REPORT: Wigan Athletic 1 Reading 0 - Thelo beauty lifts Latics to highest league position of season

Latics opened up the gap between themselves and their fourth-bottom opponents to a healthy eight points after a hard-fought victory over the Royals.

Martial Godo had an early chance to open the scoring, only to be denied by David Button, before the on-loan Fulham man picked up a worrying knock that eventually caused his substitution.

After Sean Clare had made a stupendous block to deny Harvey Knibbs, Aasgaard scored what proved to be the winner on 32 minutes.

Receiving the ball after a clever flick from on-loan Liverpool defender Luke Chambers, Aasgaard steadied himself before curling a beautiful shot into the far corner of the net.

Liam Morrison – who took over from Wigan captain Josh Magennis early in the second half - immediately tested Button with a firm header from a corner, which was well saved.

And it was almost 2-0 when Matt Smith led a two-on-two break and decided to chip the goalkeeper from 35 yards, with Button just about getting back and clawing the ball behind for a corner.

With three added minutes about to be played, there was still time for late drama, with Sam Tickle parrying Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan's fierce drive, and then regaining his feet quickly to push the ball away from the danger zone.

It was the first of three home matches in the space of a week for Latics, who would be up in ninth spot without their eight-point deduction for offences committed under the previous ownership.