Latics upset the odds with rare home victory – Wigan Athletic 1 Reading 0

Posted on October 18, 2026 by ianhaspinall
Scott Hogan scored his first goal for Latics
  • Wigan Athletic recorded their second League One victory of the season against in-form Reading at the Brick Community Stadium.
  • Scott Hogan scored his first league goal of the season on 71 minutes after substitute Christian Saydee’s cross was parried by Joel Pereira and the well-travelled striker followed up to seal the three points.
  • The lively Brad Burrowes came close on several occasions to give Latics the lead and at the other end Joe Whitworth made a superb save to deny Jamie Reid.
  • Reggie Walsh should have opened the scoring for Latics just before half-time but he fired high over the crossbar.
  • In the second half Burrowes sent another shot just wide and Whitworth made his second good save to deny Reid.
  • The visitors had a late chance but Whitworth diverted away Josh Stokes’ strike and Latics held out for an important victory.
  • Latics remain bottom of the League One table and the Royals are in seventh place.

Gary Caldwell made two changes from the side that lost at Stevenage, with Archie Harris and Reggie Walsh coming into the starting XI to replace Jon Mellish and the injured Max Power.

Latics started positively, passing the ball with good intent.

They had an early chance when a long ball evaded goalkeeper Pereira who had come out of his box and allowed Connor Barrett to challenge Jeriel Dorsett and send a ball high up in the air and towards Burrowes, but the winger headed over the crossbar.

Jensen Weir then tried his luck from the edge of the area forcing a save from Pereira.

Reading then had a golden opportunity to open the scoring but Whitworth did superbly to keep out Reid who looked destined to score when clean through on goal.

Burrowes threatened again when he produced a low effort towards the bottom left corner and forced a save from Pereira before he later set up Walsh who was free in the area, but the young Chelsea loanee blazed over from a great position.

The visitors threatened to break the deadlock just before the break when a deep cross from the right found the head of Paddy Lane at the back post, but fortunately for Latics he sent the effort over the bar. 

The hosts created an early chance in the second half when Hogan won the ball back and set Burrowes free who drove into the area forcing a diving save from Pereira, with Barrett heading wide on the follow-up. 

Latics deservedly made the breakthrough on 71 minutes when substitute Christian Saydee’s cross was parried by Pereira and Hogan followed up from close range.

Reading had a late chance but Whitworth diverted away Stokes’ strike and Latics held out for an important victory.

Overview

This was a confidence boosting victory for Latics against and in-form Reading who despatched MK Dons 5-1 last week.

Latics were desperately in need of a positive result, as another defeat would’ve pushed the fanbase into an even bigger depression.

The hosts were the better team, enjoying the majority of possession and creating plenty of chances.

But could they convert their chances? On this occasion they managed a goal which turned out to be the difference.

Substitute Saydee had made a difference when he came on and Caldwell should be congratulated for getting his tactics right by leaving Hogan on the pitch.

Chance conversion continues to remain low however, and improving this must be a priority.

Latics young players had passed the ball to good effect and hadn’t allowed Reading to impose their game.

Former Latics manager Leam Richardson looked clearly frustrated with the Royals performance but Latics had deserved their  second win of the season.

Next up for Latics is a trip to eighth placed Oxford United on Tuesday night. Can Latics maintain this level of performance and get a good result at the Kassam Stadium?

Post-match comments

Speaking to the media after the game, Caldwell said:

“I said last week after the defeat it was a good training week. We replicated that this week and that’s what we have to keep doing.  We have to keep working hard on the training pitch, and we will get the rewards on a match day if we do that. I thought we deserved to win the game.

“Some of our attacking play, creating good chances, and again, you have to be more ruthless in those moments. In the last ten minutes of the first half, I thought we stepped off the game a little bit and looked a bit leggy. But credit to the players in the second half. They dug in.

“I keep saying that to the players. The potential they have is huge, but in football you have to turn it into goals to make it count. Too often we miss the last pass, or we miss the chance to put it in the net, and that lets the opposition off the hook. I thought the first half hour we should have been two goals up, and then the game is far easier. But that will come.

“[Reading] are a very, very good squad, a very good team that is difficult to play against, difficult to beat, difficult to keep a clean sheet against. They just scored five away from home in their last game. We can compete with the very best teams. In saying all that, we can still get a lot better.

“Definitely things we can still improve, but we can improve that from a place of confidence and belief and try and build on this result.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of WhoScored.com

Posted in Gary Caldwell, League One, Reading, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review – Fanzine: The Story of Football’s Alternative Press by Daniel Gray

Posted on October 14, 2026 by ianhaspinall

Daniel Gray’s new book explores the fanzine phenomenon during the peak years of the 1980s and 1990s. It offers an alternative history of football during a troubled and transformational time as witnessed by supporters.

Gray neatly summarises the birth of fanzines. “They sprang from a time of despotic club chairmen and intransigent administrators of the game who cared not a fig for the supporters and the derelict conditions in which they watched football. During that era, supporters were policed as if they were all potential terrorists. Stadiums that fans said were death traps proved to be so.”

For many, by the mid-1980s the simple act of going to the match was often an unpleasant undertaking, yet their devotion to football meant they still went along to the games.

