Wigan Athletic boss reacts to Blackpool setback...and reasoning for substitutes - 'We were worried about a second yellow'

Goals from Dion Rankine and Matt Smith saw Latics open up a two-goal lead approaching half-time - which was no more than they warranted.

However, an own goal from skipper Jason Kerr in first-half stoppage-time gave the home side an expected boost.

And after Latics failed to make the most of good chances to extend their advantage - through Michael Olakigbe, Thelo Aasgaard and Dale Taylor - there was a sickening inevitability when Blackpool forced home a stoppage-time leveller.

Again there was a hard-luck story attached, with Kerr's central defensive partner Will Aimson this time diverting the ball past a helpless Sam Tickle, leaving Maloney to put on a brave face after the game.

"It definitely hurts right now," the Latics boss acknowledged. "In fairness, in that last half hour, it was end to end, we had a chance, and they had a chance.

"The biggest disappointment was we could have killed that game off early in the second half. But we didn't, and when you don't kill off a game, you always leave yourselves open to be punished...and unfortunately we were.

"It was never the plan to be holding on at the end, and there were still moments we were finding Thelo in certain areas. I didn't think we got into position quick enough to be able to play through Blackpool as we had in the first half.

"We started going longer, which probably suited them in that kind of game. But in terms of the substitutes...(Calvin) Ramsay had cramp and was really struggling...I've asked a lot of (Steven) Sessegnon since he came back after seven weeks out, that was fatigue...so was Michael (Olakigbe)...and we were concerned Tyrese (Francois) was getting close to a second yellow card.

"We still wanted to open up the game with the ball, but we just couldn't get enough control."

Looking to bounce back after successive defeats to Cambridge and Mansfield, Latics were quickly into their stride and a goal up inside 20 minutes.

Aasgaard wrapped his left foot round the ball on the far side and went over a deep cross that evaded Francois and Taylor in the middle.

However, Rankine arrived unmarked at the back post, and drilled a low strike past Latics old-boy Rich O'Donnell in the Blackpool goal.

Rankine was enjoying plenty of joy in the first half, and his cross was prodded just wide of the target by Taylor at the near post.

At the other end, a Rob Apter shot from 30 yards was watched over the top by Sam Tickle, who was then called upon to produce a super save to deny his former Latics Academy colleague Kyle Joseph.

Latics were incensed when Sessegnon was clattered just in front of the technical areas, only for referee Farai Hallam to allow play to continue.

When a yellow card came out at the next break in play, it was for Latics boss Maloney, who took his protestations to the fourth official a little too far.

Latics exacted their own revenge, however, with a second goal three minutes before the interval.

Smith picked the pocket of another Latics old-boy, Lee Evans, and advanced to the edge of the box before firing low into the bottom corner.

The two-goal lead certainly didn't flatter the visitors, but the advantage was halved with the very last kick of the half when Kerr - under pressure from Joseph - bundled the ball past Tickle and into his own net.

Credit to Latics, they didn't allow the setback to affect them, and started the second period in the ascendancy.

Aasgaard won the ball high up the field and played in Olakigbe, who was denied by a superb save from O'Donnell.

Francois then crossed for Aasgaard to fire goalwards, only for Matt Pennington to make a good block.

Fresh legs arrived in the shape of Scott Smith, Silko Thomas, Luke Robinson, Toby Sibbick and Jonny Smith, as Latics prepared for the inevitable onslaught in the final quarter.

One of the newcomers, Jonny Smith, sent over a cross that was headed over by Taylor, but the visitors were dropping deeper and deeper as time ticked by.

And the home side forced a leveller in stoppage-time, with Aimson this time bundling the ball into his own net past a helpless Tickle.

The result leaves Latics in 19th spot in League One, four points above the drop-zone with 13 matches having been played.