JAMES McClean’s late strike denied a depleted Oxford United a deserved draw against high-flying Wigan Athletic.

The winger fired home with four minutes left after the U’s had battled back from 2-0 down, despite having just 13 senior players available.

Four Covid cases and a host of injuries meant United were down to the bare bones – and that was before James Henry limped out of the warm-up 20 minutes before kick-off.

It looked like it would be a long afternoon when second-placed Wigan, who boast the best away record in Sky Bet League One and are now 12 matches unbeaten, went 2-0 up through Will Keane and Max Power.

But Ryan Williams instantly halved the deficit, before Matty Taylor’s 11th goal of the season levelled the scores after the break as United dominated possession for much of the contest.

It had been a heroic effort, but McClean ended United’s nine-game unbeaten run to ensure the hosts will spend Christmas Day sixth in the table.

Karl Robinson was forced into four changes even before Henry’s late withdrawal, with Cameron Brannagan, Herbie Kane and Nathan Holland unavailable and Jordan Thorniley suspended.

It meant Anthony Forde came in at right back, with Sam Long partnering Elliott Moore in the heart of defence.

Billy Bodin replaced Henry in midfield, while Marcus McGuane lined up in an unfamiliar holding role and Mark Sykes dropped back.

Williams started his first Sky Bet League One game since September 4 on the left of the front three, with Gavin Whyte on the right.

The five-man bench included Ben Davis and 17-year-old centre back James Golding, both of whom were part of a League One squad for the first time.

United’s available players needed to step up and Sykes certainly did that in the early stages, linking well with Whyte and Taylor and seeing a shot deflect just wide off Curtis Tilt.

The worry was whether the U’s could keep Wigan out and it took just eight minutes for the visitors to go ahead.

Max Power’s corner was headed towards goal by Jack Whatmough and Keane was on hand to nod home from a yard out.

United struggled to deal with set-pieces to the back post and Lang headed on to the top of the bar, moments after having a shot blocked by a sliding Moore.

The U’s had to weather a spell of pressure, but they began to enjoy the majority of possession towards the midway point of the first half.

Taylor missed a golden chance to make it 1-1 with 19 minutes gone, after Whyte and Sykes linked well to get in behind the Wigan defence.

The Northern Ireland international laid the ball into the path of his teammate, who somehow hit the crossbar from six yards out.

A few spicy challenges began to fly in as the half-hour mark approached, before United conceded a very avoidable second goal.

Steve Seddon was under little pressure as he went to head McClean’s cross away, but nodded it into the path of the onrushing Power to lash home on the half-volley from 20 yards.

To their credit, United’s heads did not drop and they halved the deficit within a minute.

Whyte again linked well with the players around him and laid a pass into the path of Williams, who opened up his body to sweep the ball past Ben Amos from 12 yards.

Power and Matty Taylor were booked, the former for kicking the ball away, with Tom Naylor also earning a yellow card as the U’s ended the half strongly.

United continued to have more possession in a scrappy start to the second period and they were back on level terms just before the hour mark.

Forde did brilliantly on the right, plucking the ball out of the sky and racing into the box as Joe Bennett lost his footing.

The full-back sent a perfect cross in between goalkeeper and centre back, with Taylor on hand to slide home his 11th goal of the season.

The Kassam Stadium was rocking and Forde made a heroic tackle at the other end moments later, sliding in on the edge of the six-yard box to stop Gavin Massey scoring.

Striker Stephen Humphrys replaced Bennett in an attacking change for the visitors, before Lang shot just wide from a tight angle – although the linesman had already flagged offside.

The forward was thwarted by Simon Eastwood with 14 minutes left as the United goalkeeper made himself big to block, after Sykes saw a shot blocked following a well-worked move down the left.

Dan Agyei came on for Bodin, with Williams moving into central midfield, while Gwion Edwards replaced the lively Lang.

The U’s needed a hero, but it was McClean who settled an entertaining game.

Moments after Moore’s tackle had stopped him getting a shot away from a similar position, the winger found space down the left and fired into Eastwood’s far corner.

Oxford United (4-3-3): Eastwood, Forde, Moore, Long, Seddon, Sykes, Bodin (Agyei 77), McGuane, Whyte, Taylor, Williams.

Unused subs: Plumley, Mousinho, Davis, Golding.

Booked: Taylor, Williams.

Wigan Athletic (4-2-3-1): Amos, Darikwa, Whatmough, Tilt, Bennett (Humphrys 66), Power, Naylor, Massey, Lang (Edwards 85), McClean, Keane.

Unused subs: Jamie Jones, Kerr, Watts, Jordan Jones, Aasgaard.

Booked: Darikwa, Power, Naylor, Whatmough, McClean.

Referee: James Bell (South Yorkshire).

Attendance: 8,354 (942 visitors).