Wigan Athletic 3 Rotherham United 2: More late agony for Millers as goalkeeper pays high price for off-the-ball skirmish

The referee booked both players before awarding Wigan the free-kick, from which Powell smashed home the set-piece with the last kick of the game.

The substitute’s stoppage-time strike broke the hearts of the relegated visitors, who had twice led through Danny Ward and Anthony Forde, only for Gabriel Obertan and Alex Gilbey to reply.

“From what I was told, my keeper kicked it and then it led to a ruckus,” said Warne.

“My eyes followed the ball but obviously something happened for the ref to get involved. I don’t think the assistant saw it. He never flagged. The fourth official never said anything to me, and I actually appealed for a free-kick on my striker, thinking ‘great, 2-2 and half-a-minute to go with a point’.

“But they got the free-kick, and I just shut my eyes until the roar, and then wanted to throw up.

“I just thought if there was a footballing God, that wouldn’t go in. I’m biased, of course. But my team didn’t deserve to lose, so to come away with a defeat in such circumstances is hard to take.

“I can take pride that my team stood toe-to-toe in such a game. We’ve been on a terrible run, but I think we’ve lost 10 games by one goal and six by two. It’s not like the lads are getting embarrassed – they’re giving me everything they’ve got.”

Wigan Athletic: Haugaard, Hanson, Morgan, Burn, Warnock, Gilbey (Powell 74), MacDonald, Power (Morsy 52), Jacobs, Obertan (Byrne 85), Colclough. Unused substitutes: Buxton, Connolly, Gilks, Mandron.

Rotherham United: Price, Fisher, Ajayi, Wood (Belaid 72), Mattock, Forde (Clarke-Harris 85), Smallwood, Vaulks, Newell (Taylor 80), Morris, Ward. Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, Bray, Purrington, Yates.

Referee: S Duncan (Tyne & Wear).