Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic can look at the result of this game as two points dropped as a two goal lead slipped away from the Divsion Two promotion favourites at Griffin Park.

Ashcroft bagged a brace but a penalty from Evans and a late equaliser from Bees' top scorer Scott sent Wigan home with a solitary point.

Wigan Athletic slipped to 4th place in Division Two after allowing Brentford to crawl back from two goals down with only 25 minutes remaining.

Wigan manager Bruce Rioch changed his front line from the one which had played so well last week at Ashton Gate.

Neil Roberts was resigned to a seat on the bench to make way for new loan signing Keith Gillespie.

Gillespie was brought into the squad on Friday morning on a month's loan from Blackburn Rovers, his second spell with Latics.

The Northern Ireland international fitted in well with his new team mates and caused the Brentford defence no end of problems.

The game started at a furious pace and it took only four minutes for the referee to reach to his pocket, booking Latics defender Kevin Sharp for a tackle on Brentford's Scott Partridge.

Moments later the home side went close to opening the scoring when Kevin O'Connor got his head to a Paul Evans free kick but his effort was sent narrowly wide of the upright.

On seven minutes Partridge saw his shot from outside the area go over the bar as Brentford attempted to stamp their authority on the proceedings.

Wigan, however, stepped up a gear and Martinez saw a shot from 30 yards go wide and Lee Ashcroft also put his effort wide of the mark minutes later.

With only fifteen minutes gone Gillespie's strike from just inside the area was well saved by Ollie Gottskalksson in the Brentford goal.

The Brentford keeper handed Wigan the lead just before the half hour mark following a long clearance by Wigan's stand in keeper Derek Stillie.

The ball found it's way to his opposite number but Gottskalksson dropped the ball allowing LEE ASHCROFT to sneak in to score his first goal for Wigan this season.

Brentford nearly claimed an equaliser with moments of the first half remaining when captain Evans' thirty yarder went narrowly over the bar.

HALF TIME: Brentford 0 Wigan 1

Wigan came out for the second half determined to put the game out of Brentford's reach and nearly added a second when Ashcroft rose unmarked in the penalty area to meet a cross from the right but his effort went straight at Gottskalksson.

Keith Gillespie somehow managed to put the ball over the bar after Sharp had sent a cross from the left flank into the area.

On 65 minutes another mistake by Brentford allowed Wigan to double their lead.

Bees defender Ivar Ingimarrson gave the ball to LEE ASHCROFT 20 yards out and the former Grimsby Town striker raced forward to hammer the ball in from just outside the area for his and Wigan's second.

Controversy surrounded Brentford's first goal four minutes later.

Wigan defender Arjan de Zeeuw was penalised for hand ball inside his own area and the referee didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot as he was mobbed by a sea of protesting Wigan players.

The decision seemed harsh as the ball had bounced off de Zeeuw's foot and hit his arm but the Dutchman didn't appear to have attempted to control it.

Brentford skipper EVANS stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick and put the ball into the back of the net as Stillie tried in vain to get his hands to it.

Wigan battled to hold onto the lead but with three minutes of normal time Scott Partridge lobbed over a cross from the right which substitute Lloyd Owusu flicked on to leading goalscorer ANDY SCOTT who fired past Stillie from 10 yards.

Latics tried to grab a winner in the remaining minutes but the home side hung on to take a share of the spoils and send Wigan home feeling that it was two points dropped and not a point gained.

FULL TIME: Brentford 2 Wigan 2