Wigan Athletic chief assesses Blackpool draw - 'gifted them'

The Seasiders took the lead in simple fashion with Jordan Brown's free-kick being nodded home by Olly Casey, with Sam Tickle left helpless.

Wigan's response was impressive, with on-loan Stockport County midfielder Owen Moxon levelling the scores from the edge of the box on 39 minutes, after excellent build-up play by Joe Taylor.

And the visitors came closest to forcing a winner in the second period, with Taylor hitting the inside of a post, and Callum Wright firing straight at Bailey Peacock-Farrell when clean through.

"I think whenever you go away from home, it's always difficult," assessed Caldwell who, along with opposite number Ian Evatt, was shown a yellow card by the official.

"We gifted them a goal at the start of the game from a set-piece, which we knew they'd be dangerous from.

"Their threat all through the game was free-kicks and throw-ins, wherever they had them on the pitch, they were launching the ball into our box.

"I thought we stood up to that extremely well after the first goal, and at moments we played some very good stuff.

"I think we will continue to get better, it's the first time we've played that formation, and there were certain players who didn't quite get it, but they will do.

"On the whole, I thought we looked like a really dangerous team when we passed the ball.

"We scored an absolutely brilliant goal in the first half, and in the second half there were a couple of times we could have got that second goal.

"We'll take a point on the road, and we now need to back that up with two games in the next week."

After Casey put Blackpool ahead, it could have been worse had former Latics loanee Ashley Fletcher made better use of an awful backpass from Will Aimson that sold Tickle horribly short.

Latics grew into the game throughout the first half, however, and they levelled the scores six minutes before the interval.

After Taylor drove superbly into the box and pulled the ball back, Raphael Borges Rodrigues steered it into Moxon's path.

And from just outside the Blackpool box, the on-loan Stockport County midfielder guided the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

And Latics came closest to forcing a winner in the second period, only for Taylor's strike to hit the inside of the far post, and then roll back into the arms of grateful goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

The visitors threw on Matt Smith, Joseph Hungbo and Luke Robinson in the second period in an attempt to tip the balance their way.

And after both Gary Caldwell and opposite number Ian Evatt were booked by the official, Latics squandered one final attempt to secure all three points

Callum Wright found himself in on goal with four minutes to go, but he saw his shot diverted away by the leg of a lunging defender.

Both Latics are Blackpool extended their buffer over the relegation zone to two points, with Leyton Orient going down 2-1 at Bradford City – who visit the Brick Community Stadium next weekend.