Both Shaun Maloney and Michael Skubala agreed the goalless Sky Bet League One draw between Wigan and Lincoln was a fair result.

It was the visitors who registered the only shot on target, through Ethan Hamilton in the first half, as defences reigned in miserable conditions at the DW Stadium.

“It was a pretty even game really,” said Wigan boss Maloney.

“I thought they were very good defensively, Lincoln, as they have been in the last few games under the new manager.

“We found it very hard to break them down and probably didn’t do quite enough to win the game.

“We were just slightly off it and, against a team that is very well organised, we didn’t create enough with the amount of possession we had.”

Lincoln chief Skubala added: “We knew we were coming to play against a side that are very good at home and, to a man, we were really on it.

“They were trying to drag us all over the place but we’d worked on that in training and what I’d call ‘shifting’ as a back five, while also being as aggressive as we could.

“We pressed them from minute one, and for a good 70 minutes we stopped them from playing.

“If you look at the conditions, it’s always difficult to play in the wind and the rain.

“They had a couple of moments, we had a couple of half-chances, we probably edged the first half and they probably edged the second half.

“They have good players, you have to respect that, and they have good players on the bench to bring on.

“But so do we, and I was really pleased with the boys we brought on and the impact we had on the game.

“We see it as a big point and that’s what I’ve told the lads, don’t be disappointed with that.”

Wigan came desperately close to a winning goal with five minutes to go when Jordan Jones’ cross was fumbled by Lukas Jensen, with substitute Chris Sze firing home the rebound.

However, the official ruled Jensen had been fouled by fellow home substitute Charlie Wyke as he attempted to regather the ball, and Wigan’s celebrations were short-lived.

“I’ve watched it a couple of times back and, from the angle I had, I think it was probably the wrong decision,” said Maloney. “Just in terms of the goalkeeper dropping the ball before the contact with Charlie.

“But I won’t complain too much because, as I said, I don’t think we did quite enough to win the game.

“I try not to complain too much about decisions that don’t go our way, it is what it is. Sometimes they go for you, and sometimes they go the other way.

“But I can’t really say anything negative about the players, because what I really liked about the second half was the way they stayed patient.”

Skubala said: “I’ve not had time to watch it back, but it looked a bit of a scrappy one. It is what it is.”

Richie Wellens felt Leyton Orient let down their fans after their rearranged game with Lincoln ended in a late 1-0 defeat.

Orient had been leading 1-0 in the original League One fixture on October 3 when the match was abandoned after 82 minutes due to a medical emergency. O’s fan Derek Reynolds suffered a cardiac arrest and was treated pitchside before he was later pronounced dead.

This time around, Ethan Hamilton struck in the 89th minute to earn a first win for new Lincoln boss Michael Skubala, and the performance left Wellens downbeat.

“It was a really disappointing night for us,” he said.

“I thought first half we were OK but just passed the ball for the sake of it and never got enough crosses into the box. We should have taken the lead with Joe Piggott through a header.

“Second half we were really, really poor.

“It wasn’t the performance that gave justice to the events which took place the last time we played them.

“And for our supporters to pay twice for that is not good enough and not acceptable from our players and the staff.

“Second half we just drifted and we could have won it and probably should have won it.

“Overall it was probably one of the most disappointing games I’ve had since I’ve been at the club.

“The squad is being tested at the moment (because of injuries) but no excuses we were poor tonight and we lacked energy.”

The visitors were indebted to goalkeeper Lukas Jensen for a couple of outstanding saves from Brandon Cooper and Ruel Sotiriou in either half that protected their clean sheet.

Skubala, who was appointed last week and was overseeing his second match in charge, praised his team’s display.

“I thought the lads were brilliant to a man,” Skubala said.

“It’s not an easy place to come here, particularly after the battle we had Saturday at Stevenage and we had to dig really deep and weather a few chances so I’m really proud of them.

“We tweaked a few things at half-time to try and give us more control in the game. I felt we didn’t have enough in the first half but second half we started to threaten and cause more problems for the opposition.

“We freshened things up with our substitutions and stopped them landing the ball in the box with all the players working hard.

“Our goalkeeper made a huge save for us at 0-0 which kept us in the game and we know he’s got that big performance. His kicking was excellent too but overall, it was a great team performance and everyone put in a team shift.

“It was a great finish for the winning goal from Ethan Hamilton.

“I said to the players we have to be sacrificial at times. Be good team mates to each other. That is a key part of a team’s journey.”

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