Carlisle United 1-1 Wigan Athletic: Moxon caps fightback

The Blues trailed at the break to a goal from ex-United man Charlie Wyke.

At that stage the visitors looked far superior - but Paul Simpson's side staged a purposeful comeback.

And they got their reward when midfielder Moxon slammed a shot high into the net in the 57th minute.

That featured in a second 45 minutes of real gusto from Simpson's side as they picked up their second point of the League One season.

And they were applauded off for their efforts by an 8,649 Brunton Park crowd.

It was Moxon's second of the season (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Wigan hit the woodwork twice in a first half they dominated, but Shaun Maloney's visitors were given much more to think about by an energetic Carlisle showing after the break, while full debutant Sean Maguire impressed in attack.

Simpson welcomed star midfielder Moxon back into his side after illness.

And there was a first start for Maguire as he returned to availability having missed the Oxford United defeat because of a family matter.

Jack Ellis also came into defence with Fin Back rested following further discussions with the latter's parent club Nottingham Forest.

Alfie McCalmont and Taylor Charters dropped to the bench with Dylan McGeouch still out with a hamstring problem.

Wigan had Callum McManaman fit to start after a minor hip issue while striker Charlie Wyke was in the XI against his former club.

Simpson had Jon Mellish in midfield as he reverted to a back four, but Wigan had the lion's share of things in the opening stages.

Their passing and movement was difficult for Carlisle to live with as Sean Clare almost made an early inroad on the left, before McManaman miscued a volley when he found space in the box.

Charlie Wyke, left, is congratulated after his opener for Wigan (Image: Ben Holmes)

Callum Lang whipped a shot narrowly off target and, after Jordan Gibson had almost picked out Ryan Edmondson at the other end, back came the Latics again through McManaman, who went close from outside the box.

Carlisle had to dig deep to contain Maloney's side, who again threatened through Thelo Aasgaard, and Wyke then should have volleyed them ahead, only for his attempt from Tom Pearce's cross to be touched onto the crossbar by Blues keeper Tomas Holy.

United earned some useful territory at times as they competed hard against their visitors and one Moxon free-kick broke for Gibson, whose shot was blocked by Clare.

Maguire almost worked something for Carlisle on the edge of the box, but Wigan then swept back at them and took the lead, Baba Adeeko spotting Wyke's run and the former Blues frontman, clean through, dinking it clinically over Holy at the Warwick Road End.

Wigan duly regained control of play as United struggled to create anything meaningful in the visitors' territory, and Charlie Hughes almost made it two when he headed Pearce's free-kick against the left-hand post.

Owen Moxon is congratulated by Ryan Edmondson (Image: Ben Holmes)

The visitors then started the second half on the front foot with McManaman testing Holy before Aasgard drew a strong save from the keeper as he arrived in space to finish a Clare delivery.

But United then hit back on 57 minutes.

After Gibson fed Maguire to the right, the frontman's shot took a deflection and wrongfooted keeper Sam Tickle as he dived - and, as it broke, Moxon arrived to fire it high into the net for his second of the season.

Carlisle were invigorated by their fightback and continued to play with renewed gusto, Maguire peeling to the right to trouble the Latics and Gibson, now on the left, also a persistent danger.

Simpson brought on Plange for Maguire while Wigan replaced Wyke and McManaman with Josh Magennis and Stephen Humphrys with 20 minutes to go.

Plange headed a Gibson cross just wide and Carlisle's assistant manager Gavin Skelton found himself in the referee's notebook, before Moxon volleyed wide after Plange's cross.

Wigan were not the force they had been in the first half but almost regained the lead when the dangerous Humphrys drilled a low cross millimetres out of Lang's reach.

Paul Simpson with the fourth official (Image: Ben Holmes)

Lang then lifted a shot over from a good position but Carlisle applied more pressure late on as the game went into ten added minutes.

Moxon had gone off after suffering a knock, replaced by Taylor Charters as Ben Barclay also came on for Ellis.

The Blues tested Wigan with some added-time corners, and the Latics forced late pressure themselves before the full-time whistle saw United earn an ovation for their strong second half showing.

United: Holy, Lavelle, Huntington, Mellish, Ellis (Barclay 83), Armer, Guy, Moxon (Charters 83), Gibson, Maguire (Plange 68), Edmondson. Not used: Andresson, McCalmont, Butterworth, Garner.

Goal: Moxon 57.

Booked: Mellish, Maguire, Lavelle, Armer, Skelton (asst mgr).

Wigan: Tickle, Clare, Pearce, Morrison, Hughes, M Smith, Adeeko, Aasgaard (Sze 90), McManaman (Humphrys 70), Lang, Wyke (Magennis 70). Not used: Amos, Watts, Shaw, S Smith.

Goal: Wyke 34.

Booked: Clare, Pearce.

Ref: Marc Edwards.

Crowd: 8,649 (1,405).