Latics v Notts County: It’s in Latics’ hands

For the first time this season, Latics’ hopes of a play-off spot do not depend on the performance of any other side or sides.

They are nine points behind Salford City with two games in hand, and the two sides meet at Boundary Park on Saturday 18 April. Latics’ current three-goal deficit takes care of itself.

A lot needs to go right between now and 2 May, and it’s probably a good thing that Latics doused the fire somewhat with a mediocre, tired display against Harrogate Town on Saturday. Both fixtures against Harrogate were a struggle, and both times Latics came away with the three points.

HUDSON’S RECORD

Nobody bar Mat Hudson had a good game against Harrogate. He now needs just one more clean sheet to equal the league season record of 18 currently held jointly by Les Pogliacomi and Connor Ripley. Two more and he’ll be out there on his own.

How many points has Hudson been worth this season? I make it about 20. Whatever the number, he’s done a lot of the heavy lifting for a side that was not, until recently, prolific in front of goal.

Lots of Latics fans have spent the later part of the season spending the money that Latics could generate by selling Hudson. But then he’ll have to be replaced, and you can’t replace 20 points easily – not even with a star striker or attacking midfielder or both.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

I didn’t make it past 25 minutes of the film (it’s crap, don’t bother), but I can’t take my eyes off the Latics’ version. For six weeks now, every game has been do or don’t, and Latics have properly risen to the challenge. Tonight’s fixture against Notts County is slightly different: the play-offs are in Latics’ hands for the first time, and County are one of the three or four teams that have battered Latics this season.

In the fixture at Meadow Lane, Micky Mellon got his selection and tactics wrong, the players he picked all had a bad day, and Latics were hammered 3-1.

Tonight he has the chance to right a wrong which, as I’ve said previously, is his favourite type of game. After Saturday, selection is up in the air. He could make a case for changing three or four of the starting line-up, depending on the quality of replacements he can call on. Decisions, decisions.

As Mellon said in an interview a couple of weeks ago, he has put the subs and the stiffs on notice that they could be burdened with the responsibility of keeping Latics’ season alive. Mike Fondop, Oli Hammond, Josh Hawkes and Will Sutton have all done their bit to get Latics to the point where they are mathematically in control. Others will need to do their bit to keep it that way, including tonight.

MELLON’S CONTRACT

It’s easy to forget that, up until a few weeks ago, fans were genuinely undecided on the question of whether the club should retain Micky Mellon as manager beyond the end of this season. In the meantime, he’s quelled some of the doubts almost as if he had a list of them.

He brought Will Sutton back from the slightly weird loan to Solihull Moors, and he brought Oli Hammond into the side, silencing the doubts about his commitment to youth and the longer-term aim of making the transfer market into a reliable revenue stream. He stuck to the same team and formation when he found the winning formula, sticking a finger in the eye of those who reckon that his team selections are erratic. He’s used only 27 players all season – a jab in the ribs for those who say he can achieve success only if he has unlimited transfer funds.

In the end, Mellon gave the suits no choice. Now that the course for the next two seasons is set, Latics can prepare for the summer transfer window, when once again they’ll have to plan for two different divisions – for the moment at least. The contracted players have certainty, as do the ones whose contracts run out this summer.

The League Two play-off final is on spring bank holiday Monday 25 May.