Stevenage 1
Wigan Athletic 2
League (League One)

Match report written by Neil Metcalfe, The Comet

A stupid sending should have cost Wigan Athletic a win at Stevenage - until Thelo Aasgaard's wonderful free-kick claimed the three points.

Leading 1-0 through a Dale Taylor goal 10 minutes into the second half, the Latics' Jensen Weir simply hacked at the back of Louis Thompson's legs as the midfielder galloped away from him.

It wasn't a professional foul, just a cynical and unsportsmanlike interjection and within nine minutes, Dan Kemp had equalised.

But with the home side pressing, a counter-attack saw Louis Thompson sent off for a second yellow card, a tackle he perhaps didn't have to make.

And Aasgaard curled a beauty from 22 yards into the top corner beyond Murphy Cooper.

There were four changes from the side that drew away to Lincoln City two weeks earlier.

Elliott List, Jamie Reid, Dan Phillips and Dan Kemp were the quartet to be included with Nick Freeman, Harvey White and Jake Young moving to the bench.

Tyreece Simpson missed out altogether, nursing a knock the initial official assessment said, although later news appeared to suggest a loan move might be on the cards too.

The first half at Sincil Bank was full of attacking intent, if no goals were forthcoming. The corresponding 45 minutes here at least mirrored that last fact.

It wasn't for the want of trying mind you, and the home side did at least create some half chances but there was nothing to truly worry Sam Tickle.

He did have to bat away a Kane Smith free-kick, fizzed in from the left but too close to man in orange.

However, his biggest moment of panic came from his own making, seemingly fast asleep when a back pass trundled towards his goal, and badly positioned too.

Reid as usual was sniffing but Tickle was able to dive at his feet to prevent last year's top scorer from rolling the ball into the net.

The Northern Ireland international had a first time effort that he stuck over the top while Nathan Thompson also had to react quickly when Carl Piergianni flicked a cross onto him. That went wide.

Wigan only had one real opportunity when Tickle's goal-kick went all the way through to new loan signing Will Goodwin but he curled it wide of the target.

The Oxford United man also, rightly, picked up possibly the quickest booking of the season, the yellow flashed at him after 17 seconds for a foul on Thompson.

He didn't appear for the second half, replaced by Dale Taylor. Boro were as you were and there was no need for a massive overhaul, just a reaffirmation of what was needed and a bit better technique and quality in the crucial areas.

If proof was needed of that, it came on 55 minutes with the substitute putting the Latics in front.

It was a simple goal, a free-kick deep on the right side of the box that was whipped in by Jensen Weir and flicked in by Taylor.

It should have been better defended by Boro but was the clinicality that has been lacking for Boro.

Two minutes later, as if to cement that point, Kemp got in down the left but his low cross went through the six-yard box with List unable to get the killer touch.

Stevenage were just seemingly building a head of steam, the return of Dan Sweeney and Louis Appere helping them, but they were handed a big boost when Weir was dismissed.

And when a deep cross found Sweeney at the back post, he cushioned his header down to Kemp who lashed Boro level.

It seemed then that Boro would be the ones to win it until Aasgaard ripped their heart away in stoppage time.