It was a time of dreadful treatment of football fans by the Police. When violent incidents occurred, what happened next worked to a standard formula. News outlets would often embellish and hyperbolise events. Politicians would then scramble to be the most hardline in their responses. Journalists fanned the flames and the police felt emboldened in their draconian attitudes to matchdays. 

Fanzines came from a belief that football fans deserved something better than the negative national media. Graham Ennis of Everton fanzine ‘When Skies Are Grey’ recalls the massive surge in Fanzines. “Before, the fan’s voice was completely unheard and there was no outlet for it whatsoever. It seems really odd in today’s game where fans’ voices are absolutely everywhere.”

Nationally, the Guardian’s Stephen Brierley spoke for many when, in February 1989, he described fanzines as ‘one of the delights of soccer in the past few years, glorious pulsating beacons of irreverence, wit and real information’.

Later that year in the Independent, Patrick Barclay gave deep praise for the way fanzines had eloquently struck back against the linking of football with hooliganism and inspired a vast improvement in literature about the game.

In 1988/89 the Inflatables craze showed the public that that fun-loving football fans were not hooligans. “Some supporters chose objects that pertained to their clubs or local areas – West Ham United fans brought hammers, Brentford bees, Hull City tigers, Norwich canaries and Grimsby fish. The Bury club shop stocked 3000 inflatable black puddings while followers of Lancastrian neighbours Wigan Athletic waved baked bean tins, a nod to the local Heinz factory.”

The new fanzines were especially adept at co-ordinating protest against the schemes of club owners. The threat of club mergers was rife at the time, and some fanzines ran successful campaigns against club mergers.

“Even if you’re on the dole,” declared an encouraging ‘Off the Ball’ article, “you can get a typewriter for a couple of quid a week through a Mail Order catalogue.’’ Other requirements for starting a fanzine included a stapler, glue and a “stencil (less than a quid) for headlines” although “about £10 worth of Letraset gives you the opportunity to make far more striking and varied” versions. It should be remembered, though, continued the piece, that “what the mag says is more important than how it looks.’’

Fanzines gave people an opportunity to write for the first time. Jonny Owen now an actor, producer and radio presenter said, “…the utter thrill of seeing one’s own words in print across a fanzine’s pages was known to thousands. This democracy was simply unknown in the traditional media.”

Throughout the book Gray is nostalgic for the simpler days when xeroxed pages and irreverent humour were the norm before the technological change that brought social media and all that entails.

He successfully takes us back to the heyday of fanzines; recounting the major events of the period and achieves this with some style and wit. He has an affinity with the alternative and independent and he revels in stories about the different fanzines.

‘Fanzine’ is a superb account of what we were thinking, wearing, eating and saying 40 years ago, it is a people’s history of football, and of Britain.

Fanzine: The Story of Football’s Alternative Press by Daniel Gray. Published by Bloomsbury Sport. Price £19.00.

A version of this review first appeared in the November/December 2026 edition of Late Tackle magazine.

Posted in Daniel Gray, Fanzines, Football Book Reviews, Late Tackle magazine, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Latics sink deeper into trouble – Stevenage 1 Wigan Athletic 0

Posted on October 11, 2026 by ianhaspinall
Another frustrating afternoon for Gary Caldwell
  • Wigan Athletic remain rooted to the bottom of the League One table after they suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Stevenage at the SPORTA Arena. 
  • After a tight 45 minutes with very few chances there was a dramatic end to the half when Brad Burrowes created a great goalscoring opportunity but Connor Barrett fired just wide.
  • Jensen Weir then volleyed high over the crossbar before former Latic Matt Smith gave the visitors a scare but he was unable to finish past Joe Whitworth. 
  • Stevenage broke the deadlock in the 60th minute when a Josh Magennis ball to the back post found the head of Wanya Marcal, who headed across goal and into the net off the far post.
  • Latics huffed and puffed but struggled to create any clear-cut chances and Stevenage ran out comfortable winners.
  • Latics remain bottom of the League One table and Stevenage are in ninth place.

Gary Caldwell made three changes from the EFL Trophy win against Blackpool with Joe Whitworth, Charlie Gray and Jon Mellish replacing Joe Walsh, Archie Harris and Dara Costelloe. 

Latics enjoyed plenty of early possession and produced their first shot on target when a ball into the feet of Scott Hogan saw him set Burrowes for a first-time effort at goal, but Tommy Setford held well. 

The hosts created an opportunity of their own when a ball floated into the feet of Olly Sanderson, was taken nicely on the half-turn for a tame effort at goal, but into Whitworth’s hands.

There was a dramatic end to a lacklustre first half as Burrowes did superbly to beat his man on the left, drive inside and switch play out to the right to Barrett who struck towards the far corner but just wide of the post. 

Weir then volleyed high over the crossbar on 46 mins before former Latic Smith gave the visitors a scare but was unable to finish past Whitworth in added time at the end of the half.

In the second half the hosts Dan Kemp tried his luck sending an effort towards Whitworth’s near post and wide after cutting in from the right. 

However, the opening goal came in the 60th minute when a Magennis cross to the back post found the head of Marcal, who headed across goal and in off the far post.

Late on Whitworth had to make a brilliant point-blank save to prevent a second Stevenage goal. 

Latics huffed and puffed but struggled to create any clear-cut chances and Stevenage ran out comfortable winners.

