Reid: Someone's about to cop a hiding!

The former England midfielder - who has been assisting Paul Cook on the training ground since the summer - watched Latics sneak home thanks to a Nick Powell penalty eight minutes from time.

But the winning margin could and should have been far more, such was Wigan’s dominance from virtually the first minute to the last.

“Let me try and put that in perspective - we scored two goals at the weekend (at Peterborough) and got beat,” said Reid.

“We’ve only scored once tonight, and we’ve got all three points.

“Sometimes you just have to take the result, and the points, and move on.

“If we can carry on creating chances like we are, sooner or later they’re going to start finding their way into the back of the net.

“The concern would come if we weren’t doing that, if we weren’t putting teams under pressure.

“Every game we’ve had this season, we’ve put the opposition under pressure.

“I’ve been in football for such a long time, and it’s brilliant to get your fours and fives.

“But at the end of the season, it’s the 1-0s that really count - and that is a really important result for us.”

Latics had to bide their time before coming up with what proved to be the only goal thanks, largely, to an inspired night from Argyle goalkeeper Kyle Letheren on debut.

And even when Powell had finally broken the deadlock, there was almost a late sting in the tale when Graham Carey hit the Wigan bar with a 25-yard free-kick in stoppage-time.

“I think with the way we play, we’ve got a reputation for being a very good side,” Reid acknowledged.

“Plymouth, one of my old clubs, have come and made it very difficult for us, by defending very well.

“You’ve got to stay patient, and keep passing it, and hope you get your breakthrough.

“And I think that’s going to be the case once or twice more this season.

“If I was coming here, as an opposition manager, I’d try and keep it as tight as possible.

“I thought the fans were patient to be fair - it would have been easy for them to get anxious, and want the team to get it forward earlier.

“But it’s better to keep passing it, and eventually we got our penalty.

“And if you want anybody to be on spot-kick duties, it’s Nick Powell.

“Some people get a bit nervous at that stage - but I was 100 per cent he would score from the spot.

“That’s the ability the boy has got.”