Asamoah Jr Strikes Late as Latics Share the Spoils with Barnsley

Wigan Athletic and Barnsley played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Brick Community Stadium as Ryan Lowe took charge of his first home game as Latics Head Coach. A late equaliser from Maleace Asamoah Jr secured a deserved point for Wigan on an emotional afternoon, which saw heartfelt tributes to club legend Darren Orme.

Match Summary

Latics started brightly and created the first big opportunity inside five minutes, as Chris Sze’s effort was deflected just wide. However, it was Barnsley who struck first against the run of play, with Davis Keillor-Dunn curling in a stunning 30-yard free-kick past Sam Tickle in the eighth minute.

Ryan Lowe made attacking changes from the defeat at Charlton, bringing in Jonny Smith, Ronan Darcy, and Sze to add creativity to Wigan’s frontline. The hosts responded well to going behind, with chances falling to Dale Taylor, Jonny Smith, and Scott Smith, all of whom tested Barnsley goalkeeper Kieren Flavell.

The visitors thought they had doubled their lead midway through the first half when Conor McCarthy found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Despite Wigan’s attacking intent, they went into the break trailing by a goal.

Second-Half Fightback

Latics maintained their attacking momentum in the second half, pushing for an equaliser while Barnsley remained a threat on the counter. Taylor had another effort from distance, but the decisive moment came in the 78th minute when substitute Asamoah Jr pounced on a defensive mix-up. He latched onto a long ball, beat Mael De Gevigney and Flavell to it, and calmly slotted home his first goal for the club, sending the Wigan fans into raptures.

Barnsley nearly restored their lead minutes later, but Tickle produced a crucial save to deny Jonathan Russell. Flavell then pulled off a spectacular stop to prevent Joe Hungbo from winning it late on for Latics, as both sides settled for a point.

Barnsley’s Away Support

A fantastic turnout from the 848 traveling Barnsley supporters who made the journey to the Brick Community Stadium. 👏🔴

What’s Next?

Wigan now turn their attention to a crucial local derby on Tuesday night, as they host fierce rivals Bolton Wanderers at the Brick Community Stadium. With Lowe looking to build on this solid performance, it promises to be an electric encounter under the lights after Bolton fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat to Blackpool and saw the dismissal of Aaron Collins in the 97th minute.

Watch Our Matchday Vlog!

Experience the atmosphere, key moments, and reactions from the game by watching our latest matchday vlog! We take you inside the stadium, capturing all the drama from the stands.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more Wigan Athletic content!