Michael Skubala admitted his play-off chasing Lincoln side were “distraught” after losing 2-1 to Wigan.

The Imps had three goals disallowed as their impressive 16-game unbeaten run, which stretched back to New Year’s Day, was ended by Latics at Sincil Bank.

Jonny Smith opened the scoring before Daniel Mandroiu levelled the scoring.

But Charlie Hughes’ stoppage-time strike was a dagger into Imps’ hearts in their play-off chase.

They are now five points behind Oxford ahead of a massive clash at the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday night.

“We’re gutted,” said Skubala. “We’re gutted because we know we wanted to keep trying to win.

“We wanted to throw everything at them. We started really slowly. We got into the ascendancy but we couldn’t get that second goal.

“These lads give everything. There’s nothing prouder than this run. We’re creaking a little bit because we haven’t got the numbers really.

“We had somebody come and give us the Peterborough score, so we decided to give it everything. We were happy to risk it to try and get another goal.

“We’ve been hurt because we’re trying to risk it to try and win the game.

“We’re gutted. The lads are distraught, but there are nine points to play for so we’ll go to Oxford and give it everything.

“We didn’t start like ourselves. We were nervous, we were tentative. Last 20 minutes we were ourselves and aggressive.

“It was the first time I’ve seen some nerves in the group. But it’s new to us. It’s understandable.”

Latics secured a first win in five to throw a spanner in the works of Lincoln’s play-off bid, and boss Shaun Maloney said: “It was a brilliant performance, in different ways as well.

“The first 30 minutes was as high a level as we’ve shown in a game this season.

“The first goal that we scored was top class. When you watch that first goal and the talent in that move it was a real joy to watch.

“I’m trying to build this team back up. I’ve been really honest with the team. The level did drop at Blackpool, but after that we’ve been top class.

“When we had to put bodies on the line, they did it. They went to the death and there were a few players really having to dig deep there at the end.

“The first goal was started by Charlie and was an amazing start of play and with any sort of strike he’s so clean when he hits the ball.

“I really challenged the players. With the season, we’ve achieved what we will achieve, but you still want to win, so I’m really pleased.”

Play-off chasing Lincoln saw their 16-game unbeaten run ended by Charlie Hughes’ last-gasp winner as Wigan claimed a 2-1 victory at the LNER Stadium.

The Imps looked well-placed to extend their impressive run even further having battled back from a goal behind.

Jonny Smith fired Latics into a welcome 20th-minute lead with his first goal since New Year’s Day. The midfielder’s sweet strike took a slight deflection as it flew into the bottom corner.

But Daniel Mandroiu levelled for the Imps five minutes before the break with a fine finish.

It was the Irish midfielder’s first goal for nearly two months but it could not have come at a better time as the hosts found a way back into the contest.

Smith had an early effort saved, while at the other end Hughes rifled a right-foot shot just wide.

Thelo Aasgaard turned provider for Smith to open the scoring, before Mandroiu had a powerful shot saved.

Ben House went close before Mandriou levelled and leading scorer Joe Taylor had a header saved on the stroke of half-time.

Jason Kerr headed wide for Latics and Tom Pearce blasted over, but Hughes’ stunning last-gasp volley saw the visitors take the points.

Charlton boss Nathan Jones was disappointed with his side’s defensive work in Tuesday night’s 2-2 League One draw with Wigan.

The Addicks had gone ahead in the 20th minute when Wigan captain Charlie Hughes sliced a long ball from Macaulay Gillesphey into his own net.

But Charlton’s soft underbelly was on show again just after the hour mark, when two goals in four minutes from Charlie Kelman turned the game around.

Chuks Aneke was able to rescue a point, but only Carlisle have fewer League One clean sheets than Charlton.

“This team hasn’t kept many clean sheets,” he said. “There’s been three managers now and no one’s kept clean sheets, me included.

“That’s something that we need to address and we’ve got to be better at because I don’t want us to have to score three goals at home to win a football game,” he continued.

“It’s either work or personnel. We’ll do lots of work and if the work doesn’t do it then we’ll change personnel.”

The Charlton boss was also disappointed with his team’s finishing.

“We created enough to have punished them tonight,” he said. “If that’s 4-2 or 5-2 then no one’s moaning, no one’s saying ‘we’ve got lucky there’.

