Wigan Athletic chief: We were due that

Latics were seconds away from slipping to the bottom of the table - below Burton on difference - before the unlikely figure of Scott Wootton came up for a late free-kick, and steered home Thelo Aasgaard's wicked delivery.

It had looked as though Latics would again have failed to make the most of taking the lead, with Callum Lang's fourth goal in five matches having been cancelled out by Luke McCormick.

But after a number of setbacks this term, Latics this time found the breaks going in their favour - which Richardson felt was long overdue.

"Did we deserve to win? I'm not so sure," he assessed. "Were we due a result? Absolutely, yes.

"After playing so well of late and getting nothing, having a few bad decisions going our way, I think we were due that on the balance of everything.

"It might not have been obvious, but the wind and the rain was really tough to deal with in the first half, and we did well to take control of the game.

"As the game went on, they had to defend, so did we, and it always looked like it would go down to a moment of magic, or a mistake somewhere, or a set-piece

"Thankfully, it turned out that way, and thankfully it landed at our door."

Without the injured Chris Merrie and Jamie Proctor, Richardson had fielded his most positive XI of the campaign, with Will Keane and Joe Dodoo promoted from the bench to complement Lang up top.

When asked had it been design or necessity, Richardson added: "It was a little bit of both to be honest.

"There's a certain number of games this year where we might have done something different, we might have gone down another avenue.

"But with the small number of players at our disposal, we've had to put square pegs into round holes.

"It was so disappointing to lose both Chris and Jamie from the weekend, the knocks just keep coming.

"But all we can do is keep going, keep walking forward, and keep fighting for the club.

"Confidence is everything - winning breeds confidence, as does playing well.

"When you play well enough to get a result, as I feel we did on Saturday, and come away with nothing, people can start to get down on themselves.

"Then it's up to me and the coaches to give that rallying call, to get the lads believing in what they're doing, to go on to the next one.

"Last-minute winners don't come any sweeter, and we'll certainly enjoy it, that's for sure."

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