• Wigan Athletic were very nearly dumped out of the FA Cup by National League South side Hemel Hempstead Town but were relieved to go through to the second round 5-3 after penalties.
• Latics took a first half lead on 25 minutes when Callum Wright finished from close range from Paul Mullin’s low cross.
• The visitors dominated the second half after substitute Matt Smith was red- carded on 61 minutes for a pull on Millar Mathews-Lewis and from the spot-kick Joe White equalised.
• The hosts only survived due to some last ditch defending and important saves from Sam Tickle. The visitors also hit the woodwork but were unable to make their numerical advantage count.
• Latics were given a lifeline when substitute Callum McManaman was brought down in the box but from the resulting penalty Mullin could only blaze over the crossbar.
• Neither side could break the deadlock in extra time so the tie went to penalties. Latics scored all five in the shoot-out, with goalkeeper Tickle saving Adi Azeez’s effort to send lucky Latics through to the second round.

Ryan Lowe made two changes from last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Mansfield Town, with James Carragher replacing Will Aimson and Mullin replacing Smith.

Latics controlled the game in the early stages but were unable to create any clear-cut chances until the 25th minute when Wright broke the deadlock when he converted Mullin’s cross from close range.

Latics were playing too much tippy-tappy stuff in their own defence and they nearly came a cropper when a poor back pass from midfield left Fox in trouble, sliding across to clear the ball, but only into the feet of Jevani Brown.

The forward found space down by the corner before whipping in a cross. Millar Matthews-Lewis cushioned the ball, before his close-range shot was saved by Tickle.

The visitors George Williams then tried his luck from distance, his free-kick curling around the wall and forcing a good save from Tickle.

At the other end, Joe Hungbo’s cross fell to Fraser Murray, whose far-post volley was saved by Johnson.

Latics were seemingly in control at half- time although they hadn’t played particularly well in the first half.

Lowe introduced Smith and McManaman for Cooper and Wright on 56 minutes.

But on 61 minutes Smith was shown a straight red for a shirt pull on Millar Mathews-Lewis inside the box. 

The resulting penalty was converted by White to draw the visitors level.

Latics were now in disarray and Hemel Hempstead took control of the game.

But the hosts were given a lifeline when substitute McManaman went down inside the box.

The normally reliable Mullin stepped up to take the penalty, but blazed his spot-kick over the crossbar.

It now looked like there was only going to be one winner with the visitors pressing forward and Latics defending in depth.

Williams went close for the visitors, his header at the far post bouncing off the side netting.

Olatunbosun Adenola produced a superb strike from just inside the Latics half which looked goal bound but Tickle made a great diving save to deny what would’ve been the winner.

Latics were hanging on by their fingertips in normal time and in a crazy goalmouth scramble the visitors hit the crossbar before Aimson made a game-saving clearance to keep the hosts in the Cup.

Neither team gained the upper hand in the 30 minutes of extra time but Darion Dorwich went closest for the visitors firing the ball into the side netting.

Extra time ended with the scores level and the tie went to penalties.

Latics scored all their spot-kicks with McManaman, Kerr, Aimson, Saydee, and Fox successfully converting and Tickle making a brilliant save to keep out Azeez’s penalty to take the relieved hosts through to the second round.

Overview 

Latics are very lucky to still be in the FA Cup. Hemel Hempstead were the much better team and deserved to go through but Latics somehow survived and won on penalties.

Going down to 10 men clearly hampered Latics’ cause but they were outfought and outplayed for long periods of the game. 

The visitors had enjoyed more possession and had 17 shots to the hosts seven.

Hemel Hempstead Town are part-time professionals and deserve great credit for their performance but Latics players need to take a close look at themselves as they were second best for much of the game. 

Worryingly Ryan Lowe seemed clueless when looking for solutions to counteract Hemel Hempstead’s second half dominance. Tactically he had no answer to the visitors dominance of possession. 

At the moment Latics struggle to build up from the back and apart from the long balls seem incapable of building attacks from midfield. 

Unfortunately there now seems to be a disconnect between what the players do on the pitch and what the manager wants them to do.

Post match comments

Lowe was honest in his analysis afterwards. He held a post-match huddle pitchside in front of the home supporters at the Brick Community Stadium, and speaking to the media he provided an insight into how he wants his players to use the match as motivation to improve. 

“They had a desire and commitment to keep the ball out of the back of the net with ten men,” he said.

“We’re here to bring the good times back to this Football Club, and excite the fans. I know the fans were frustrated – but when we were hanging on, they got behind the lads.

“I know and understand that the performance wasn’t up to the level. After we scored, we didn’t go on to do what we should’ve done and get more goals.

“Fair play to Hemel Hempstead – they had a right good go. The things in the huddle that I said are that I want the players to be better.

“We can’t let people down, and at the moment, we’re taking two steps forward and a step back. We need to be consistent.

“Hemel Hempstead were fantastic and went about their business in the right way. They’ll be aggrieved that they haven’t gone through, but I am pleased for my lads because they put everything on the line to make sure we got through.

“It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t nice. We need to be better, and in the huddle, there was a lot of stuff mentioned by me because I want them to understand that the performance wasn’t good enough.

“They found a way with 10 men, and we’ve got to keep building. We’re building blocks at the moment, and we’ve got to keep doing that. We’re through, we’ve got to the next round. The performance was nowhere near the levels, but we found a way to get to the Second Round.”