Former Celtic and Scotland colleagues Shaun Maloney and Gary Caldwell shared the spoils as Wigan and Exeter played out a goalless League One draw at the Brick Community Stadium.
Wigan bossed the majority of the game in pretty much all areas except the one that matters on the scoreboard.
In a very tight first half, Jensen Weir teed up on-loan Leicester winger Silko Thomas, who was thwarted by Joe Whitworth in the Exeter goal.
Whitworth tipped another effort from Weir round the post just before the interval, and the second half was more of the same.
After Kamari Doyle had sent a rare Exeter shot wide of Sam Tickle’s goal, Wigan laid siege to the visitors’ goal in the final half-hour.
Baba Adeeko was unable to make the most of fellow substitute Callum McManaman’s brilliant cross.
And another two replacements – Michael Olakigbe and Dale Taylor – combined well only to be denied when the latter’s shot was well stopped by Whitworth.
Wigan almost won it with the last play of the game, but ex-Exeter defender Will Aimson’s goalbound header was clawed away superbly by Whitworth at full stretch.
Match report supplied by PA Media.
