Wigan 2 Aston Villa 2 - match report

The skipper hooked home a half volley from just inside the box to earn Paul Lambert's side a point at the DW Stadium.

Darren Bent, playing perhaps his last game for the claret and blues, had earlier given the visitors the perfect start when he fired home after five minutes.

But the hosts hit back to lead via Emerson Boyce and a Nathan Baker own goal before Vlaar's fine finish.

In the absence of the suspended Christian Benteke, Paul Lambert handed Bent his first start since January, while Matt Lowton replaced Eric Lichaj at right-back after his recovery from a thigh strain.

Villa were first to threaten when Joe Bennett tested home keeper Ali Al Habsi with a free-kick which the stopper palmed away, after Agbonlahor had been brought down by Ben Watson 25 yards out.

The travelling fans were then sent into raptures on five minutes when Bent put Villa ahead. Agbonlahor turned beautifully on the halfway line and advanced into the Wigan half before playing in Bent, who turned Paul Scharner the wrong way before beating Al Habsi with a low shot which skidded along the turf before going in off the near post.

Perhaps suffering the effects of an emotional week, Wigan showed little going forward until the quarter hour mark, when Arouna Kone was denied by a last-ditch Baker challenge after being played in by ex-Villa man Shaun Maloney. From the corner, Villa left Watson unmarked at the far post but his scuffed effort was cleared by Bennett.

The ground rose as one after 19 minutes as the home fans joined in with their visiting counterparts in saluting Stiliyan Petrov but seconds later the former were cheering as Boyce brought the scores level. Maloney played in Espinoza on the left and he crossed for Boyce, who climbed above Bennett at far post and powered a header past Guzan in the Villa goal.

Jordi Gomez fired wildly over with an effort from distance, as did Kone minutes later, while at the other end Agbonlahor was guilty of over-running the ball after breaking away from the home defence allowing Al Habsi to gather.

Kone then squandered a great opening for the hosts when, after getting the better of Vlaar and tearing into the Villa half with Baker the only covering defender, he failed to find one of three team-mates and instead over-hit his pass straight to a grateful Guzan.

Villa were not without their moments going forward and Bent was inches away from getting on the end of an Agbonlahor cross. But it was Wigan who looked more threatening and Maloney was the next to go close, with a free-kick which was well-saved by Guzan.

In first half stoppage time the hosts took the lead in the scrappiest of circumstances and not for the first time this season Villa's set-piece defending was to blame. Maloney's corner was not cleared and the ball eventually fell to Watson, whose shot was cleared off the line by Ashley Westwood only for the ball to cannon off the unlucky Baker and into the net.

It was the hosts who started the second half the brighter too and Watson forced Guzan into a save with a low shot from distance.

Vlaar was left breathing a sigh of relief after his mis-directed header allowed James McCarthy to steal away from Baker but the Wigan man over-hit his touch and the ball ran through to Guzan. Boyce then came within inches of a second with a shot which shaved the bar following a scramble in the box.

With Wigan well on top, Villa's equaliser came as something of a sucker punch. Bennett's free-kick found Vlaar unmarked on the edge of the box and he took a touch before sending a beautiful half-volley past a motionless Al Habsi.

That sparked Villa and Agbonlahor should really have put them back in front but he fired over after breaking clear.

Heading toward the final ten minutes, James McArthur almost put Wigan 3-2 up with a beautiful volley from an Espinoza cross which came back off the bar with Guzan will beaten. Boyce then sent a header over the bar from close range from Maloney's free-kick.

Golobart was just off target with a dinked effort before Baker denied Espinoza in stoppage time with another fine saving tackle as the hosts looked in vain for the winner.