REPORT: Wigan Athletic v Cheltenham Town: Chambers equaliser rescues a point for below-par Tics

Latics were behind inside nine minutes when Tom Bradbury's set-piece found Matty Taylor, who fired low into the bottom corner past Sam Tickle.

And that was about it for the first half, with Wigan enjoying the vast majority of possession, but being able to do very little with it.

Indeed, there was audible booing from sections of the home support as the ball was played across the backline, with Cheltenham content to let the hosts have the ball.

Shaun Maloney made a triple attacking substitution at the break, sending on Callum McManaman, Stephen Humphrys and Josh Magennis for Tom Pearce, Baba Adeeko and Charlie Kelman - and things immediately improved.

McManaman in particular was his usual effervescent self, getting stuck in which helped to get the supporters back on side.

And Latics managed to force an equaliser within seven minutes of the restart, with Luke Chambers firing home via a massive deflection off Town defender Elliot Bonds.

Jonny Smith had a great chance to win it - after good work from Chambers and Magennis - but he could only fire tamely at Luke Southwood.

The result leaves Latics eight points ahead of fourth-bottom Cheltenham in the League One table, with a dozen games now to go.

Without their eight-point deduction, they would lie seven points off the play-offs.