; Weir; Asamoah, Taylor
Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Tyrer; Offiah, Casey, Baggott, Coulson; Apter, Morgan, Evans, Silvera; Ennis, Fletcher
We say: Wigan Athletic 2-1 Blackpool
Blackpool have certainly enjoyed the stronger season of these two sides, but the hosts are gaining momentum under their new boss while the visitors find their season all but over having missed out on the top six, and we fancy Lowe's men to record a third straight win as a result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
