Christian Walton said he was fouled in the build-up to Wigan’s opening goal – but Tony Mowbray felt his ‘keeper put Rovers under unnecessary pressure.

Walton dropped an Antonee Robinson cross at the feet of Lee Evans who slammed home the opening goal with 10 minutes to play before Michael Jacobs added a second in stoppage time.

The Rovers ‘keeper, who spent two seasons on loan at Wigan, told his manager he felt he had been fouled when trying to claim the ball, although replays suggested otherwise.

However, Mowbray felt that was ironic having seen Joe Rankin-Costello have a perfectly good goal chalked off during in a similar incident in the win over Bristol City.

But the manager was critical of Walton’s decision to try and play out from the back having just introduced Danny Graham on to the pitch.

He said of the Latics’ first goal: “A lack of game management, I told them that. Footballers have to make decisions, but why are we playing in our own six yard box when Danny Graham has just come on the pitch whose probably the best in the league at using his body?

“Play off the front and let’s play in their half of the pitch. I didn’t understand it.

“It’s frustrating, Christian thought he was fouled, he thought he got clattered, I don’t know because I haven’t seen it so won’t sit here and say ‘what’s going on it was a definite foul’.

“I saw a goal last weekend that we scored, to me watching it back looked a perfectly good goal, but the difference was this one didn’t get ruled out and the last one did.”

Neither side fashioned many clear-cut efforts, with long range strikes and set plays the nearest either side had come to scoring in the opening 80 minutes.

The two sides shared a 0-0 draw at Ewood Park in December, and a repeat looked on the cards until Evans struck with 10 minutes time.

And in holding out, Wigan made it 16 points from the last 18 available, and have now gone almost 600 minutes without conceding a goal.

“I’m not sure they looked like they were going to score, but they did, we handed them it really,” a disappointed Mowbray said.

“But that’s football, we have to accept it, well done to Wigan and we move on.”

Rovers failed the most of their territory and possession, with David Marshall not unduly troubled in the Wigan goal.

And Mowbray felt there weren’t enough attempts at goal, having waited until injury time at the end of the first half for their opening shot on target.

He added: “It was a game we expected, a tight football match. I thought we controlled the second half, and yet found a way to lose the game.

“We know about Wigan, we know about each other, I don’t think there were any surprises for anyone.

“I thought we were the dominant team second half, probing, but not enough efforts at goal, not enough threat and we paid for it.”