Overview

Stevenage have a good home record but Latics gave them an easy afternoon and rarely looked like scoring at the SPORTA Arena.

Despite the long break due to the internationals the Latics players showed no improvement from their previous poor displays.

It was yet another desperately poor performance which doesn’t augur well for the future.

Caldwell had Latics’ players trying boxing in training earlier this week but maybe trying to play football would’ve been a better option.

Six defeats in eight games leaves Latics in deep in trouble rooted to the bottom of the table.

The team continues to struggle in front of goal and unless this changes very soon you have to wonder if this team is capable of pulling away from the bottom of the table.

Post-match comments

Afterwards speaking to the media Caldwell said:

“[It was a] frustrating game again, a game where I think we started extremely well in terms of our personality, how we wanted to control the game, limited them to very little.

“Probably the same old story in terms of final third play: more incisive, more quality, more chances. We need to put that ball in the net and if you can’t win, don’t lose. It’s happened a few times already this season, and we obviously still have to address it and get better at it.

“We can’t hide away from the fact that we haven’t won enough games. I think what we have to say is [that] some of what we’re doing is good, but some of what we’re doing has to be better, and we have to keep working on that and improving on that.

“It’s not the position we want to be in. As I said to the players, we can’t start blaming each other and looking at each other. We have to stay together as a group; we have to individually look at ourselves and [ask], where are we going to get better? How are we going to improve next week? And work hard to try and do that and win at home against Reading.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of WhoScored.com
Posted in Gary Caldwell, League One, Wanya Marcal | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Toothless Tics defeated in a sad week for the club – Wigan Athletic 0 Wycombe Wanderers 1

Posted on September 20, 2026 by ianhaspinall
A difficult week for Gary Caldwell
  • Wigan Athletic were defeated 1-0 by Wycombe Wanderers at the Brick Community Stadium after a difficult week for the club when they sadly lost goalkeeping coach Kevin Miller, who died at the age of 57.
  • In the early stages Latics struggled to compete against the physicality of Wycombe who started strongly and wasted a couple of early chances.
  • Latics grew into the game and enjoyed more possession but without really threatening to score.
  • In the second half Latics had a shout for a penalty when Fraser Murray went down in the area under a challenge, but referee Dean Whitestone waved play on.
  • In a rare attack the visitors broke the deadlock in the 68th minute when substitute Cauley Woodrow crossed for Dan Casey to head home from close range.
  • The hosts huffed and puffed but a toothless attack failed to trouble the Wycombe goalkeeper Conor Hazard, and the managerless visitors held out comfortably for the three points.
  • Latics are now bottom of the League One table and the Chairboys are in 14th place.

Before kick off a minute’s applause took place to honour Kevin Miller.

Latics had an unchanged line-up from the 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday.

The visitors started strongly with new signing Jayden Wareham firing just wide after five minutes.

Five minutes later and the striker had a great opportunity but he miscued his volley which flew high and wide.

Latics gradually grew into the game and enjoyed more possession but without really threatening to score.

In a rare strike on goal on 41 minutes Murray stung the hands of Hazard from 20-yards, but the keeper comfortably parried away. 

Caldwell made two changes at the half-time break with Dara Costelloe and Brad Burrowes replacing Sonny Perkins and James Carragher.

Burrowes looked lively from the bench but Costelloe once again failed to impress. 

Early in the second half Latics had a shout for a penalty when Murray went down in the area under a challenge, but referee Whitestone waved play on.

In a rare attack the visitors broke the deadlock in the 68th minute when substitute Woodrow crossed for Casey to head home from close range. 

Latics struggled to create any clear-cut chances and the only fleeting opportunity came when substitute Connor Barrett let fly from distance but his strike cleared the crossbar.

Overview

After a much improved performance at Sheffield Wednesday, Latics looked lacklustre against Wycombe. Maybe they had raised their game at Hillsborough but the same players performed poorly in this game.

It’s hard to know how much the death of Kevin Miller had affected the players but this was a very disappointing display against their managerless opponents.

The players struggled against the physicality of a more experienced Wycombe team.  Many of Latics’ younger players found it difficult to compete against a bigger team but there was also a lack of energy and creativity to break down a well organised Wycombe defence.

Latics failed to create many chances but their biggest problem continues to be the lack of a goalscorer. Sonny Perkins was substituted at half time and his replacement Dara Costelloe was equally ineffective. Substitute Scott Hogan entered the fray on 74 minutes and substitute Chris Sze 82 minutes but neither looked a threat in the remaining minutes.

Latics have an EFL Trophy fixture against Blackpool on Tuesday night before a two week break due to international fixtures, but Caldwell must get his players scoring soon or they will become rooted to the bottom the table.

Post-match comments

Speaking to the media afterwards, Caldwell said:

“It’s been a horrendous week, and a day I never want to happen again. As you’ve seen since we announced it, an amazing human being, a brilliant goalkeeper in his day, a brilliant coach, but I think everything I’ve seen has shown what a person he was.

“It’s tough. We didn’t train on Wednesday. You never know what to do in these situations; you never want these situations. You try and do the best you can, try and make the best decisions you can. 

“The week has been horrendous. We’ve lost somebody really important, but as I said, his family have lost somebody even more important, and a special, special person has gone. 

