Thelo Aasgaard nets late winner in Wigan’s FA Cup comeback against Blackburn

Posted Sunday, January 09, 2022 by PA

Wigan substitute Thelo Aasgaard scored a stoppage-time winner to settle a five-goal FA Cup third-round comeback thriller against Blackburn at the DW.

Rovers had their first sight of goal in the opening minute when Wigan goalkeeper Jamie Jones came off his line only to fluff his clearance, straight to Lewis Travis.

The Rovers man tried his luck at an open goal from 35 yards out, but the ball sailed well wide of the target.

Ben Brereton Diaz saw an early fizzing shot fly just over, before a slick passing move got John Buckley away down the right.

Jones was out in a flash, however, and was able to make a fabulous block.

Rovers suffered a blow on the half-hour mark when striker Sam Gallagher pulled up as he chased a through ball down the right, with Reda Khadra taking over.

Blackburn thought they had scored as half-time approached, with Brereton Diaz taking delivery of a slide-rule pass on the edge of the Wigan box.

However, the flag went straight up as he controlled the ball, before rounding Jones and scoring, and it was chalked off for offside.

The hosts would have been delighted to get to the break on level terms having played second fiddle for the opening 45.

But Rovers made their divisional superiority pay within four minutes of the restart.

Joe Rothwell fed Khadra, who fired into the bottom corner of Jones’ net to open the scoring.

As Rovers threatened to turn the screw, a turn and snapshot from Brereton Diaz flew just wide of the post.

But with another Rovers goal looking inevitable, Wigan levelled just after the hour mark as Max Power rifled a beauty from distance past Aynsley Pears in the Rovers goal.

Amazingly, Wigan then started to dominate, resulting in them taking the lead for the first time, 16 minutes from time.

Jack Whatmough’s header from a corner looked routine enough for Pears to deal with, but the goalkeeper somehow succeeded in catching and then carrying the ball over the line for a comical own goal.

It should have been game over when Callum Lang fired inches over the Rovers crossbar from the edge of the box.

And it looked as though Wigan would pay a high price when Khadra’s free-kick with two minutes left was bundled home at the far post by Daniel Ayala.

Incredibly, though, there was still time for a winning goal to settle an incredible game.

Whatmough almost provided it, only to head wide of goal from close range.

But towards the end of the five added minutes, Wigan substitute Aasgaard sent over a curling strike from the left wing that completely deceived Pears and found the top corner of the net to edge Latics into the fourth round.