Wigan Athletic boss says Crawley Town win was a 'very big' result for his side

Having lost their opening three matches in all competitions, Latics are finally up and running thanks to Thelo Aasgaard's header on the half-hour, that went in off visiting defender Joy Mukena.

The last quarter of the game was less than comfortable viewing, as Crawley dominated the ball and were camped in Wigan territory. Crawley finished the game with 72 per cent possession and had 15 shots on goal compared to Wigan’s three.

But a real backs-to-the-wall rearguard effort saw Latics hang on for a priceless three points.

"It felt like a very big victory for us, very hard fought," said Maloney. "I maybe didn't see the last 20 minutes going like that, but sometimes you just need to find a way to win a game.

"I really liked what we did in the first half, we really went after them and caused them problems.

“In the second half you probably saw a group of men who were desperate to win a game.

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"We definitely found ourselves dropping deeper and deeper, but we found a way to win.

"We played amazingly well in our first game against Charlton, the performance was so good, and we lost the game to a mistake at the end.

"The thing about football is sometimes you win games you don't deserve to win, and you lose games you don't deserve to lose.

"Today was a bit strange, because we didn't have a great deal of the ball, but I never felt under massive threat in terms of them creating lots and lots of chances.

"They're a good side, they played very well, they had a lot of possession, especially with their goalkeeper, who starts everything off.

"But for the effort and desire our players put in, I thought we got what we deserved in terms of the result.

"I honestly didn't feel under any more pressure to get a result, but I definitely saw it in my players.

"They want to win and get points on the board, and you saw us dropping deeper and deeper in the second half to make sure we got the win.

"It felt like a couple of games last season where it was important for us to get the win, and I'm delighted we did so again."