• 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.”

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