Excellent Latics pegged back deep into stoppage time at the Crown Oil Arena.

Report | Rochdale 3 – 3 Latics
Late goal from Stephen Humphrys – who also gave Rochdale the lead in the first-half - grabs a point for ten men Rochdale
Jim McNulty was sent off for the hosts who trailed 2-1 and 3-2 to Latics following goals from Kyle Joseph, Callum Lang and Will Keane.

ROCHDALE 3

Humphrys 7, 90+5
Beesley 59

WIGAN ATHLETIC 3

Joseph 9
Lang 16
Keane 77

Latics were dealt a cruel late blow at Rochdale on Saturday evening as a Stephen Humphrys header grabbed a late equaliser for the hosts at the Crown Oil Arena.

Humphrys had given Rochdale an early lead in the game but goals from Kyle Joseph and Callum Lang sent Latics in ahead at the break, with the hosts also going down to ten men as Jim McNulty was sent off just before half-time.

Rochdale equalised on the hour mark as Jake Beesley headed in from a long ball forwards but Will Keane looked as though he’d won it for Latics 13 minutes from time with a sublime show of skill inside the hosts’ penalty area.

However, a depleted Latics couldn’t hold firm and Humphrys’ later header means Latics couldn’t follow up victory in their last game of 2020 – nearly three weeks ago – with all three points on the road at Rochdale.

Latics made six changes from their 4-3 win over Burton Albion for their first match of 2021 as Owen Evans made his league debut for the club, whilst Lang made his first league start for Latics after being recalled from his loan spell at Motherwell.

New signing Tendayi Darikwa also made his first league start for the club whilst Alex Perry, Adam Long and Dan Gardner also started.

Goalkeeper Jamie Jones and forward Charlie Jolley are both currently self-isolating in line with government guidance following positive COVID-19 test results.

Latics looked really productive from the off with Gardner seeing a low shot well-saved by Gavin Bazunu after being set by Keane.

However, it was the hosts who took the lead as Humphrys smashed a free-kick against the wall before seeing his deflected follow up effort beat Evans in Latics’ goal.

Richardson’s side were back level immediately, though, as a short corner was played back to Gardner, who crossed for Joseph to flick home his fifth goal of the season at the near post.

Within ten minutes, Latics were ahead as good play resulted in Joseph feeding through Lang to score his first Latics goal on his first league start for the club.

Lang had a great chance to make it 3-1 soon after but he headed wide at close range from an excellent Tom Pearce cross.

Five minutes before the break, Lang nearly made it three again as he followed up Chris Merrie’s blocked shot but was denied by Bazunu at close range.

In the latter moments of the first-half, the hosts were reduced to ten men as McNulty was penalised after lashing out at Joseph after the duo tangled on half way.

Latics started the second-half brightly, with Joseph firing just off target from a Gardner cross before Keane turned excellently and fired towards the top corner from 25 yards only to be denied by an acrobatic save from Bazunu.

Bazunu grabbed an assist on the hour mark, though, as his long ball forwards went straight through to Beesley who leaped over Evans to head home with the goalkeeper stranded. Latics’ only recognised centre back on the pitch – Long – was injured in trying to keep the ball out and was replaced by Luke Robinson.

Tom James then shot wide for Latics before the hosts almost went in front when Stephen Dooley headed a Matty Done cross wide when well-placed.

It was Latics who went in front just over ten minutes from the end, though, as a Pearce cross was headed back across by Lang before Keane sublimely brought the ball under control and hooked beyond Bazunu.

Another Pearce cross provided an opportunity for substitute Thelo Aasgaard to convert inside the penalty area but he couldn’t keep the ball down after an awkward bounce.

Dooley was then denied early in stoppage time by Evans before Latics broke three against one on the counter but couldn’t make the most of the opportunity to put the game to bed.

They were punished in the fifth minute of seven added on at the end of the 90, though, as Ryan McLaughlin’s cross from the right was headed in by Humphrys.

Another excellent effort from Latics, who should take more positives than negatives from a good performance, albeit they will feel disappointed not to be leaving Rochdale with all three points.

Latics: O. Evans; Darikwa, James, Long (Robinson 62), Pearce; Perry, Merrie; Gardner (Aasgaard 54), Keane (Capt), Lang (Crankshaw 93); Joseph.
Subs: Obi.

Rochdale: Bazunu, McNulty, Morley (Newby 81), Humphrys, Beesley, Keohane, Rathbone (Capt), Roberts, Done, Lund (Dooley 60), Baah (McLaughlin 45).
Subs: Lynch, Bradley, Brierley, Dunne.

Report | Rochdale 3 – 3 Latics