REPORT: Wigan Athletic 3 Preston North End 2

Callum Lang curls home what proved to be the winning goal against Preston

After a quiet opening quarter, Latics burst into life with Keane opening the scoring with a first-time finish off Tendayi Darikwa's cross.

The trialist winger who's been with Latics all summer than saw a shot blocked before Luke Robins cut in from the left and warmed the hands of the Preston goalkeeper.

Latics then had to withstand pressure for the first time, with Ben Amos producing a couple of brilliant saves to deny North End.

And when he needed a bit of help on the third effort, Darikwa slid in and cleared in the nick of time.

The home side were good value for their half-time lead, but it evaporated within three minutes of the restart.

Former Latics man Scott Sinclair crossed from the right, and Darikwa - under pressure at the far post from Sepp Van Den Berg could only turn into his own net.

North End then turned the screw, and only a brilliant tip over from Amos stopped Van Den Berg heading the visitors in front.

Credit Latics, though, they withstood the barrage and restored their lead on 55 minutes.

After a scramble in the box, Stephen Humphrys was on hand to lash home from close range.

And Latics took a stranglehold on the game just after the midway point in the second period, when Humphrys was felled on the edge of the box.

With the whole of the stadium expecting him to get up and put his foot through the set-piece, Lang instead curled a beauty over the wall and into the top corner.

Lang almost made it 4-1 when his swerving effort took a slight deflection off a defender and kissed the bar on its way over.

Joe Rodwell-Grant ensured an interesting last five minutes when he raced clear and slotted past Amos - but anything other than a home win would have been a travesty.

Latics: Amos; Darikwa, Whatmough, Long, Robinson; Power, Naymor; Trialist, Keane, Humphrys; Wyke.

Subs: Jones, Lloyd, Carragher, Trialist, Smith, McHugh, Massey, Aasgaard, Lang, Costello.

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