Wigan peer into the abyss

AS riveting as the Premier League title race has become in recent days, the relegation contest — a competition that can cost the losers an estimated £40 million (€50.7m) in lost revenue — is proving every bit as compelling.

Wigan will testify to that after a day which opened with them seemingly far enough from trouble, climb two places in the league table with a creditable draw but still end the afternoon in more strife than they had started.

Bolton’s unexpected victory at Middlesbrough, coupled with the fact that Wigan host fellow strugglers Reading at the JJB on Saturday, placed Steve Bruce’s team firmly back in the relegation mix and means their next league outing truly is one of those “massive” games that managers talk of so animatedly.