GREAT ESCAPE ON FOR BRAVE LATICS

Power’s penalty is enough

- Paul Kendrick

SHAUN Maloney insists Wigan Athletic’s latest ‘Great Escape’ is on after seeing his side edge past fellow strugglers Queens Park Rangers.

Max Power’s sixth-minute penalty – after former Wigan defender Leon Balogun felled Callum Lang – proved to be the difference, and lifted the Latics to within five points of safety with seven games to go.

Wigan’s position could have been even better, only for a recent three-point deduction for repeated late payments of wages.

Maloney, though, can only focus on what he can control – and he was a ‘happy’ man after the game.

“It feels like a pretty big win at the moment, and I’m really happy,” he said.

“I was really happy with the way we played in the first half and, if I’m being really strict, I’d like us to be even more aggressive in some of the situations we got ourselves into.

“We had to defend more in the second half, and I think we saw both sides of the game overall.”