Wigan Athletic served up what many observers thought was their worst performance of the season as Malky Mackay’s Latics capitulated , falling to a three nil defeat, a performance so abject that there was only one positive to come out of the evening which was the cameo substitute performance from on loan winger, Ojo . Wigan made just one change from the line-up on Saturday, with the injured McCann replaced by Perch who slotted into right back with Herd moving forwards into midfield. Forest started the brighter against a Wigan team whose mantra seemed to be to sit back, defend in numbers and try and catch the home side on the break. Within the first five minutes this tactic looked suspect, as Assombalonga successfully chased a long ball down and fed the ball back to Burke. whose cross found Antonio but thankfully for Wigan his header went wide of the goal. Forest continued to press and Taylor was lucky when a penalty shout against him for a foul on Burke wasn’t upheld Latics seemed content to pass the ball around in the mistaken belief that they would somehow generate a chance but their only effort on target in the first forty five minutes was a Kim show which forced Darlow into a fine save. Forest who had nine shots in the same period finally made their territorial domination and skilful enterprise count when danger man Burke was allowed far too much space by a static Wigan midfield and slipped the ball through to Assombalonga in the penalty area and his shot found the back of the net giving the home side a deserved lead.
Wigan, with Clarke cutting a lonely figure up front struggled t create anything that remotely appeared like a chance and the half time whistle brought to an end forty five minutes of angst for the Latics travelling band of supporters.
Any hopes that these fans had of the half time team talk providing the motivation to get back in the game were quickly dispelled as Forest seemed to step up a gear with Wigan left in neutral. Ali had to save well from Lansbury but the respite was short lived as Antonio broke up a rare Wigan attacking move, he bullocked his way through the Wigan midfield and defence and his ball into the box was met with a fierce shot by Burke to double the lead and kill off any hopes still lingering of a magnificent comeback. Man of the match Ojo was then thrown into the action but he had barely adjusted to the glare of the floodlights when it became three nil when Lansbury received the ball unchallenged on the edge of the area and his beautiful curled shot eluded Al Habsi in the Wigan goal. Wigan threw the more attack minded Waghorn into the fray and whilst Wigan did begin to exert some pressure on the Forest goal it was too little, too late and Forest held on for what was probably their easiest victory of the season, the final whistle leaving Wigan staring down the barrel of the relegation gun.
Team Line up
Al Habsi, Perch, Barnett, Ridgewell, Taylor, Cowie, Kvist, Herd ( Waghorn), Kim ( Ojo ), McClean, Clarke (McKay )
Man of Match…..Ojo, which as he was a second half substitute speaks volumes for the starting eleven.
Entertainment ration( from a Wigan perspective )….1/10
Attendance…… 19,619
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