REPORT: Wigan Athletic 3 Preston North End 2


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.
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Hide AdLatics 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.
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Hide AdNorth 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.
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Hide AdWith 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.
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Hide AdSubs: Jones, Lloyd, Carragher, Trialist, Smith, McHugh, Massey, Aasgaard, Lang, Costello.
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