• 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