Wigan Athletic chief hails 'bravery and balls' of his side after Wimbledon win

It looked like it was going to be a familiar tale of woe when, after Latics missed a couple of big chances in the first half, Wimbledon took the lead with 20 minutes to go through Alistair Smith via the underside of the bar.

However, Lowe had other ideas, and threw on Academy product Harrison Bettoni for his league debut with 13 minutes left.

The 18-year-old netted with his very first touch in league football by bending a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner to level the scores.

And with three minutes remaining, he latched on to a clever flick from fellow substitute Paul Mullin to give Latics all three points.

"Harrison will get all the plaudits, and rightly so, but I thought we were excellent in that first half, again," gushed Lowe. "It was very similar to Exeter, when we played well without having that clinical edge.

"But I thought the lads were excellent, in everything we asked them to do. I've obviously got that belief and faith in them regardless, even when we went behind again.

"They're a good team, they're well coached, well organised, as you saw with their goal. But we stayed on the front foot, and we deserved what happened.

"At half-time, I praised them, because I thought we were playing well. I knew they would come out for the second half and maybe change it a bit, which they did, and they had the better of the start of the second half.

"We're disappointed with the goal, because there's a bit of a mix-up, we give them a corner, from which they score...it comes from a second phase, and we don't pick up.

"That's stuff we need to keep working on, and I'm saying that all the time.

"But these lads have got balls and bravery in abundance to come back the way they did, and I had full faith we could come back even when we went behind."

Latics will feel they deserved the win for again creating the better chances, only to not be able to take them until the late drama.

Fraser Murray fired wide in the early stages, before Dara Costelloe turned down the chance to shoot when he was played in behind.

Instead, the Irishman laid the ball square to Callum Wright, whose shot was blocked by a covering defender.

Latics almost paid a high price when Ryan Johnson headed over for Wimbledon from close range at the end of the first half.

Jason Kerr nearly nodded past Sam Tickle with 20 minutes to go, with the ball flying inches past the post.

The respite was only temporary, however, as the resulting set-piece saw Joe Lewis tee up Smith for the opening goal.

Latics immediately threw on Mullin, with Ollie Cooper and Bettoni joining him for the last 13 minutes.

And Bettoni turned the game on its head to give Latics their first win on the road since Easter.