Wins for Bolton and Q.P.R. mean that the Latics remain in the bottom three but are now firmly looking at climbing out of the bottom three.
On the other hand, Wolves are now cut adrift at the foot of the table, six points beneath the Latics.
The match itself was the culmination of a season's frustrations and further illustrated the excellent recent form on display from the Latics.
From the first minute to the last the team dominated against a solid Stoke City team, a factor that was of particularly delight for Roberto Martinez.
Speaking to the club's official website, the Latics manager said: "I felt we controlled the game from start to finish, never left ourselves exposed in open play or from set pieces and kept our concentration well.
"Then you have two excellent goals. The first from Antolin (Alcaraz) was a well-worked move, and to do that from open play against Stoke is not something many teams can do.
"Then, our hard work allowed Victor (Moses) to score a second goal that highlighted the magic touch he's got in those situations.
"Overall, to keep a clean sheet against Stoke and record back-to-back wins for the first time this season, performing in the manner we did was extremely pleasing."
There was also a message for the supporters at the DW Stadium who were in excellent voice for the duration of the game, even unveiling an 'In Bobby we Trust' banner at the end of the game.
"Today was the example of how we should play our game and how everyone has to keep getting behind the team, which made for an outstanding afternoon," added Martinez.
