Watford 1-1 Wigan Athletic: Hornets play-off chances dented

James McClean's equaliser for Wigan was his third goal of the campaign

Wigan battled to a point with a rearguard display against Watford but remain six points from safety at the bottom of the Championship as their dismal run extended to just one win in 17 games.

The Hornets were on the front foot from the start and gave their play-off hopes a boost when Keinan Davis fired in his sixth goal of the season just before half-time.

The Latics were neat and constructive in their build-up but offered very little in the final third as they sought their first away win in eight games.

They conjured an equaliser on 51 minutes as substitute Callum Lang crossed for James McClean to find the top corner with a superb header from the edge of the area.

Tempers flared on the touchline late in the game after Joao Pedro's idea of returning the ball to Wigan after an injury stoppage was to put it out of play close to the visitors' corner flag, sparking an angry confrontation between the two managers, with Watford boss Chris Wilder booked as a result.

Watford had given new manager Wilder his first win with a 3-0 victory over Birmingham on Tuesday but they struggled to break down a determined Latics defence, despite the visitors losing defender Charlie Hughes after just 12 minutes, replaced by Arsenal loanee Omar Rekik.

Jeremy Ngakia fired a shot narrowly wide, and Danel Sinani replied in kind as Wigan staged a rare foray forward in the first half.

A stubborn defensive effort by Shaun Maloney's men was undone just before half-time as Davis played a one-two with Pedro and with the opposition expecting a cross, cut back onto his left foot and drifted a shot beyond Ben Amos in the Wigan goal.

McClean's equaliser set up an intriguing final half-hour as Watford pressed for the winner and the Latics looked dangerous on the break.

Imran Louza struck a post with a speculative 25-yard effort and forced a sharp save from Amos but the Hornets were lacking the guile to forge clear chances.

Wigan looked a threat on the counter-attack in the later stages, and could have snatched it had Max Power made the most of a five-on-two break, or had Lang's touch not deserted him when he was played in by Sinani.

The game ended with a round of boos from the Watford support as they missed a chance to make further inroads into the five-point gap to sixth-placed Millwall, while Wigan remain bottom, five points from safety.

Watford manager Chris Wilder told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"We just tried to be too intricate at times. All it needs sometimes is a pass out wide and an overload and get down to the byline. Ken Sema has put in two or three great crosses and Jez [Ngakia] has done the same.

"The powerful teams who are really going for it really step on to it in the last 15 to 20 minutes but we were lacking that bit of oomph and energy."

(On opponents going down to break up play which led to his booking): "It's a major problem in the game, and I'm not just saying it because we've drawn. Everybody is recognising it - there are so many calls going into the LMA (League Managers Association).

"I spoke to the referee about it and I'll take the yellow card all day. That's been sorted out already and Shaun [Maloney] has said what he wanted to say.

"It will be happening in 50, 60, 70% of the games played today."

Wigan manager Shaun Maloney told BBC Radio Manchester:

"When you put into context what's happened in the last 48 hours, the feeling within the group did change during the lead-up, I am incredibly impressed and proud to be a part of that team today.

(On players still not being paid): "That's still not the case, unfortunately, so what they did today was incredible. My big worry before the game was how resilient we would be, when or if we had a setback.

"It was a really poor goal we lost and I think in the first half both teams were just okay. I really felt at half-time that if we really believed how good we could be in this game then we could have a big impact, and the substitutes played a big part in that. We were brilliant second half.

(On heading to Bahrain for talks with the owners): "I'm expecting to get some clarity. It's a necessity to get clarity on where the club is at in the short term, and we also have to have exactly the same for the long-term vision for the club.

"But the priority has to be the answers on the players being paid."