“I thought the stadium early on was a really strange place. Obviously we had everything at the start of the game, remembering Kev, and I thought we did that really well as a football club. I can’t fault the players’ effort; I thought we gave everything. I thought we kept trying; I thought we kept going. It just didn’t look like we could create enough in the final third.

“There’s a long season ahead that we have to keep improving, keep getting better, and I’m sure we will do that. We’ve had a good performance last week. It’s not always perfect. When you lose, everything isn’t always poor. When I get a chance, I’ll assess the game, and we’ll get back to work when we come back on Monday.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of Whoscored.com
Posted in Dan Casey, Gary Caldwell, Kevin Miller, League One, Wigan Athletic, wycombe wanderers | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Latics defy the odds to draw against the league leaders – Sheffield Wednesday 0 Wigan Athletic 0

Posted on September 13, 2026 by ianhaspinall
Jon Mellish Wigan Athletic
Jon Mellish had his best game for Latics
  • Wigan Athletic defied the odds to draw 0-0 against League One leaders Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
  • Latics matched their in-form opponents throughout and had enough chances to take all three points.
  • Jon Mellish and Reggie Walsh both went close in the first half for Latics and Mason Burstow hit the woodwork for the hosts.
  • In the second half Morgan Fox had a great opportunity deflected over the crossbar and Jensen Weir hit the post.
  • Substitute Harry Gray had a late opportunity for Wednesday but Latics deservedly held on for a confidence building point.
  • Latics move off the bottom of the League One table and Wednesday remain top.

Gary Caldwell made three changes to his starting line-up from the defeat against Stockport County with Jon Mellish, Fraser Murray and Sonny Perkins replacing Archie Harris, Connor Barrett and Dara Costelloe.

Latics had an early scare when Burstow hit the post from a tight angle.

But the visitors responded well and soon afterwards Reggie Walsh’s dangerous cross was deflected over the crossbar by Wednesday captain Liam Cooper.

Wednesday threatened next through the lively Kieran Morrison who forced a good save from Whitworth before Yann Valery headed wide of the target on 18 minutes.

Murray’s dangerous cross found Mellish in the box but his effort was blocked by a Wednesday defender on 24 minutes.

Walsh had an effort saved at the near post by Joe Lumley before at the other end Morrison forced a save from Whitworth on 32 minutes.

Mellish continued to get forward to good effect and he had another opportunity on 40 minutes but his strike was well parried for a corner by Lumley.

Just before half-time Valery had a shot well saved by Whitworth before Barry Bannan blazed wide.

Early in the second half Walsh was booked for a foul on Bannan before Cooper was yellow carded for a foul on Sonny Perkins.

Soon afterwards Latics should’ve been ahead. Weir’s strike cannoned off the post and into the path of Walsh but he was unable to convert the follow up, although Perkins was adjudged to have been offside.

Latics continued to create chances and Chelsea loanee Walsh bent an effort over the crossbar on 64 minutes.

Caldwell introduced new signing Scott Hogan and Dara Costelloe for Perkins and Walsh on 70 minutes as Latics went in search of the victory.

Weir fired over on 70 minutes from outside the box.

Connor Barrett replaced Murray on 84 minutes and Archie Gray replaced Charlie Gray on 87 minutes.

Referee Seb Stockbridge indicated eight minutes of added time. Substitute Harry Gray had a late opportunity for the hosts before the visitors substitute Hogan’s strike at goal was blocked in the 98th minute and the points had to be shared.

Overview

This was an impressive performance by Caldwell’s young side against the current league leaders.

Given Latics recent drubbing by Stockport many people had predicted that they would be brushed aside by leaders Sheffield Wednesday who had recently put seven goals past Bromley.

But Latics had matched their high-flying opponents throughout and they could easily have taken all three points.

If only they could take their chances in games they would now be sitting comfortably in mid-table.

It is to be hoped that new signing Scott Hogan can take the future chances when they come along. Hogan is an experienced striker who has commanded high transfer fees in the past but it remains to be seen whether he is capable of doing a job for Latics. He has until January to prove himself or Latics will be forced to enter the transfer market for another striker.

Caldwell had got his tactics right this time after the debacle against Stockport. Jensen Weir was tasked with nullifying the threat of Barry Bannan and it worked a treat as the Scottish midfielder was unable to unlock a well-drilled Latics defence.

The question now is, can Caldwell’s young side maintain this high level of performance against Wycombe Wanderers at the Brick Community Stadium next Saturday?

Post-match comments

Speaking to the media afterwards Caldwell said:

“I’m delighted with the performance. Seven days ago, we were standing here after a heavy defeat – a really low moment – and the recovery the team has made was outstanding.

“To play with the character and personality we did today was brilliant, and I think we should have won the game.

“That being said, from where we were last week, it’s a huge step forward. It’s our first clean sheet of the season, and our performance level, if we maintain that, we will win a lot of football matches.

“As low as we were to lose last weekend, you have to be humble and do something about it, and we did something about it today, and we’ve responded in the perfect way with a proper performance.

