Report | Latics 1 Shrewsbury Town 1
Will Keane scored his fourth goal of the season, as Latics drew with in-form Shrewsbury.
Keane's penalty had Latics ahead, but Salop's leading goal scorer Shaun Whalley gave his side a share of the spoils.

Wigan Athletic 1

Keane 47 (pen)

Shrewsbury Town 1

Whalley 66

It was another point on the board for Latics on Boxing Day afternoon at the DW Stadium, after Will Keane's second half penalty was cancelled out by Shaun Whalley's 66th minute equaliser for visitors Shrewsbury Town.

Latics had three shouts for penalties for fouls on flying full back Tom Pearce, but it took until the third claim for the referee to award a spot kick. Keane duly converted from the spot, but a lapse in concentration allowed for the lethal Whalley to pull his side back on terms.

Leam Richardson and Gregor Rioch's side battled hard for the remainder of the game as expected, seeing out the draw to claim a second consecutive point in their bid to survive in Sky Bet League One.

Latics made one change from the previous Saturday's 1-1 draw at Fleetwood Town, with Matty Palmer making his return to the starting XI in place of striker Kyle Joseph.

The on loan Swindon Town man slotted into the right hand side, allowing Kal Naismith to push up alongside Will Keane in attack.

It took some time for the game to warm up at the DW Stadium, with only former Latics loanee Leon Clarke's half-chance to talk about in the opening 40 minutes or so, and that came inside the sixth minute.

Latics were well-organised against an equally drilled Shrewsbury outfit, but concentration slipped when Charlie Daniels cut a low ball into the centre of the box for Clarke, only for the experienced striker to turn the ball over first time.

The main talking point of the first half came three minutes from the break, and Clarke was involved again, this time in the opposite box.

After Tom James' clipped cross was half cleared, it allowed for Tom Pearce to run onto the loose ball and take a touch to settle, but as he was about to shoot from close range, he was bundled to the ground by Clarke. Safe to say Latics were bemused when the referee waved play on.

At the other end Latics had captain Jamie Jones and centre back Curtis Tilt to thank for remaining level.

Jones saved well from Whalley's effort with a minute to play of the first half, before Tilt plucked a cross out of the air from under the nose of Clarke in stoppage time.

The second half started similarly to the end of the first, with Pearce lying in a heap on the floor in the Shrewsbury box... this time the call was for a penalty, with Ro-Shaun Williams judged to have tripped and pulled Latics' flying full back as he attempted to carve out another chance.

And so, with the ball in hand, Keane placed it on the spot and duly side-footed a well-placed spot kick into the right corner for 1-0 and his fourth goal of the season.

Shrewsbury pegged themselves back shortly after the hour mark when their leading goal scorer Whalley ghosted in behind to latch onto Jan Zamburek's reverse pass, before side-stepping Darnell Johnson to finish into the bottom left corner.

The two teams attempted to lay telling blows on each other for the remainder of the game, with the best chance falling to Latics' late substitute Thelo Aasgaard, but the Norwegian teenager's powerful left footed effort was instinctively blocked on the edge of the six yard box by Aaron Pierre, who ensured it was a share of the spoils on Boxing Day at the DW.

Latics: J.Jones (Capt); James, Johnson, Tilt, Pearce; Merrie, Perry; Gardner (Aasgaard 87), Palmer (Long 69), Naismith (Joseph 77); Keane

Subs: O.Evans, Obi, Smith, Crankshaw

Shrewsbury Town: Sarkic; Pierre, Williams, Whalley, Norburn (Capt), Vela, Clarke (Udoh 77), Zamburek (Tracey 90), Miller, Daniels, Ebanks-Landell

Subs: Burgoyne, Golboure, Edwards, Cummings, Pugh

Report | Wigan Athletic 1 Shrewsbury Town 1