Wigan Athletic chief on 'lesson learned' during closing stages at Peterborough United

Latics looked home and dry when, shortly after Matt Smith picked up a second yellow card, Thelo Aasgaard made it 3-0 with five minutes to go.

But Posh had other ideas, and pulled two goals back in stoppage-time before referee Daniel Middleton blew up with the home side pushing for an unlikely leveller.

Leaving Maloney to breathe a huge sigh of relief in the technical area.

"Maybe I learnt a lesson at the end there," he said. "I let off a little bit of steam when the third goal went in, and I don't normally tend to celebrate.

"I'll remember not to do that again, because it almost cost us!

"At the end there, when they had six or seven players in our box, we were relying on our defenders to clear their lines.

"It was uncomfortable for sure, but I was delighted to hear the whistle."

The defeat was only Peterborough's second in their last 23 matches - both against Latics.

And Maloney dedicated the triumph to the travelling army of more than 500 who gave their side unwavering backing from the stands.

"I'm so glad we gave them a win," the Latics boss added.

"I know it's never dull watching us, and some performances haven't perhaps been as fluid as others.

"But they can be proud of what our young players have done and they helped to get us over the line."