“We looked like men today, and I keep saying we are a young team, but we played like men, and I thought the players were excellent.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of Whoscored.com
Posted in Gary Caldwell, Jon Mellish, League One, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Latics stunned by County goal blitz – Wigan Athletic 0 Stockport County 4

Posted on September 6, 2026 by ianhaspinall
Gary Caldwell reflected on a disappointing performance
  • Wigan Athletic were stunned by a Stockport County goal blitz in the first 21 minutes and ultimately lost 4-0 at the Brick Community Stadium.
  • Latics went behind after only 10 minutes when a mistake by Max Power led to Kyle Wootton volleying the ball into the net from 25-yards.
  • The visitors doubled their lead in the 19th minute when Harry Wood broke clear and lifted the ball over the advancing Joe Whitworth.
  • Things got worse two minutes later as Jack Diamond was played through the centre of the Latics defence and he finished past Whitworth for the third goal.
  • In the second half Latics hit the post through Archie Harris and Sze forced a brilliant save from goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff.
  • County added a fourth goal from Ryan Glover in the 90th minute to heap further misery on Latics.
  • Latics are bottom of the League One Table after five games and County are in third place.

Caldwell made a tactical shift in his formation with three changes from the team that had defeated MK Dons with Archie Harris, Connor Barrett, and Reggie Walsh replacing Fraser Murray, Luke Harris, and Sonny Perkins. 

It didn’t take long for the visitors to go ahead. 

A pass in behind Latics’ defence saw Power trying to clear but he only managed to play the ball into the path of Wootton, who expertly volleyed into the top corner from distance. 

Latics soon found themselves two down  when Wood was allowed the space in behind to lift the ball over the on-rushing Whitworth and into the net.

Things got worse two minutes later as Diamond was played through the centre of the Latics defence and he finished past Whitworth for the third.

Latics couldn’t contain the visitors and they continued to create chances. On one occasion Diamond found Wootton, who took one touch and fired over the crossbar.

3-0 to County at the interval and Caldwell decided to change formation and personnel with Murray, Sze, and Burrowes replacing Connor Barrett, Charlie Gray and Reggie Walsh in the second half.

Latics first real chance of the game came on 70 minutes when Murray went down the right and managed to cross to Harris at the back post, but he could only hit the post with his effort before Dara Costelloe couldn’t convert on the follow-up.

Substitute Burrowes was at least causing problems for the County defence down the left, and he produced an inviting cross towards the back post but Murray could only head wide from 10 yards out. 

On 76 minutes Latics had another opportunity when Sze’s right-footed strike from the right side of the box was superbly saved by Whatmuff.

Latics bad day was compounded in the 90th minute as Stockport grabbed a fourth goal. Jason Adigun broke into the area and his shot was blocked by Whitworth but Glover was there to finish from close range.

Overview

Latics were blown away by a powerful Stockport in the first 21 minutes and they were lucky not to concede more in the opening half.

County looked like an accomplished outfit who will be challenging for promotion this season but Latics made mistakes and were far too soft centred to cope with the visitors attacks.

Caldwell had got his tactics wrong. He had tried to nullify the Stockport attacking threat but he had only succeeded in confusing his own players.

The young Latics midfielders along with Power and Weir were unable to stem the tide of the County attacks and the defence was left exposed.

It was a harsh lesson for Caldwell and his new team but they will have to learn quickly if they are to avoid similar drubbings in League One.

It is a transitional period for the club with 14 new signings and the manager trying to establish a playing style. The Latics fans’ will need to be patient during this period, but the transitional period cannot last too long or they will find themselves cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

Latics catalogue of injured players is not helping matters and they will need to offload some players before they can dip into the free agent market, and a proven goalscorer continues to be a priority.

Post-match comments

Speaking afterwards to the media Caldwell said:

“A massively disappointing game. A massively disappointing afternoon following Wednesday’s high and the night, trying to build consistency.

“Credit to Stockport; they’ve been a play-off team for two years now, investing for a number of years, and they’re building a strong team, which they proved today.

“We couldn’t get to grips with the game early. We didn’t press with enough intensity in a 4-2-3-1, and then we changed shape to a 5-4-1, where it’s a bit more man-to-man, and we couldn’t get to grips with that as well.

“I said to the players that I’ll accept responsibility for that, that’s my job. I have to make that better and get the players in better positions for them to show their quality.

“In the second half, I thought the players gave everything. We tried, we created chances again, but just couldn’t get that goal. As we kept pushing, you always look vulnerable to a counter-attack.

“It’s a hugely disappointing day but a day we will take a lot from and look back on later in the season as a day we can learn from.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of WhoScored.com
Posted in Gary Caldwell, Harry Wood, Jack Diamond, Kyle Wooton, Kyle Wootton, League One, Ryan Glover | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Latics get points on the board – Wigan Athletic 3 MK Dons 1

Posted on September 3, 2026 by ianhaspinall
Jensen Weir produced two super strikes
  • Wigan Athletic captain Max Power and vice captain Jensen Weir delivered three superb goals as they defeated MK Dons 3-1 at the Brick Community Stadium.
  • In a dominant first half Latics deservedly went ahead on 36 minutes when Power fed Weir 25-yards out and the midfielder produced a powerful strike into the roof of the net.
  • Latics should’ve had a penalty moments later when Fraser Murray was pushed in the back when through on goal but referee Paul Howard inexplicably waved play on before booking an incandescent Gary Caldwell.
  • MK Dons went close just before half-time but debutant goalkeeper Joe Whitworth made an important save from point-blank range.
  • Latics doubled their lead just after half-time when Power superbly volleyed home from outside the box.
  • Weir made it 3-0 on 74 minutes when he scored his second goal with a super strike from 20-yards out.
  • MK Dons pulled a consolation goal back on 81 minutes through Aaron Collins but Latics comfortably saw out the remaining minutes.

