REPORT: Wigan Athletic 1 Mansfield Town 2: Aasgaard leveller in vain as Tics crash again

Wigan created the only real opening in the first quarter, with Thelo Aasgaard releasing Dion Rankine through on goal, but the former Chelsea man's shot found only the legs of the goalkeeper.

And the Stags took full advantage of the let-off by opening the scoring on the half-hour mark.

There looked little problem as Latics had the ball in their own half, but a slack pass from Baba Adeeko gifted the ball to Will Evans, whose right-foot strike from 25 yards flew into the top corner of Sam Tickle's net.

With seconds left of the first half, there was a huge flashpoint in the Mansfield box, as an Aasgaard free-kick was spilled out by Cristy Pym.

Latics striker Joe Hugill appeared to be impeded as he tried to convert the rebound, but the official whistled only for half-time.

Shaun Maloney showed his displeasure at the situation by making four changes at the interval, with Calvin Ramsay, Matt Smith, Michael Olakigbe and Dale Taylor replacing James Carragher, Adeeko, Silko Thomas and Hugill.

Two of the new-boys were quickly in the game, Olakigbe supplying Taylor, who dragged his shot wide of the target.

But the scores were level eight minutes after the restart, when nice work down the left from Olakigbe, Steven Sessegnon and Tyrese Fracnois led to Aasgaard powering home a left-foot shot in off the underside of the bar.

However, as Latics prepared to go for a winner, the visitors regained their advantage, when Aaron Lewis' deep free-kick was headed down by Frazer Blake-Tracy, for Keanu Baccus to fire into the bottom corner.

Latics pressed again, but Olakigbe couldn't keep his shot down, and Smith fired wide of the target from the edge of the box.

At the other end, Elliott Hewitt's cross was prodded just wide by Lewis.

The defeat leaves Latics in 18th place in the table, three points above the drop-zone – and half a dozen off the play-offs.