“We’ve had 20 shots tonight. We’ve had double their shots, double their shots on target. It shows that we’ve had a right go tonight. The fans want three points but they’ve seen a team that’s proper front-footed tonight.

“But when you don’t put them away, then it’s a 2-2 game – and that wasn’t a 2-2 game.”

Shaun Maloney could have been forgiven for having his mind on other matters, given that his wife gave birth to their daughter on Monday.

“I just about made it here today, so it wasn’t the normal preparation,” said the Wigan manager.

“We knew this was obviously coming at some point and I thought the staff did a really good job today and yesterday. All of them.

“I just want to thank the senior players. They really stepped up today.”

It was a spirited performance from the Latics, who had to suffer but came out with a point. Maloney was pleased with the second half in particular.

“We were under real big pressure,” he said. “We’re 1-0 down, the first five minutes were really difficult. To then play the way that we did, I really liked.”

Maloney was full of praise for the man who turned the game around.

He added: “He’s had to be patient, Charlie. It’s tough. I’m a really big fan of his.

“I think there’s loads more to come. Physically, in the first two or three weeks he got up to speed. I just really like his movement. I love him out of possession. He knows what I think of him.

“Tonight was really big for him.”

Charlton extended their unbeaten run to 12 games as they celebrated their longest streak in nearly 13 years with a 2-2 League One draw against Wigan.

In the 20th minute, Alfie May pressed for an opener and he caused Wigan captain Charlie Hughes to slice a clearance up and over goalkeeper Sam Tickle and into his own net.

Wigan had been second best but turned the game on its head just after the hour mark. First – in the 62nd minute – Charlie Kelman touched home to equalise after on-loan Fulham winger Martial Godo’s deflected shot fell his way.

Four minutes later, Kelman completed his brace via a close-range shot which deflected off Macaulay Gillesphey.

But 11 minutes from time, Charlton hit back through substitute Chuks Aneke, who headed home from a George Dobson cross.

It is now just one victory in six for the Latics, who have not won away from home in nearly two months.

Charlton, meanwhile, look a different side under Nathan Jones and moved up to 14th as a result.

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield saw his faith in Franco Ravizzoli repaid in his side’s 1-0 victory over Wigan in what turned out to be a tale of two goalkeepers.

A mid-table clash in Sky Bet League One was decided by an own goal from Sam Tickle, who has been enjoying a successful first season as Latics’ first choice.

His opposite number, Ravizzoli, then made sure the Chairboys won for the third time in four games with three fine saves in stoppage time.

The Argentinian was preferred to Max Stryjek despite his availability after suspension, and Bloomfield said: “I feel like my words to the players are ‘if you’re in possession (of your place) and you perform well, then you deserve to stay in’.

“So I had an opportunity tonight to back up my words with my actions and I felt like it was the right thing to do.

“Franco was fantastic on Saturday at Reading, he really helped us get the victory and there was no way he deserved to be left out tonight.

“Maxie was fully respectful of that, he’s obviously been fantastic for us this season and last season as well, but as with anything in sport you respect when someone’s performed well.

“He’s backed him up well tonight and he’s really played his part, as have all the squad. I thought Franco was excellent.

“I have to be really pleased with the resilience – I think it was a very ‘Wycombe’ defensive display.”

The home side’s winner came after 19 minutes when Josh Scowen’s mishit low cross was fumbled into his own net by Tickle at his near post.

Wigan grew stronger the longer the match wore on but were frustrated three times at the death as Ravizzoli denied Thelo Aasgaard, Charlie Hughes and Jordan Jones.

Latics boss Shaun Maloney said: “Second half we did everything but score, I can’t fault the players in the second half.

“I’m sorry for the fans that I can’t give them at least something to head back with.

“I think they could see the players’ performance and the team’s performance, but the first half cost us.

“The second half was excellent, really good, that’s how I want a Wigan team to play.

“The first half was opposite: everything was slow, everything was comfortable.

“It was a big mistake from our goalkeeper but Sam’s been incredible this season. I’ve said this numerous times, so that’s just an incident that can happen.

“Our general play was really poor, I was really unhappy at half-time, but the players that came on were excellent.

“It’s difficult to sit there after the game with how we played second half and not win the game, but also understand it was the first half that cost us.”

