'Disgrace' what happened to Wigan Athletic - Pompey boss

Cowley, whose side visit the DW on Easter Monday, saw first-hand the injustice of Latics' fall from grace last year, from his position as boss of rivals Huddersfield Town.

And he's delighted to see Leam Richardson and his players finally able to look to the future after a horrific nine months.

"Firstly, I am pleased for them that they have found new ownership," he said. "What happened to them last year was nothing short of a disgrace.

“We were there with them in the relegation battle at Huddersfield Town and we took no pleasure at all in seeing them being treated the way they were, we felt so sorry for their staff, Paul Cook and his staff, and the players.

“They had an unbelievable second half of the season, and the supporters particularly. It was a disgrace what happened.

“So I am really pleased that they have been able to find new ownership and hopefully they will have some light at the end of the tunnel now, they are a good football club."

Cowley's in-form side are looking good bets for a play-off finish, but he's wary of the threat posed by Latics - despite their league position.

“We know it is going to be a tough game," he told Hampshire Live. "They were very good against Gillingham (last Wednesday), they had a level of control and I thought they had a threat on the counter-attack, and they had some really good chances in the game.

“So we know it is going to be a really tough game, they have got some really good players, and they have had a couple of days’ extra rest to us.

"But these are the challenges and you can see that as a positive and I am really looking forward to how the group responds to a second game in a short space of time, because that second game is tough.

“The body will be telling you no, but the mind has to be telling you yes, and you have to show a huge amount of determination and resilience, which I think we have got in this group, and I hope we will see that on Monday.”

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