REPORT: Blackpool 2 Wigan Athletic 1 - Late Magennis equaliser in vain as Latics fall to stoppage-time setback
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Within seconds of the kick-off, Callum McManaman took a tumble in the box, with half a shout for a pen, but nothing given by the official.
But the Seasiders caused an even bigger problem with their first attack, which saw Jordan Rhodes mark his home debut with the opener inside four minutes.
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Hide AdHad it not been for Latics goalkeeper Sam Tickle - 24 hours after being called up for the first time by the England Under-21s - the home side might have been out of sight by the interval.
Tickle denied his ex-Latics Academy colleague Jensen Weir - on loan at Blackpool from Brighton - with a decent save.
He did even better moments later when a free-kick from another former Latics man, Callum Connolly, took a wicked deflection off Rhodes, with Tickle adjusting in mid-air to make a stunning claim.
Wigan threatened just before the break when a Tom Pearce free-kick was headed back in by Matt Smith, only for Kell Watts to nod it just over the top.
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Hide AdBut Blackpool finished the half on top, with Tickle again denying Weir from distance.
Latics started the second half much brighter, with Charlie Wyke sending Callum Lang clean through.
Dan Grimshaw saved Lang's initial shot and, after the ball was played back in, Stephen Humphrys rifled home - only toi turn and see the flag up for offside.
James Balagizi and Jonny Smith took over from Sean Clare and McManaman, but still Blackpool looked the more likely to add another.
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Hide AdAnd Tickle made a quite miraculous double save to again thwart Rhodes, who thought he was nodding home from a yard after the goalkeeper's initial parry, only to see a hand come from out of nowhere to flick the ball off the line.
The flag was up in any case, but it wasn't moments later when Jake Beesley this time found Tickle too good to beat.
After Rhodes this time fired wide, Tickle saved well from CJ Hamilton, before Latics threw on Magennis for Matt Smith in a final roll of the dice.
The skipper was immediately into the game, seeing a header from Pearce's cross tipped over by Grimshaw.
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Hide AdBut he wasn't to be denied, and another header with two minutes to go looked like it had rescued a point for Latics.
However, there was to be one final sting in the tale, with Kenny Dougall netting a 94th-minute winner to inflict a second defeat in a row on Shaun Maloney's men.
Indeed, it was almost 3-1 in the final seconds, only for Pearce to somehow get back on the ball to head clear after Rhodes had fired goalwards.