Wigan and QPR produced a scrappy 0-0 encounter at the DW Stadium last night with neither team displaying sufficient quality to deserve all three points.
Charlie Austin had the best opportunity to give Harry Redknapp’s expensively assembled outfit the lead but could only hit his effort into the side netting. Chris McCann had the best chance of the game for Latics, but saw his header come back off the post and Callum McManaman fired the rebound high over the crossbar.
The result moves Wigan up to 13th in the Championship table with a game in hand on most other teams. QPR meanwhile remain in third position and four points behind league leaders Burnley.
Owen Coyle continues to shuffle his pack and made three changes to his last line up away at Charlton, with Ryan Shotton, Jordi Gomez and McManaman stepping in for Thomas Rogne, James McClean and Ben Watson. Reserve keeper Lee Nicholls made his home Championship debut in place of the injured Scott Carson.
Joey Barton was a significant absentee due to suspension from the Rangers team which still has big name players throughout their squad.
As with many of their recent performances Wigan started the game slowly and it was the visitors who controlled the opening exchanges with Niko Kranjcar firing over the crossbar and Junior Hoillett shooting wide of Nicholls goal.
However, Nick Powell was once again proving to be Latics most dangerous attacker and his shot from long-range stung the hands of Robert Green.
Rangers continued to dominate possession and nearly took the lead on the stroke of half time when Alejandro Faurlin found Austin in a good position but the former Burnley man could only hit the side netting.
Marc-Antoine Fortune replaced the ineffective Grant Holt at half time and the substitute quickly brought a good save from Green. Wigan were now having more of the game and had their best chance to score when McCann headed against the post from a good position and McManaman struck the rebound high over Rangers crossbar.
Substitute Andy Johnson was introduced late on and the striker was involved in a one-on-one collision with Nicholls, but despite Rangers players appeals for a free kick referee Michael Naylor waved play on.
Wigan’s appeals suffered a similar fate in injury time when last man Richard Dunne appeared to foul Nick Powell and both teams had to settle for a point.
Latics News 24/7
Let's Hang On 
Another slow start probably due to another changed team. Need some sort of consistency in the line up
It doesn’t appear that Coyle knows his best starting eleven and the players look unsure about what is required of them. The system seems to change from week to week and I’m not sure that some of the players can cope with the constant changes. In contrast, the players fully understood the system when Martinez was in charge and could slot in easily when changes had to be made due to injuries etc.