Wigan Athletic boss explains double move that turned the tide against Peterborough

Coming up to the hour mark at the DW, Peterborough had just equalised, and were laying siege to the Latics goal.

All the danger was coming down the right-hand side from David Ajiboye, who'd laid on Kwame Poku's leveller, and sent another shot whistling just past the upright.

That was the signal for Maloney to withdraw Jordan Jones - who had been one of Latics' best attacking threats, having created the opener for Martial Godo before hitting the bar from 25 yards - and Stephen Humphrys in favour of Tom Pearce and youngster Chris Sze.

And the switch worked a treat, with Pearce helping to shore up the backline, as well as provide a threat going forward, as he laid on the late winner for another substitute, Callum McManaman.

"Their right winger was causing us big, big problems," acknowledged Maloney.

"I thought at that moment, we needed more of a full-back on, in that wing-back position.

"Stephen Humphrys has also been brilliant for us, but I just needed a different profile.

"For that next 10-15 minutes after that, I just needed to kind of dominate the middle of the pitch, try to get control of the back back, and stop the momentum they had.

"I thought Chris did really, really, in a real white-hot atmosphere, as did Josh Stones when he came on.

"These kids need a chance, and I don 't hand these chances out easily, they have to be earned.

"And I have to mention Scott Smith, who I thought was very good as well."

The Latics boss also hailed the mental strength of the players, after a fifth win in their last six outings.

"The group has to take the credit for that," he said.

"For the 15 minutes after the break, when they scored, we were really under pressure.

"The game was really, really open, they were putting crosses in and we were on the counter attack.

"There were chances at both ends, and the players deserve the really good feeling they had at the end."

On the upturn in fortunes - on the back of a disappointing run of results - he added: "If I'm honest, I think there was a period after the first block of games, when I spoke about the DNA of the club with the back.

"But there were also moments I felt we were too easy to play against without the ball.

"I hope that's changed, hopefully we're becoming a harder team to score against.

"And I think that's been shown in the last few weeks.

"I was really aware of the Charlton first half during the Peterborough game.

"I think Charlton have got some brilliant attacking players, but I think Peterborough as a team are even more dangerous.

"So I was really aware of not giving away the space we gave Charlton in that first half last week.

"I want this to be a really difficult place to come, I want us to be a really difficult team to play against.

"I really liked what we did in the first half, I really liked what Stephen Humphrys, Martial (Godo) and (Callum) Langy did."