'Gutted' Wigan Athletic boss pinpoints reason for collapse

Two goals from Dale Taylor had Latics 2-0 up within eight minutes of the restart, with the only criticism being that the game wasn't already out of sight.

And Latics paid a high price for failing to kill off the game when the Shrews came up with two goals of their own - both with hard-luck stories attached - in the final quarter.

First, Will Aimson diverted a right-wing cross into his own net past a wrong-footed Sam Tickle.

Then, with three minutes to go, Tickle himself fumbled the ball, allowing Shrews substitute George Lloyd to convert from close range.

"I'm gutted really, but also that is football," admitted Maloney. "For 60 minutes we were pretty much in control of the game, until about five minutes before they scored.

"In fairness to Shrewsbury, they showed a very good mentality in trying to get the ball into our box, and they've got some good players.

"I'm gutted from our point of view that we've let the game slip ...it definitely feels like we've left two points out there.

"The way we were controlling the game...we stopped building up the way we wanted to.

"That meant we started to go a bit longer than we had been doing, and the game becomes more 50-50, which doesn't suit us.

"We've got some really talented players, but I'll be honest, Shrewsbury are probably better than us when it gets like that."

"Some of the substitutions we made were more physical than tactical, but the biggest thing was we stopped what we'd been doing to get us into a winning position."

On-loan Nottingham Forest striker Taylor put Latics ahead inside nine minutes when he got the final touch to a Thelo Aasgaard volley, off a superb training-ground routine corner sent over by Jonny Smith.

Latics dominated the rest of the first half without managing to score further goals.

And although Tickle had to make a good save at the beginning of the season to keep out a Jordan Shipley free-kick, Latics doubled their advantage eight minutes after the restart.

Matt Smith won the ball and managed to hold off Aasgaard – who tried to take the ball off him – before supplying Taylor, who fired home with a cool finish.

After Baba Adeeko was denied by a good save from Jamal Blackman, Shrewsbury were given a lifeline at the three-quarter mark when Aimson diverted a right-wing cross past a helpless Tickle at the near post.

And the visitors nicked a draw with three minutes to go when a rare error from Tickle allowed Lloyd to stabb the ball home from close range.

Before the late collapse, Latics were looking on course to move to within five points off the play-off picture, with a game in hand.

As it is, they remain in 17th spot, five points and four places clear of the drop-zone.