Blackpool will make the short trip to League One rivals Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

Blackpool will face a tough test as they look to escape the League One relegation zone with a win at Wigan Athletic on Saturday lunchtime.

There have been promising signs from Ian Evatt and his players as the momentum created by a comfortable 4-1 FA Cup second round win against National League club Carlisle United helped the Tangerines gain four points from league games against fellow strugglers Rotherham United and promotion contenders Lincoln City. That means Evatt’s men will head into their trip to the Brick Community Stadium sitting two points from safety and with increased confidence they can make a push towards escaping the bottom four.

Their hosts have also enjoyed an improved run of form of going unbeaten in their last seven League One fixtures - although the impact of that run has been limited with four of those games ended in draws. Ryan Lowe’s men are now sitting six points adrift of the play-off places and the Latics boss has praised the attitude being shown his players as they prepare to face a Blackpool side he believes are in ‘a false position’ in the third tier.

Speaking ahead of the game, Lowe told Latics TV: “We’re looking forward to it. It’s a local derby against a team not far from us. We had a positive result and performance on Saturday, and we’re looking to do the same again this weekend. Blackpool will travel in their numbers, and they have a new manager in Ian Evatt, who has started to put his stamp on things.

“I said to the lads this morning not to underestimate the work they’ve done. Credit where credit is due to the players, because they’ve been excellent. As long as you can keep going on those runs, it helps you get to where you want to get to. We want to start winning games, and Saturday’s home game is a game we feel we can win. We’re up against tough opponents who have some good players, and are definitely in a false position.

“The lads are in a bubbly camp - they are doing everything we are asking of them, and training has been fantastic. We are giving them information that they can hopefully take into fruition. We’re going into the festive period where games come thick and fast. We want to find three points more often than one, and if we can do that, it will shoot us up to where we think we should be.”

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