Despite Harry Darling’s 88th-minute header from a corner – which levelled Tom Naylor’s opening goal on the hour - the Latics boss heaped praise on his players for giving as good as they got against the only side who can realistically stop them from winning automatic promotion.

"I thought it was tough, it was tight,” he said.

"From a neutral point of view, it would have been a good game to watch tactically.

"From a chances created point of view, probably not such a good game.

"It was always going to be a healthy challenge for us, as it was for them as well.

"You saw two good teams trying to work each other out tactically.

"It was always going to take something special, or a set-piece, or a mistake to prove decisive.

"I thought we deserved to go in front, having worked hard enough to limit them around the pitch.

"At half-time, we talked about being a little bit more aggressive in the final third, both in and out of possession.

"I thought we started to do that more as the game went on, and we're obviously disappointed to concede from a set play.

"But credit goes to the lads and the staff for working so hard this week.

"We'll take our point and we'll move on to the next one.”

Latics were enjoying their best spell of the game when Naylor found himself all on his own chasing in a deflected shot from Tom Pearce, to slot coolly past Jamie Cumming.

"It was calm, very calm, very similar to the goal he scored at Wycombe,” added Richardson.

"I'd like to take the credit, but he takes all the credit for that.

"You get taught as a young player to always follow the ball in, because you never know.

"The run was perfectly timed, it was clearly onside, and it was a goal I thought we deserved at the time.

"I'm just disappointed we couldn't hang on - especially to concede from a set play."

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