Caldwell made five changes to the side that was defeated at AFC Wimbledon, with Whitworth coming in for his debut, Morgan Fox, Charlie Gray, Luke Harris & Fraser Murray all starting.

Latics started confidently with Gray showing some good touches in midfield.

Unfortunately the hosts suffered an early blow when Luke Harris had to be withdrawn with an injury.

His replacement Reggie Walsh soon made an impact driving forward into the area and testing Craig MacGillivray with a shot to his right.

Latics were creating plenty of chances and they should’ve been ahead when Murray hit the post, Dara Costelloe nearly made contact with the rebound before Murray had a second attempt but saw his effort cleared off the line. 

But Latics deservedly did go ahead soon afterwards when Weir hit an unstoppable drive high into the net past MacGillivray from 25-yards.

The hosts should’ve had a penalty moments later when Murray was pushed in the back when through on goal but referee Howard inexplicably waved play on before booking Caldwell.

The visitors went close just before half-time but new signing Whitworth made a superb save from point-blank range.

Just three minutes into the second half Latics consolidated their lead. It was skipper Power who unleashed a fine volley into the net from 25-yards after the Dons tried to clear a corner.

Latics added a third on 74 minutes and it was that man Weir again with another fine goal. Substitute Brad Burrowes, with his first touch, laid the ball to Weir whose first-time strike went in off the post.

The visitors pulled a consolation goal back on 81 minutes through Collins but Latics saw out the remaining minutes to record their first three points of the season.

Overview

This was a much needed but also impressive display by Caldwell’s new team. Latics had struggled to score in their previous games but stalwarts Weir and Power came up with the goods when it mattered.

The changes that Caldwell had made to the team from the defeat at AFC Wimbledon made a big difference against the Dons.

Goalkeeper Whitworth steadied the defence on his debut, Fox showed his experience, while Gray looked very comfortable in a central midfield role, and Murray was a big threat going forward.

This had been a hardworking and energetic performance and the young Premier League loanees had helped Latics to perform to a high standard.

Questions still remain about the lack of a recognised goalscorer but Sonny Perkins had his best game for the club so far.

Referee Howard had produced some bizarre decisions throughout the game, yellow carding Caldwell and later red carding his assistant David Perkins. It’s fair to say the standard of refereeing in League One is poor and referee Howard is a fairly typical example.

Post-match comments

Speaking to media afterwards Caldwell said:

“We got our rewards for a good performance, and we’ve not had that for the first three games. The longer that goes on, obviously the pressure builds, but from start to finish, I thought we were outstanding tonight.

“We dominated the game in the first-half, and we should have been out of sight at half-time, but we weren’t. Then we got the goal early in the second half, and then I thought we were very good in periods before tiring a little bit and sitting in.

“However, the pressure of getting the win is there, which is understandable, but you could see how much the players wanted it. We’ve now got to be better in the closing periods, but some of our play in the first 60 minutes was sensational.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of WhoScored.com
Posted in Aaron Collins, Gary Caldwell, Jensen Weir, League One, Max Power, Milton Keynes Dons | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Latics fall to late gut punch – AFC Wimbledon 1 Wigan Athletic 0

Posted on August 31, 2026 by ianhaspinall
Gary Caldwell with plenty to ponder
  • Wigan Athletic lost their third consecutive League One game following a late AFC Wimbledon goal by Myles Hippolyte at the Cherry Records Stadium.
  • Latics had created enough chances to win the game comfortably but poor finishing had once again let them down.
  • Sonny Perkins, Dara Costelloe and Connor Barrett all missed good opportunities in the first half and in the second half further chances were created with Perkins missing an absolute sitter.
  • Wimbledon did go close following a goalmouth scramble with Jensen Weir hitting his own post in the melee.
  • In a tense final period substitute K’Marni Miller and Costelloe were denied by Joe McDonnell before a defensive mix up on 88 minutes allowed Hippolyte to poke the ball past Joe Walsh and gift Wimbledon the three points.

Gary Caldwell made one change from the defeat by Leyton Orient with Connor Barrett replacing the injured Fraser Murray.

In an eventful opening period both sides created chances. 

After only three minutes Walsh nearly had a calamity when he came out of his area to head away but he headed the ball against Jayden Stockley, fortunately the Latics keeper recovered well to clear the ball away.

On six minutes Jensen Weir’s cross cum shot nearly deceived McDonnell but the ball was tipped onto the crossbar and over.

A minute later and McDonnell spilled a deep cross and Costelloe’s strike was deflected narrowly wide.

On 15 minutes Perkins took a bouncing ball under control inside the area but his effort was inches wide of the target.

The visitors were on top but couldn’t make their chances count.

Archie Harris, who was an early substitute for the injured Akeel Higgins, managed to get on the end of Barrett’s low cross on 32 minutes but he blazed his effort from 20 yards well over the bar. 

