Wigan Athletic 'should be right at the top end of League One', insists Leyton Orient manager

Both Wellens and Latics boss Shaun Maloney acknowledged the 42nd-minute dismissal of Ethan Galbraith - for two yellow-card offences in the space of 13 minutes - was the 'game-changing moment'.

After that it was attack against defence, and Latics finally broke through with 17 minutes remaining when Jason Kerr headed home Jonny Smith's cross - seconds after both men had been brought off the bench.

Wellens had few complaints about the result, and none about the red card.

"I can't really remember the first (yellow), but I've got no complaints about the second one, his foot was high, and it was a fair booking," he said.

"Until the sending off, we dominated the game.

"It was too easy for us, the only threat they had was when we lost the ball in the middle of the pitch and they countered on us."

Wellens then referred to Latics' recent pedigree at this level - perhaps without taking into account the huge moving of the goalposts during the last 12 months at the DW Stadium.

"I'm very proud of the team...to come to this stadium, against a club that wins the league whenever they are in League One," he added.

"Wigan should be right at the top end of this division, so to come here with really young players, and play the way we did, was excellent.

"It was comfortable for us at the back, I didn't think they caused us any problems, until they made a good substitution, taking (Charlie) Goode off, and bringing on someone who was better on the ball at the back, which caused us problems.

"But we've been done by a set-play, and we've got to be better with that.

"After that, they managed the game well, the referee allowed them to slow the game down, waste time, which you expect the opposition to do in that position."