Wigan Athletic 2-1 Millwall: Wigan keep survival hopes alive

Will Keane set Wigan on their way early on

Thelo Aasgaard's late winner kept Wigan's heads above water in their bid to avoid relegation, and dented Millwall's Championship play-off hopes.

The Norwegian, on as a substitute, finished off a great break by Callum Lang to make it successive wins for the Latics and give them faint hope of hauling themselves out of the bottom three.

Shaun Maloney's team need to win their last two games, at fellow strugglers Reading and against Rotherham at home and hope others drop points.

They looked all but down with five minutes left after Will Keane's early goal was cancelled out by George Saville's equaliser.

Cardiff's failure to beat Stoke, and defeats for Rotherham and Reading would all have been academic, had Aasgaard not fired in his late goal, but those results now mean Wigan can still stay up.

Millwall remain in the play-offs on goal difference with two matches remaining but teams just outside the top six have games in hand.

Maloney named an unchanged team from that which pulled off an impressive win at Stoke in midweek and they went ahead on 14 minutes.

Millwall had started sluggishly and they allowed Lang time and space on the right to measure a dangerous cross, and when keeper George Long was panicked into diving and pushing the ball out, Keane snapped up the opportunity.

The lively Lang almost made it two as he burst through two defenders and prodded a shot past the post, but Millwall were level from their first meaningful attack.

Callum Styles slid a perceptive pass down the left-hand channel for striker Tom Bradshaw, and when he crossed, Saville got in front of his marker to deftly flick the ball past keeper Jamie Jones.

That pepped up Millwall and when Oliver Burke skipped to the byline and fired in a cross, both Bradshaw and Styles were inches away from converting it.

The first half had been understandably tight and tense, but with a point not much use to either side, the second half opened out into a feast of attacking.

Billy Mitchell brilliantly blocked James McClean's close-range effort and at the other end Zian Flemming swivelled and drove in a shot that Jones parried over the bar.

Nerves began to jangle as Jones, in a bid to launch a quick counter-attack, threw the ball straight to Scott Malone, but recovered well to turn the Millwall man's shot around the post.

Wigan also missed a great chance as Charlie Hughes' cross was glanced on by Ashley Fletcher and Keane with the goal at his mercy, saw the ball too late and missed his kick.

Wigan deserved something after a terrific second-half effort and they got it when Lang, exceptional throughout, drove at the defence, carved inside, drew two defenders and slipped a pass to Aasgaard, who made no mistake.

Wigan boss Shaun Maloney told BBC Radio Manchester:

"The performance was very good again, both in and out of possession. We're now a really solid defensive team.

"I mention the word a lot but I'm really proud of the team again.

"A big mention to Ashley Fletcher who has a really serious elbow injury and for him to get off the floor and come back on, because we didn't have any more subs, and not just stand there, but he was pressing and giving absolutely everything for us to win. So he deserves a special mention today."

Millwall manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio London:

"I just said to the players that we didn't play like we were desperate to win the game and get in the top six. We played like we were scared of dropping out of the top six, and there's a big difference. That's a disappointment.

"I don't care where we finish, it's about pride, about going and doing ourselves justice.

"I told the players we either show a little bit of character, a little bit of bravery and show that we're hurt, or we just let the season peter out.

"It's been a good season but to get so close, have it in our hands and not turn up in a game like this, it's disappointing."