Shaun Maloney admitted Wigan’s 109th-minute winner against Wycombe came from a moment of magic from Charlie Hughes that ‘can’t be coached’.

It looked like a thoroughly dour encounter at the DW would end with the score it deserved before Hughes’ late heroics.

And just as Steven Rushton – who had stepped up from fourth official to replace the injured Adam Herczeg, causing a near-20 minute delay – was reaching for his whistle, centre-back Hughes’ volley flew past Max Stryjek to give Wigan a second 1-0 home win in three days.

“It was a strange one, a prolonged one because of the delay,” said Maloney. “It was probably tough to watch, because it was tough to play in conditions that weren’t easy.

“It was a really difficult game but to finally break them down and get that winner, the players are delighted.

“It felt like another big moment for us and it’s one of those moments where you just have to enjoy it – and we did.

“Normally I don’t show too much emotion after goals, and I don’t even think I did after this one, but I loved two aspects of the goal.

“The first was Callum McManaman’s one-v-one. In the final third, I thought we were good tonight until we got into that part of the pitch, and we were a bit off it – but then you get a moment from Callum, who has that one-v-one talent that you just can’t coach.

“I loved what he did, and then obviously Charlie’s finish… again, you just can’t coach that kind of ability.

“I’m well chuffed for him, and I actually thought in the whole second half he was brilliant.”

For Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield, it was a case of what might have been.

“I’m obviously disappointed and frustrated about another point that’s got away from us,” he said.

“It actually felt like we were in the ascendency in the latter stages of the game, we brought on fresh legs and I felt like it had the desired effect.

“In life you have to make your own luck, and we will continue to work hard to make things happen.

“We played the majority of the last part of the game in the opposition half and obviously the boys are distraught at giving away a point in the manner we did.

“The goal at the end, there’s a multitude of little things that should have been done better. But all those little things add up – especially at the end of the game – and we end up with the ball in the back of our net.

“The amount of games we’ve had this year that have gone so far beyond ‘normal’ time, I’ve never known a season like it.

“But after the restart, I felt it was us in the ascendency, and I’m just so disappointed and frustrated for the supporters who have travelled so far and the boys who have put in so much effort and executed the game-plan exactly the way we wanted them to.”

England Under-20s star Charlie Hughes popped up with a winner after 20 minutes of second-half stoppage-time as Wigan edged a 1-0 Sky Bet League One victory over Wycombe in a match otherwise devoid of much excitement or entertainment.

Centre-back Hughes had earlier tried his luck from his own half – which never threatened to trouble Max Stryjek – and that was about it for the first half.

The game was in desperate need of something to shake it into life and it arrived 10 minutes after the restart – in slapstick fashion.

Referee Adam Herczeg was caught in a midfield sandwich and – after a delay lasting the best part of 20 minutes, while a qualified whistler was found in the crowd – he was replaced in the middle by fourth official Steven Rushton.

Immediately after the restart, Wycombe thought they had scored, when Luke Leahy’s shot deflected in off Kieran Sadlier, with a massive deflection doing for Sam Tickle.

However, the flag was straight up on the near side for offside.

An unbelievable defence-splitting pass from Hughes then released Steven Sessegnon, just inside the box, who dragged his shot just wide.

With 20 minutes of added time, there was time for Wycombe to fashion a big opportunity of their own, when a long ball was flicked on and Richard Kone’s shot needed a brilliant save from Tickle to keep it out – before Hughes’ last-gasp heroics.

Barnsley picked up a first victory since the opening day of the season with a clinical performance away at Wigan.

After a competitive start, the hosts were dealt a huge blow when Charlie Hughes was shown red on 21 minutes.

The 19-year-old was adjudged to have fouled Barnsley frontman Devante Cole, who was bearing down on goal.

And it did not take long for the visitors to take advantage, with Cole latching onto Barry Cotter’s cross from the right to tuck home on 26 minutes.

Wigan had strong shouts for a penalty four minutes after the restart, when Stephen Humphrys was brought down in the area.

But Barnsley should have doubled their lead 20 minutes from time, when new signing John McAtee missed an open goal after a mistake from keeper Sam Tickle before striking the post soon after.

It took a huge save from Liam Roberts to deny Callum Lang an equaliser 11 minutes from the end but McAtee made the result safe when tucking home in added time.