Wigan Athletic's difficult start to the season continued with a 1-0 defeat away to Stevenage on Saturday. A goal from debutant Wanya Marcal in the 60th minute was enough to settle the League One contest.
The result leaves Wigan rooted to the bottom of the table, having taken only four points from their opening eight matches. They now sit 15 points adrift of the automatic promotion places and are five points from safety. Manager G. Caldwell described the performance as "not good enough" and said his team lacked quality in the final third.
How the game was lost
Stevenage's winner came from a swift move down their right flank. Josh Magennis broke forward and delivered a low cross that was turned home by Marcal for his first league goal. The hosts were clinical despite seeing less of the ball, managing six shots on target from 15 attempts.
Wigan, by contrast, created little. They enjoyed 60% possession but mustered just a single shot on target all afternoon. Manager G. Caldwell made a triple substitution just after the hour mark, introducing Fraser Murray, Reggie Walsh and Sonny Tufail Perkins, but the changes failed to spark a comeback. The team's expected goals figure of just 0.19 underlined their attacking struggles. Caldwell pointed to a lack of composure and poor decision-making in key moments as critical factors in the defeat.
A costly lack of discipline
The visitors' frustration was evident in their discipline. Four Wigan players were shown yellow cards, with Finley Burns and Charlie Gray booked for fouls and Reggie Walsh and James Carragher cautioned for dissent. This lack of discipline disrupted any rhythm and handed initiative to the hosts at key stages. Stevenage's Alex MacDonald also received a booking for a late challenge.
Caldwell had set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Scott Hogan leading the line. Joe Whitworth started in goal behind a defence that included Max Power and Finley Burns. Stevenage operated in a compact 3-5-2 system, which successfully stifled Wigan's attempts to build through the middle, forcing them into ineffective wide areas.
With the international break now over, attention turns immediately to a vital home fixture. Wigan Athletic host sixth-placed Reading at The Brick Community Stadium next Saturday, looking to find a way out of the relegation zone. Caldwell stated that the upcoming match is "massive" and called for a strong response from his players and supporters. Their upcoming schedule is available on our fixtures page.
