Wigan manager Gary Caldwell was full of praise for his team as they stretched their unbeaten run to 12 games in the league and kept their first clean sheet away from home in the process.
Latics travelled the short distance to Rochdale already high on confidence and in front of the Sky cameras were looking to put some pressure on the sides at the top of the league.
And so it proved as goals in either half from Jason Pearce and Michael Jacobs meant Wigan ended the weekend in fifth position, just four points from the top of the league.
“The pressure was on the boys and they went out and produced a really hard-working team performance,” said Caldwell.
“At times we were great going forward, at times we defended well and we had to show all our strengths to get over the line.
“We scored our second goal at a really important time when they were having their most dominant spell in the game with a great counter attack.”
Caldwell was also very pleased with the contribution of Pearce, making his first start since September.
“I put Jason into the team for his defensive qualities and I think he showed them throughout the game,” he said.
“For him to pop up with a goal is a bonus as well. It is our first clean sheet away from home and I think it is no coincidence that he was back in the team and we got that.”
Wigan went with a standard flat back four instead of their usual five at the back and along with the clean sheet it is something that the manager says his team have been working on.
“Playing four at the back was something we looked at,” Caldwell explained.
“They throw men forward and I think we saw that more as the game went on, they chased it and they like to get three men up so we wanted to deal with that and also have more freedom at the other end of the pitch as well.
The games continue thick and fast but with two home games against Shrewsbury and Burton to come in the next week, Wigan will be looking to keep up the pressure on the teams above them.
“We’re constantly growing as a team and that’s shown by the results that we are getting,” said Caldwell.
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