Barrett’s dangerous cross from the right was headed over by Perkins before Reggie Walsh drove at the Wimbledon defence and then laid the ball off Harris, who took one touch but blazed over. 

Wimbledon then had an opportunity when Ryan Johnson whipped a dangerous ball across the face of goal and nearly found Stockley, but Harris was able to divert behind. 

Overall Latics had created enough chances to be ahead and they created another opportunity just before half-time when Barrett drove forward at Johnson before striking at goal and forcing McDonnell into a good diving save to his right. 

Walsh suffered a head injury early in the second half and the game had to be stopped while he received attention by the medical team.

The game descended into a scrappy period until on 64 minutes Latics broke and had two clear-cut chances. First, Harris crossed towards Barrett at the back post, who took one touch, shot at goal and was denied by McDonnell from close range.

Next Latics had their best chance of the game as James Carragher volleyed across the face of goal, where Perkins was waiting for a tap in, but he somehow managed to poke the ball over the crossbar from practically on the goal-line.

Soon afterwards the hosts went close after a goalmouth scramble as Weir diverted a Wimbledon effort onto his own post and away.

In a tense final period substitute K’Marni Miller and Costelloe were both denied by McDonnell.

With two minutes remaining Latics suffered a sickening gut punch as Jon Mellish headed the ball backwards, substitute Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen and Carragher went for the same ball and Donnell McNeilly poked the ball through to Hippolyte who finished low past Walsh.

Overview

This was a match that Latics should’ve won comfortably, but if you don’t take your chances you can’t expect to win football games.

Latics had created numerous opportunities but they had been profligate in front of goal.

Perkins in particular was especially guilty of wasting good opportunities. Caldwell has put faith in the former Leyton Orient striker but his three league appearances this season have been hugely disappointing.

If it wasn’t obvious beforehand that Latics desperately need a proven goalscorer it should now be crystal clear to everyone.

The late forced defensive withdrawal of Fin Burns didn’t help Latics’ cause either as this contributed to the mistake that led to the Wimbledon goal.

Mellish’s backwards header and Chilokoa-Mullen and Carragher going for the same ball allowed McNeilly to poke the ball through to Hippolyte to finish.

Goalkeeper Walsh didn’t inspire confidence throughout and he was lucky to get away with a few mishaps and now surely Caldwell must secure the services of Joe Whitworth from Crystal Palace before the transfer deadline.

Post-match comments

Afterwards Caldwell spoke to the media,

“I don’t know how we’ve lost it, to be perfectly honest. But, yes, we have to get better in certain actions. It’s clear we created so many good moments, so many chances, no goals again.

“You cannot come out and play like that and not win. That’s three games; I’ll include the Barnsley game, so four, where I think we should have won every game and we’ve not, so we have to look at that.

“We will get better, because there are so many good things that I’m seeing from a group that is newly formed and needs time to really build and come together to win games consistently.

“Whilst you don’t score, you definitely don’t concede. […] The old saying goes, if you can’t win, don’t lose. And we shot ourselves in the foot by losing a game we should never have lost.

“We’re three games into the season. This is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. We know we want to win more games. We know we want to give our supporters more, but we also know that it is a new group and certain things are going against us. The chances we’re creating, we can’t keep missing.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of WhoScored.com
Posted in AFC Wimbledon, Gary Caldwell, League One, Myles Hippolyte, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Latics promise turns to disappointment – Wigan Athletic 0 Leyton Orient 2

Posted on August 24, 2026 by ianhaspinall
Chelsea loanee Reggie Walsh made his debut
  • Wigan Athletic suffered consecutive League One defeats when Leyton Orient won 2-0 at the Brick Community Stadium.
  • The visitors took the lead after 15 minutes when Latics failed to clear their lines and Tony Springett finished from close range.
  • Latics went close to a leveller when Dara Costelloe lifted the ball over goalkeeper Nathan Baxter but just over the crossbar.
  • Loan signing Reggie Walsh thought he had equalised on his debut with a volley from 15 yards, but he was flagged for offside.
  • Orient doubled their lead after 58 minutes when a mistake by Jon Mellish was punished by Yusuf Akhamrich from 10 yards.
  • Gary Caldwell made five changes to try and get back into the game with substitute Chris Sze having a golden opportunity with his first touch, but he was denied by Orient’s replacement goalkeeper Noah Phillips.

Caldwell made four changes from the opening day League One defeat at Cambridge with James Carragher returning and Reggie Walsh and Fin Burns making their league debuts as well as start for Akeel Higgins.

Latics started brightly with Chelsea loanee Walsh making a good impression on his debut.

His through ball found Costelloe, but Baxter was out quickly to deny him. 

Despite a good opening, Latics were behind on 15 minutes when they failed to clear their lines following a corner and Springett was able to beat Joe Walsh from close range.

Latics tried to respond and created a number of chances.

Costelloe did well to break clear from Jensen Weir’s ball over the top, but his lifted effort just cleared the crossbar.

A Fraser Murray cross caused all sorts of problems for the Orient keeper as he fumbled the ball backwards and almost into his own goal but it went just wide for a corner. 

Latics thought they had their equaliser as Walsh, struck a left-footed volley sweetly into the back of the net from a half-cleared corner, but the celebrations were short-lived as the flag had gone up for offside.

