Macauley Bonne’s stoppage time goal could be vital in Charlton’s quest to stay up. It means they ‘only’ have to match Luton’s result to be safe.
If they had lost the game, the Addicks would have needed to better Luton’s result to survive.
Victory for the Hatters against Blackburn would have meant relegation for Lee Bowyer’s side.
Josh Davison was given a rare start, and his pace and movement gave the Latics plenty of problems.
But Jamal Lowe gave the visitors the lead after jusst nine minutes, but Charlton restored parity within two minutes.
Naby Sarr’s pinpoint cross field ball picked out Adam Matthews. The full-back’s cross went beyond the far post for Alfie Doughty to smash home on the volley.
Doughty had another good game, supplying most of the Addicks’ dangerous crosses.
The hosts put their visitors under plenty of pressure but it was Wigan who took the lead again through Kieran Dowell.
After missing a glorious chance earlier, Bonne levelled things up in added on time, with a cool finsh across the keeper.
It will be a nervy night on Wednesday. Fans will have one eye on events at Kenilworth Road, but Bowyer will focus on his own team’s performance.
Here are some of his post-match thoughts:
”Mixed emotions. I’m happy, it’s a good point. It’s the least we deserved but at the same time I’m disappointed because again, we were the better side.
“We created better chances and more chances and again, the officials I think have not been brave enough for us.
“If you think of think of the penalties that have been given against us as of late… are you telling me that we shouldn’t have had one?
“I’ve looked at them both, both challenges on Macauley Bonne. The first one’s a penalty and the second one isn’t, but again a big decision has gone against us.
“I’m pleased that we kept going and fought till. the end and we got a well deserved point and we deserve that.”
Dependent on how Luton do against Blackburn, Bowyer’s team may need to fashion a result of some sort against Champions, Leeds, at Elland Road on Wednesday, but Bowyer is not fazed by the task:
“It’s in our hands and that’s all you can ask for is to be in control of your own destiny because it’s better than relying on others.
“I have a group there that will keep fighting and keep pushing and I just wish we’d had a bit of luck here and there since we’ve got back because we’ve been good since we’ve come back from lockdown. Today was no different.
“We gave away two silly goals, but that can happen in this division. But they went bang bang. It was chance, chance, goal, goal. I guess that’s the difference in what you pay for. I’m over the moon that we showed fight and we showed character.”
Bowyer has been critical of Bonne recently – and the striker fluffed another one-on-one chance – but the manager was full of praise for his striker after the game:
“That was the best game that he’s played for the club by a country mile and it’s not just because he got his goal.
“Physically he was putting his challenges in and putting his body on the line and that’s part of the game as well.
“I had a go at him maybe a week ago and people may have thought that I was being a bit harsh on him there but that’s my job. To push people and to bring the best out of them, and today I said to Macca ‘well done, you were outstanding’.
And he could have easily gone the other way about me having a go at him but he didn’t, he stood up like a man and he improved. That’s perfect for me. I’m really pleased for him and he deserves all the praise he’ll get after this game.”
Bonne had two penalty claims turned down, Bowyer felt one of them should have been given:
“It’s a penalty! I’ve watched it back and it’s a penalty. I spoke to the referee after the game and I said. ‘I know what’s going to happen’.
” I’ll speak to Alan Wiley again, like I did after the Reading game. I know what he’s going to do. He’s going to come back to me and apologise again like he did last week. But that doesn’t help us.
“These are massive decisions and we’ve had three go against us in the last four games. Is there any chance of us getting one?
“This is another big decision that could be the difference between us staying up and not staying up and it cant keep happening every week.”
Charlton: Phillips; Matthews, Lockyer, Pearce (McGeady 82), Sarr, Doughty; Cullen, Field (Williams 46), Forster-Caskey (Morgan 46); Bonne, Davison (Aneke 55).
Subs (not used): Amos, Purrington, Oshilaja, McGeady, Green, Hemed.
Goals: Doughty 11, Bonne 90.
Booked: Morgan 95 (foul).
Wigan: Marshall; Byrne, Kipre, Balogun, Robinson; Williams, Morsy, Naismith, Dowell (Evans 68),Lowe (Roberts 86), Moore.
Subs (not used): Jones, Massey, Pearce, Garner, Dobre, Mlakar, Gelhardt.
Goals: Lowe 9, Dowell 39.
Booked: Williams 42 (foul), Morsy 73 (foul).
Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).
Attn:N/A.