Asamoah’s late leveller so pleasing for Lowe

By Alan Harris

WIGAN ATHLETIC 1

Asamoah 77

WIGAN: Tickle 6, S Smith 6, Aimson 7, Kerr 6, Carragher 6, Norburn 6, J Smith 7 (McHugh 85), Sze 6 (McManaman 61, 6), Darcy 6 (Hungbo 78, 6), Dale 6 (Asamoah 62, 7), Taylor 7. Subs not used: Watson, Mellish, Robinson.

BARNSLEY 1

Keillor-Dunn 8

BARNSLEY: Flavell 7, Durand de Gevigney 7, Roberts 7, McCarthy 6, Bland 6 (Barratt 90), Russell 6, Nwakali 6, O’Keeffe 7, Keillor-Dunn 7, Jalo 7 (Connell 70, 6), Watters 6 (Humphrys 78, 6). Subs not used: Hayton, Pines, Phillips, Lewis.

RYAN LOWE saluted his Wigan players after they fought back to earn a point from his first home game in charge.

Davis Keillor-Dunn gave the Tykes the lead with a brilliant free-kick after eight minutes, but Wigan substitute Maleace Asamoah Jnr ensured honours ended even when he took advantage of a defensive mix-up to roll the ball into an empty net with 13 minutes to go.

“I thought it was a fantastic performance,” Lowe said.

“I’d like to be sitting here with three points, because we had some terrific chances, and you could see the intent we had from the start.t.

“As I’ve always said to every group I’ve been with, if you can’t win a game, make sure you don’t lose it. But it wasn’t for the lack of trying, especially in that second half.

“We came in at half-time, we changed one or two things, we told them not to force the press, and can we play a little bit further forward.

“We did that and deserved the goal and we had big chances to go on and win it.”

Chris Sze almost gave Lowe the perfect start, only to see a close-range effort blocked on the line. And it was Barnsley who took the lead when Keillor-Dunn curled a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards.

Barnsley thought they had a second before the break when a free-kick was finished off by Conor McCarthy at the far post but the flag was up for offside.

And Wigan finally found a leveller when Asamoah Jnr took advantage of a mix-up between Kieren Flavell and Mael de Gevigne to roll the ball into an empty net.

There was a flashpoint when former Wigan man Stephen Humphrys was dragged down by ‘last man’ Jason Kerr, only for referee

Sebastian Stockbridge to brandish a yellow card.

And Wigan almost won it at the death when Joseph Hungbo, drilled goalwards only for Flavell to tip it round a post.

Barnsley interim boss Conor Hourihane said: “It was disappointing. Just deal with the long ball, and don’t let it get as far as it did.

“Flav made some great saves. He will be a little bit disappointed, but it’s just as much Mael’s fault.

“You get disappointing moments in football and you have to get on with it.”

On the late drama, he added: “That was my biggest disappointment from the game. When Seb looks back he will probably know he got that wrong.”