Wigan Athletic took an important step in their battle to avoid relegation to League One with a 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers Rotherham United on Saturday, collecting the points courtesy of two Jermaine Pennant free kicks.

After 37 games played Wigan currently sit six points adrift of safety in the highest drop zone spot (22nd), with crucial fixtures against Fulham (20th), Millwall (23rd) and Brighton (19th) all coming up on the club’s calendar.

The threat of relegation would have been considered something of a shock for the Latics when the Championship kicked off back in August, especially considering last season’s fifth place finish and subsequent Play-Off semi-final defeat.

However, a disappointing campaign that has seen just 34 points attained (28 fewer than they had at this point last season) has left Wigan in a position of great difficulty, with the club requiring a strong finish they were famed for under the tutelage of Roberto Martinez.

The signs of a comeback may already be starting to show. Despite their poor league standing, Wigan have hit a small patch of form, with three wins in their last six games - a substantial number considering the club’s total number of victories this season stands at eight.

However, Watford fans will be buoyed to see that their increase in wins has come down to their away form (four consecutive wins and five in their last eight) and not at the DW Stadium.

In fact, despite lowly Blackpool sitting bottom and 12 points below them, it is Wigan with the poorest home form in the league. 

They have claimed just two wins from 18 games, the last of which came back in August against Birmingham City.

By contrast, their away form is the 12th best in the league, with 62% of their points coming away from their own ground.

The club’s last five home games have all ended in defeats, with Wigan failing to score in four of them; with goals in home games being on average fewer than one per game (15 goals in 18 matches).

Furthermore, Callum McManaman’s three home goals this season is the highest total for any player at the DW, and he joined West Bromwich Albion in the January transfer window. 

The club’s top scorer is James McClean, who has found better fortune on the road than in front of a more familiar crowd; five of his six goals have come away from the town of Wigan but he is suspended this evening. 

McClean’s replacement may come in the form of Jerome Sinclair, the 18-year-old forward signed from Liverpool on loan until May.

In addition, Norwich winger Josh Murphy has joined the club from Norwich on a one-month loan deal, and may also feature against Watford.

The Golden Boys ran out 2-1 winners when the two sides met earlier in the season at Vicarage Road, with a brace from Troy Deeney cancelling out Chris McCann’s effort.

The Hornets have never recorded an away victory against Wigan (either at the DW Stadium or Springfield Park); with Tuesday’s match the ideal opportunity to improve on their record on four draws and three losses.

Wigan Athletic starting XI vs Rotherham United (14/3/15): Al Habsi; Boyce, Maguire, Pearce, Bong, Perch; Kim Bo-kyung, Pennant, McClean, Ojo; Fortuné.