Jordan Jones gave Latics the lead

• Wigan Athletic succumbed to a 4-2 defeat at Oxford United in a game of two halves.
• Latics were the better team in the first half creating chances and controlling possession.
• They went ahead on 41 minutes when Jordan Jones scored from a tight angle via a deflection off an Oxford defender.
• But just when it looked like the visitors would go into the half-time break 1-0 up, the hosts equalised when Josh Murphy’s strike from the edge of the box found the bottom corner.
• Oxford started the second half on the front foot and they went ahead on 55 minutes when Cameron Brannagan’s strike from 25-yards took a wicked deflection off Matt Smith wrong footing Tickle and ending up in the opposite corner of the net.
• The hosts increased their lead on 73 minutes when Tyler Goodrham’s curling effort struck the post and Ruben Rodrigues followed up to make it 3-1.
• Latics pulled a goal back when substitute Jonny Smith’s cross was powerfully headed home by Thelo Aasgaard on 80 minutes.
• Oxford sealed the three points in added time when Goodrham added a fourth goal.
• Latics remain in 14th place and Oxford move up to sixth in the League One table.

Shaun Maloney made two changes from Saturday’s defeat against Exeter with Matt Smith and Charlie Kelman coming into the starting XI.

It was a tentative opening from both teams, but Latics were the first to threaten when Luke Chambers free kick to the back post nearly found Charlie Goode arriving late into the box but he could only poke the ball wide.

Soon afterwards Brannigan had a dangerous free kick flicked away from Tickle’s goal by Aasgaard.

Jones then combined well with Aasgaard but the winger’s cross was blocked and rebounded out for a corner. Aasgaard then broke forward quickly, found Martial Godo who fed Chambers and the full back’s powerful shot from 25 yards was palmed away by goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.

At the other end Brannagan crashed another powerful strike against the crossbar from the edge of the box after the ball had been fed into his path. 

Latics went ahead on 41 minutes as Jones cut inside and beat his man and fired a low drive which deflected off an Oxford defender and into the net.  

It looked as though Latics would deservedly go into the half time break 1-0 up but in the third minute of added time the hosts drew level. Murphy found space on the edge of the box and his low strike found the bottom corner of the Latics net.

Oxford started the second half positively and they went ahead on 55 minutes when Cameron Brannagan’s strike from 25-yards took a wicked deflection off Matt Smith wrong footing Tickle and ending up in the opposite corner of the net.

Maloney made four attacking substitutions with Chris Sze, Callum McManaman, Josh Magennis, Jonny Smith replacing Kelman, Jones, Clare and Adeeko.

Jonny Smith and Magennis almost immediately combined as the winger crossed and the Northern Ireland international’s header hit the post and the keeper pushed the ball away for a corner.

But just when it looked like Latics would regain parity, the two Oxford substitutes combined as Goodrham’s curling shot from distance hit the post and Rodrigues followed up to make it 3-1.

Latics kept going and they reduced the deficit on 80 minutes when the dangerous Jonny Smith jinked down the left and crossed for Aasgaard who powerfully headed home his fifth goal in six games. 

Substitute McManaman then forced Cumming into a save low down to his right as Latics pushed for the equaliser.

But in added time Goodrham sealed the three points for Oxford as he fired in a half volley from the left side of the box, which flew into the net via yet another deflection.

A disappointing second half showing by Maloney’s men after they had been the better team in the first half.

Overview

This had been a promising first half performance by Latics but they didn’t capitalise on their first half domination and were pegged back just before half-time. They didn’t respond well to the equaliser and they started the second half poorly.

Once again they were unlucky with deflected goals but some of the defending just wasn’t good enough. Charlie Hughes had a very disappointing game by his standards. His passing was erratic and he made several uncharacteristic mistakes. Charlie Goode didn’t appear as mobile as usual and his defending was fairly basic at times.

Latics do seem to have a problem defending their own box at the moment and the midfielders need to do better in protecting the backline.

Looking positively Jonny Smith made a big impact when he came on and he produced several dangerous crosses including the cross for Aasgaard’s goal. Latics looked much more of a threat with Magennis and Smith on the pitch. They must surely both start against Shrewsbury on Saturday.

Maloney will expect a big response from his players after this frustrating performance against a team who had previously not won in the last five matches.

Post match comments

Speaking afterwards to the media, Maloney expressed he was pleased with the first half, but could not accept the mentality shown in the second period.

“There were two sides of our performance that I didn’t like,” he said.

“We played very well with the ball, but then I didn’t like the mentality. I thought we were very, very good in the first half, up until they scored their first goal and then the mentality dropped.

“That is as a group, not just the players. I put myself in that brackets and I will change that.

“You can dominate a half and lose a goal, but what I wanted to see in the second half was an understanding of why we were so dominant. We can’t take it for granted, we have to out fight teams,” he continued.

“As soon as we start to think we are better than we are, we get hurt and you saw that in the second half. I didn’t like what I saw in terms of the mentality.

“I have got some real good lads and some young ones that are learning and they have to understand that football is hard. As soon as you think you are doing OK, the team can hurt you and they did that tonight.

“There are ways to win and lose and I didn’t like the mentality. That is the biggest thing that I have taken away. What we did with the ball is as good as anything we have done this season, but you cannot take your foot off the gas which we did.”

Maloney urged that he will fight to fix the mentality moving forward.

“Anyone that was here tonight could see that we can play, but I want to see another side to us, he concluded.

“It is another game where we have played well, but conceded a fair few goals and I have to fix it. I will fix it in the next few weeks and in the seasons to come.”

Player ratings

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