REPORT: Burton Albion 2 Wigan Athletic 1: Latics slump to fifth defeat in six league games

Latics flew out of the traps and could have been ahead inside 30 seconds.

Skipper Josh Magennis raced through and saw his first shot blocked by a defender, before the rebound was deflected just wide of the near post.

Callum McManaman - another of the six changes to the starting XI - came closer still when he raced one on one with goalkeeper Max Crocombe.

The forward slid the ball beyond the advancing custodian, only to see it roll agonisingly wide of the far post.

Burton sensed the let-off and came into the game, with Josh Gordon having two sights of Sam Tickle's goal.

His first effort, after cutting in from the right, was tipped over by the Latics stopper, with the second attempt flying just over the top.

Latics, though, ended the half on top, and took the lead a minute before the break.

Magennis sent over a long throw-in from the left which was only half-cleared to the edge of the area, for Charlie Hughes to lash home into the bottom corner on the volley.

James Balagizi appeared for the second half in place of Baba Adeeko who, on a booking, had committed a foul on the stroke of half-time that saw him given a lengthy lecture by referee Sunny Singh Gill.

Martial Godo added fresh legs for McManaman just after the hour mark, but he had no time to get into the game before Burton equalised.

Latics gave the ball away cheaply, and Joe Powell fired low into the far corner of Tickle's net from almost 30 yards

Latics sent on Stephen Humphrys and Steven Sessegnon for Magennis and Tom Pearce to try to regain the initiative.

But it was the home side who continued to look the most likely, and they took the lead with six minutes remaining - in hugely controversial circumstances.

Kell Watts appeared to be fouled as he leapt for a Burton cross from the left, but the referee sinstead whistle for a handball against the Latics defender - which led to a and a number of the visiting players remonstrating with the official.

Powell placed the ball on the spot and sent Tickle the wrong way from 12 yards.

And although Thelo Aasgaard came on for Omar Rekik - and despite more than seven minutes of added time - Latics were unable to find a late leveller, with Burton finishing with 10 after Beryly Lubala was shown a second yellow in the dying seconds.