Shaun Maloney admits his Wigan Athletic side are “ahead of schedule” after starting their Sky Bet League One campaign with two successive wins following a 2-1 victory over Northampton at the DW Stadium.

Having started the campaign with an eight-point deduction for financial issues last season, Wigan are now only two points from wiping out that deficit after a flying start.

Two goals in the last 20 minutes from Charlie Hughes and Callum McManaman gave them victory over Northampton, who had led through a Sam Hoskins free-kick after 24 minutes.

Maloney’s men would move into positive points with another win at Carlisle on Tuesday.

“It’s been a really positive start in the league,” he said.

“We set ourselves a target of six games to get into positive points, so we’re maybe a little ahead of schedule.

“But we know what football can do.

“In terms of today’s game, I thought it opened up in the last 20 minutes, but we had a brilliant feeling at the end.

“And all the credit has to go to the players.

“It was the players that had to see out the last half an hour at Derby, where we had to defend for our lives.

“We had to do the same here for the last 10 minutes plus seven minutes of injury time.

“But the mentality of the young group, I think it’s always a bit of an unknown.

“And we had some big, big performances today to get us over the line.”

Wigan’s matchwinner was McManaman, who is in his third spell at the club, having won a 12-month deal in the summer after training with the side since Maloney’s arrival in January.

“I thought he was brilliant in the first half against Derby, but he’s had a knock on his hip,” added the Wigan boss.

“I would have liked to have started him today, and I ended up needing him longer than I wanted.

“But it was a brilliant day for Callum.

“I’ve seen the progression he’s made while he’s been back here, all the work he’s put in, and I’m so, so happy for him.”

For Northampton boss Jon Brady, it was a case of what might have been.

“It’s a step up in standard and, if you don’t defend right, you get punished, and we were today,” he said.

“We’re still getting there, but today’s performance gave me a lot of confidence in the group.

“On a big pitch like this, it’s very difficult to step on and press like we did in the first half.

“And that’s a big reason why we couldn’t step on as much in the second half.

“We scored a very good goal, that’s the quality Sam possesses.

“We also hit the post, but I’ll compliment Wigan here.

“The blocks in the box won them the game today.

“A lot of our opportunities were what I’d want from my team.

“But their attitude, their never-say-die, their never-give-up, was really commendable.”

Both Brady and his assistant Colin Caldwerwood were yellow carded in the final half an hour by referee Ross Joyce.

“McManaman has poleaxed one of my players, and the referee has done nothing about that,” he added.

“And the fourth official pretends he hasn’t seen it, which is disappointing.

“It’s just the consistency and the dark arts they were using.

“But I’ll leave it there before I say too much.”

Stevenage started the new Sky League One season with a 1-0 victory at fellow promoted side Northampton.

Boro’s first ever win at Sixfields came courtesy of Carl Piergianni’s scrappy late goal as Steve Evans’ side began life in the third tier with three well-deserved points.

Cobblers hit the frame of the goal twice in the space of three minutes early on as Taye Ashby-Hammond tipped Patrick Brough’s shot against the crossbar before Tyreece Simpson found the base of a post from an acute angle.

Stevenage enjoyed a good spell in the middle of the first half, with Ben Thompson sidefooting wide and Aaron Pressley volleying past the far post, and they continued to edge proceedings after the restart but clear-cut chances were few and far between.

The visitors failed to hit the target with a number of long-range efforts, but they increased the pressure and eventually took the lead with nine minutes remaining through Piergianni’s close-range finish.

Jordan Roberts was denied by Lee Burge before Marc Leonard nearly rescued a point for the Cobblers, with his stoppage-time free-kick dropping narrowly wide.

Northampton have announced the signing of England World Cup hopeful Tom Pearson.

Back-row forward Pearson was left without a club when London Irish went into administration last week after being suspended from all competitions by the Rugby Football Union.

The 23-year-old helped Irish to a fifth-place finish in the Gallagher Premiership, delivering numerous eye-catching performances.

He was named in England’s first World Cup training squad of the summer by head coach Steve Borthwick, while Pearson ended last term with Premiership and Rugby Players’ Association young player of the season honours.

“I will always be incredibly grateful to London Irish and treasure my time there,” he said.

“They gave me a shot two years ago coming out of university when I was an unknown and probably a bit of a risk.

“It’s tragic to not know the true potential of that team we had, but I want to thank all the players, staff, and the fans for everything they gave me over the last two years and for helping me create lifelong memories.

“From my very first conversation with (Northampton rugby director) Phil Dowson, he has been extremely honest and clear on the direction he wants Saints to go as a club.

“He really made me feel like I would fit in well in Northampton with the playing group and the style of rugby the team plays.

“He has also got clear ideas on where my game can improve, and I want to push on and develop as much as I can as a player.”

Two of Pearson’s England squad colleagues and former Irish team-mates – Henry Arundell and Will Joseph – have yet to confirm their club futures.

Arundell is thought to be a target for Bath and French club Racing 92, while Joseph has been strongly linked with Harlequins.

On recruiting Pearson, Dowson said: “Tom is an incredible athlete and is just going to get better the longer he is in the professional environment.

“He is very versatile, able to play across the back-row, and thanks to his physicality, movement and off-loading game he can make significant impacts all over the park.”

Promotion and relegation is on the line as most EFL clubs play their penultimate matches of the season over the bank holiday weekend.

The automatic promotion places in the Sky Bet Championship are set in stone but with other issues at stake across all three divisions, the PA news agency looks at the state of play.

Championship

Burnley are champions and Sheffield United clinched promotion on Wednesday night.

Luton and Middlesbrough are guaranteed play-off places. Coventry can join them with a game to spare if they beat Birmingham and several other results go their way, but the immediate interest is at the bottom of the table.

Wigan play fellow strugglers Reading away on Saturday and will be relegated if they lose. If they draw, they need Huddersfield to lose at Cardiff on Sunday while if the Latics win they would need the Terriers to drop points or Rotherham to lose on Monday.

Blackpool, just a point better off than the Latics, must beat Millwall on Friday or match Huddersfield’s result and hope Reading do not win.

Reading can go down this weekend if they lose, Huddersfield win and Rotherham pick up a point. QPR can clinch survival with a victory, as can Rotherham as long as Reading and Huddersfield do not also win. Cardiff only need a point to guarantee their Championship future.

League One

Plymouth and Ipswich have the chance to clinch promotion with wins at home to Burton and Exeter respectively, or by matching third-placed Sheffield Wednesday’s result at Shrewsbury.

Argyle will be crowned champions if they win and Town lose, and are up unless Wednesday win and they do not.

Wednesday are guaranteed a play-off place at least. Barnsley are in the play-offs and Bolton and Derby can both join them if they win and Peterborough do not.

Morecambe and Accrington could be relegated if they lose to Lincoln and Cambridge respectively, MK Dons beat Barnsley and Oxford get a point against relegated Forest Green. Even draws would not be enough if Oxford and MK both win.

Cambridge are second-bottom but have a game in hand, meaning their fate cannot be confirmed until Wednesday at the earliest.

League Two

Northampton and Stevenage have the opportunity on Saturday to clinch promotion alongside champions Leyton Orient.

Victories for either, against Bradford and Grimsby respectively, would make sure – otherwise, they would need none of Stockport, Carlisle and Bradford to win. Boro must match that trio’s results but Northampton would be promoted instantly if the chasing pack all drop points.

Stockport and Carlisle can clinch play-off places if they better either Salford or Mansfield’s results.

Hartlepool will be relegated unless they win both their remaining games and Crawley lose both of theirs, with a six-goal swing in Pools’ favour.