Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa share the spoils

Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa have played out a 2-2 draw at the DW Stadium in their final Premier League game of the season.

The Villans surged ahead as early as the fifth minute when Darren Bent was released by Gabriel Agbonlahor to fire home past Ali Al-Habsi.

© PA Photos / Martin Rickett

The Latics could have equalised 10 minutes later when Arouna Kone and Ben Watson squandered their respective chances inside a few seconds of each other.

However, in the 20th minute Wigan did make it 1-1 through Emmerson Boyce, who got ahead of Joseph Bennett to head home Roger Espinoza's cross.

Roberto Martinez's side took the lead in the third minute of first-half injury time when Nathan Baker turned the ball into his own net following a goalmouth scramble inside the Villa penalty box.

Wigan could have gone 3-1 up on 58 minutes had Boyce's header from an Espinoza cross not come off the crossbar.

Then on the hour mark Villa restored parity through Ron Vlaar, who turned in a free kick past Al-Habsi.

© PA Photos / Martin Rickett

The hosts could have picked up all three points had they not been denied by the frame of the Villans' goal again on 78 minutes, this time James McArthur watching his controlled side-footed shot rattling the crossbar.