TVOS gives us the stats lowdown ahead of this Saturday's League One fixture against fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic.

WIGAN ATHLETIC (H)

* Saturday will be the 22nd league game between Dale and Wigan Athletic and the 11th at Spotland

* Dale have won three of the previous 10 home matches, losing six times and drawing once

* Our last home win over The Latics came in March 1997 when first half goals from John Deary, Alan Johnson and Alex Russell helped Dale to a 3-1 victory

* The solitary home draw versus Wigan was a 1-1 stalemate in November 1981. Both goals came in the last three minutes of the first half (Mark Hilditch scoring for Dale) and we finished the game with ten men after Eric Snookes was dismissed.

* Dale’s best home win over Wigan is 3-0, which they achieved at Spotland in October 1980 thanks to two Dennis Wann goals and a late effort from Mark Hilditch

* Dale’s best win home or away against Athletic is the stunning 5-0 victory at the DW Stadium a month ago

* When Dale lost 2-0 to Wigan at Spotland in March 1996, home striker Steve Whitehall missed two penalties, Dale scored an own goal and Latics clinched the victory with a spot-kick of their own

* Dale were knocked out of both the Worthington Cup and Auto Windscreens Shield by Wigan in 1998/99

* The Latics (10) have kept almost twice as many clean sheets as Dale (6) in the sides’ 21 league meetings

* The most common scoreline when Dale play Wigan is 2-0, which has been achieved eight times… by Wigan!

* Dale’s leading appearance-maker against Wigan is Steve Whitehall, with nine games in league and cup football

* In the current squad, Jim McNulty (five) has made most appearances for Dale versus The Latics

* Dale’s top scorer against Wigan, with three goals, is Steve Whitehall

LAST VISIT

Wigan seemed to be pushing Dale closer to League Two when they were 4-1 winners at Spotland in April 2018.

Dan Burn, James Vaughan, Michael Jacobs and Will Grigg saw them into a four-goal lead just past the hour, before Steven Davies netted a late penalty for Dale.

See the action here:

Photo: Action Images

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