Leam Richardson reacts after Wigan Athletic's 2-0 win at Charlton

With nearly 18 months without supporters, he pointed straight to the scenes in the away end at full-time and praised his players - and the 711 travelling Latics fans.

"When the fans are here it's just everything," he said.

"You get tired of hearing my voice in the empty stadiums, I'm sure the lads do. So to hear the fans singing like that, I thought they were excellent and the scenes at the end there - 711 of them have travelled all the way to London on a Saturday.

"It's not cheap to bring your kids to the football nowadays so to do that to take your time out and support your team is fantastic and if we can give them that impetus and energy to take them home all the way up the M1, thankfully we have done today and there'll be more days like that hopefully."

Captain Tendayi Darikwa and debutant James McClean both struck in the dying stages as Wigan won 2-0 as the game looked to be fading towards a goalless draw.

Wigan had produced a dominant first half display but had to defend well after the break as Charlton picked up the pace.

But the introduction of McClean - and fellow winger Gavin Massey - injected Latics with some pace and firepower.

Richardson was delighted with every single player though, attributing a team effort to the victory.

"On the balance of play we started the game ever so well," he said.

"Charlton came back into it in the second hard and imposed themselves but we grew into the game towards the end. Their keeper pulled off some top saves in the end but I thought we deserved it.

"I've got to say Charlie Wyke and Will Keane lead the line ever so well today, I think within a squad if we are going to be successful you're going to need everybody.

"I thought certain lads, Jordan Jones and Callum Lang, ran their socks off for Gavin Massey, James McClean and Stephen Humphrys to come on the pitch and finish the job off."