Wigan manager Roberto Martinez hopes striker Jason Scotland can begin enjoying his football again after finally ending his goalscoring drought for the club.
The Trinidad & Tobago international scored on his 21st Latics appearance in the 2-2 FA Cup fourth-round draw at Notts County.
Although he now has to make the breakthrough against a Barclays Premier League side, Martinez hopes the goal for Scotland - a £2million summer signing from Swansea - will boost confidence.
"It is a great thing because as a goalscorer you want to score," he said.
"When you are a striker moving to a new club the first goal is always the most important one.
"Now that is out of the way he can carry on enjoying his football and working hard for the team and creating chances.
"I don't think it is going to change much in terms of what he gives to the team because he has always been very effective.
"He is a very experienced man, not a young boy, and even if something concerns him he gets on with it and works hard to try to find solutions.
"But now he has gone to a different level confidence-wise and he will be able to enjoy his goalscoring record.
"Jason's overall play has been very good this season and it is important he carries on with that and the goals will be an add-on."
Scotland may soon find his position under threat from Villarreal's Argentinian striker Marco Ruben.
Yesterday the Spanish side claimed a deal was virtually complete but Wigan have to played down suggestions of an imminent signing.
Villarreal's press officer Hernan Sanz had said: "Ruben is already in England. The clubs have reached an agreement and all that is needed is for the player to put pen to paper."
Wigan view the negotiations differently and Martinez moved to quell reports of a pending £7million transfer, with player not having even arrived in England.
"It is something that is not finalised or concluded yet so we cannot speak about it," said the Spaniard, who takes his side to Blackburn tonight having won their last two league matches.
Martinez hopes his players will use the experience of their FA Cup fightback - they were 2-0 down at half-time - to consolidate their position.
"Without a doubt there was a time earlier this season when we would not have come back from that," he admitted.
"There are not many times when we have come back from 2-0 down but we showed a completely different determination in the second half.
"We reacted in the right manner and I was really pleased with that because earlier in the season we could not find that and sometimes we folded too easy.
"When you look at the performance at Wolves (a 2-0 win) and the comeback against Notts County you start to see certain signs which weren't there at the start of the season."