Walsh went close again minutes later with a strike that looked destined for the top corner but the ball went over Baxter’s crossbar.

After the break and Latics went close once more as Higgins picked out the forward run of Costelloe. But the striker’s effort was wide of the right-hand post. 

As against Cambridge last week, Latics were punished for their lack of clinical finishing as Akhamrich pounced on a defensive mistake by Mellish to double Orient’s lead.

Caldwell tried to freshen things up – and made five changes including the debut of Luke Harris and the return of Ryan Trevitt – but they continued to struggle to create any real opportunities.

Sze was brought on with 15 minutes to go, and he had the best chance for Latics as a first-time Murray cross was perfect for him to score but he tamely poked the ball at the Orient keeper who pushed the effort away from goal.

The visitors held on for their first three points and Latics will hope they can ignite their own season at AFC Wimbledon next Sunday.

Overview

It is very early days in the season and Caldwell is assembling a promising new team, but Latics currently have problems at both ends of the pitch. 

Caldwell has expressed faith in new signing Sonny Perkins as a goalscorer but his track record is not a good one. Similarly Dara Costelloe, Chris Sze and Christian Saydee rarely get on the scoresheet. The transfer deadline is looming and if Latics want to be serious contenders this season a reliable goalscorer like Joe Taylor (who scored for Huddersfield on Saturday) is a must.

Defensively the departures of Jason Kerr and Will Aimson have not helped Latics’ cause and the defence have started poorly. It will take time for the new backline and goalkeeper to settle but they cannot continue to make so many mistakes and expect to win games.

Post-match comments

Afterwards Caldwell spoke to the media,

“I was delighted with the performance, and disappointed with the result,” he said.

“You always want to get off to a good start in the league, and win your home games, but when I look back on the game, I’m very confident I’ll see a lot of very positive things.

“I think we’re doing a lot of very positive things at the moment, but we’re gifting the opposition goals, and we’re gifting the opposition games.”

“We’re playing into their hands in terms of what they want. What is that, seven goals in the last three games now? That tells the story of what we need to get better at.”

“The first goal is another second-phase from a corner, which we work on, and it can’t happen.”

“The second goal is an individual error, after we spoke at half-time about staying in the game, and not allowing them to get a second, like we did last weekend and in midweek.”

“We’re a team that hasn’t played together a lot, we’ve got a lot of new players, and there will be teething problems within that.”

“I can see progression, though, while knowing there are certain areas we need to get better at. A lot of our game was good today, and we can’t ignore that because we’ve lost the game.”

“There are a lot of positives, and we need to keep building on those.”

Player ratings

Player ratings courtesy of WhoScored.com
Posted in Gary Caldwell, League One, Leyton Orient, Tony Springett, Yusuf Akhamrich | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Review – The Changing Game: The past, present and future of football by Martin O’Neill

Posted on August 19, 2026 by ianhaspinall

At the age of 74, Martin O’Neill has successfully revived his management career with Celtic.

Last October O’Neill was asked to join the Scottish giants as interim manager and, over two stints at the helm, went on to win the Scottish Premiership and Cup double.

In his new book, which is now out in paperback, O’Neill reviews the changes that have taken place in the footballing world during his long career.

It is a book about the development of football in the last half century. From aspects like how we deal with injuries, foreign influences on the British game, the changing roles of managers and coaches, players and agents. The effect of social media, wage structures, and a few rule conversions adding to the mix.

O’Neill weighs up the pros and cons about whether the game has changed for the better or the worse. He rightly identifies improvements such as the pitches, the fitness of the players, the removal of hooliganism and racism.

But he also identifies plenty of negatives. For example, he comments, “Football stadiums are increasingly becoming a place for wealthy people, rather than the working-class environments they were in my day.

It is good that people are getting into football who weren’t before, but this can dilute the atmosphere and culture when fans are priced out. Football has become a big-money industry.” This was so evident during the recent World Cup when England fans were having to pay £1000-plus for a ticket.

As far as punditry is concerned, he is critical of some of the language that has become common. He says, “The modern media is obsessed with assists. That wasn’t a common concept in my days as a player. An ‘assist’ is just the last player to touch the ball before the goalscorer. Of course, sometimes a goal is the result of a brilliant cross or pass, but I think we put far too much emphasis on assists nowadays, adding them together with goals to accrue ‘goal contributions’, which is ridiculous.”

“Along with assists, the other big statistic that comes up a lot in punditry these days is ‘expected goals’. I think this is total nonsense. You’ve got to remember what the game is about: winning football matches, and that means scoring goals, not recording the expectation of them.”

O’Neill has successfully identified how the game has changed during his lifetime, but he says the essence of the game remains the same – the importance of team spirit, the way that winning or losing a game changes your entire mood for a week, and the basics of attacking and defending.

He has had one of the most successful managing and playing careers winning ten major honours as a manager and winning the European Cup (now Champions League) twice and the First Division (now Premier League) with Nottingham Forest as a player. Incredibly, he’s still winning trophies in his mid-70s.

Martin O’Neill – The Changing Game: The past, present and future of football. Published by Tallis Street Books. Price £14.99.

This review first appeared in the September/October 2026 edition of Late Tackle magazine.

Posted in Celtic, Football Book Reviews, Late Tackle magazine, Martin O'Neill, Nottingham Forest | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment