REPORT: Blackburn Rovers 0 Wigan Athletic 0

The home side started well with Ben Brereton-Diaz racing clean through the left channel, with Latics indebted to Ben Amos for making a superb stop.

At the other end, from a loose ball in the Blackburn box after a Latics corner, Omar Rekik turned well to create a yard for himself, but shot was blocked.

Fellow deadline-day signing Danel Sinani tried his luck from 25 yards, with a shot that was travelling but straight at the goalkeeper.

Rovers were almost in again when a Bradley Dack cross was cut out in the nick of time by Martin Kelly, the third of Shaun Maloney's new signings handed first starts.

Latics continued to look dangerous, though, with Callum Lang sending a snapshot from 25 yards just over the top corner, before seeing another effort from distance touched behind for a corner.

Amos made another good save to deny Sorba Thomas, but Latics would have been pleased with their opening 45 minutes.

They started the second period strongly, with Rekik winning two challenges before beating a third opponent, only to send his shot wide of the far post.

Disappointingly, that was Rekik's last involvement, with the on-loan Arsenal man limping off to be replaced by Tom Pearce.

Latics then had a 'goal' chalked off when James McClean - who became a dad for the fourth time hours before kick-off - sent over a corner that was met by Kelly at the back post.

However, the referee whistled against Lang for a foul on the goalkeeper, and the celebrations behind the goal were silenced.

Kelly was required to produce a couple of pieces of fine defending under pressure in his own box as Rovers pushed.

Thelo Aasgaard took over from Sinani to add fresh legs, before Latics were forced into another injury-enforced change when Kelly limped off after an innocuous looking challenge.

Also off went Will Keane, with Steven Caulker and Charlie Wyke on for the last 15 minutes.

There was almost an unwanted sting in the tale, when Harry Pickering got on the wrong side of Jack Whatmough, who wasn't getting there and fell over into the Rovers man in the box – only for the referee to wave play on.