Wigan Athletic chief slams first-half showing after Mansfield Town defeat - 'I was angry'

Latics went down to their second defeat in the space of three days which leaves them in 18th place, three points above the League One drop-zone.

A mistake from Baba Adeeko gifted possession on the half-hour to Will Evans, who rifled home an unstoppable 25-yard strike past Sam Tickle.

Having sent on four changes at the interval, Maloney saw his side level within eight minutes of the restart through Thelo Aasgaard, after neat work down the left from Steven Sessegnon, Tyrese Francois and substitute Michael Olakigbe.

But as Latics fancied themselves to go on and force a winner, it was the visitors who scored the crucial third goal of the game through Keanu Baccus just after the hour mark.

"I was really unhappy with the first half, but in the second half it was probably the opposite," assessed Maloney. "The first 10 minutes were fine, and I was really angry for the rest of the first half for a lack of aggression, lack of intent to push forward in the game.

"I wanted us to be aggressive when Mansfield had the ball, and we weren't...it was the opposite when they had it. We almost let them grow into the game, and it was two bad goals conceded from our point of view.

"I thought we played well in the second half but, within that, I still think there's certain areas where we have to get more people into, in the box basically.

"When we have our wingers and our '10s' in possession, we have to fill those positions, and that was the only problem in the second half.

"We're still in the habit of wanting the ball to feet, but I can't ask any more of the players on the field in the second half, and we're just disappointed to concede from a set-play.

"That's why I was so angry at half-time, and after the game, because we kind of just drifted in that first half...the word passive - with and without the ball - probably sums up that first half."

Wigan created the only real opening in the first quarter, with Aasgaard releasing Dion Rankine through on goal, but the former Chelsea man's shot found only the legs of the goalkeeper.

And the Stags took full advantage of the let-off by opening the scoring on the half-hour mark through Evans.

With seconds left of the first half, there was a huge flashpoint in the Mansfield box, as an Aasgaard free-kick was spilled out by Cristy Pym.

Latics striker Joe Hugill appeared to be impeded as he tried to convert the rebound, but the official whistled only for half-time.

After Aasgaard levelled the scores on 53 minutes, Mansfield regained the lead when Aaron Lewis' deep free-kick was headed down by Frazer Blake-Tracy, for Baccus to fire into the bottom corner.

Latics pressed again, but Olakigbe couldn't keep his shot down, and fellow substitute Matt Smith fired wide of the target from the edge of the box.

At the other end, Elliott Hewitt's cross was prodded just wide by Lewis.