Poor defending saw Wednesday on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline in our pre-season runout at Wigan this afternoon.
And while the margin of defeat did not reflect the amount of play we enjoyed, it highlighted frailties at the back, with all four Wigan goals being avoidable.
We took the lead after only six minutes, Ben Heneghan heading home at the far post from Barry Bannan’s corner and looked the better side in the opening stages.
Wigan had not really threatened but we gifted them an equaliser on 23 minutes, Marvin Johnson’s intended crossfield pass back to David Stockdale was intercepted by James McClean and he was able to round the keeper to tap into an empty net.
Encouraged by the goal, Wigan went close to a second soon afterwards when Stockdale saved from McClean before Josh Windass missed an excellent chance to restore our lead from Bannan’s pinpoint through ball, the former Latics striker screwing his shot across goal and wide.
Six minutes after the break we found ourselves behind, Tom Naylor left unmarked at the far post to head home from McClean’s corner.
We still posed a threat at times going forward, Bannan just wide from long range on 66 minutes, Windass off target with a 20-yard free kick and Johnson forcing a save out of Ben Amos.
However, the game was all but over 10 minutes from time with slack play again proving our undoing. Liam Palmer allowed McClean to get his cross in from the left and Josh Mageniss outjumped Stockdale to head home Wigan’s third from six yards, with Wednesday defenders looking on.
Sub Michael Smith tested Amos with a late header but we were undone again a minute from time, Stephen Humphreys easily slipping Heneghan down the right-hand side and his low cross was turned home from close in by Thelo Aasgaard.
Stockdale, Palmer, Iorfa, Heneghan, Ihiekwe, Johnson, Dele-Bashiru (Adeniran 82), Byers (Vaulks 82), Bannan, Windass (Smith 82), Gregory (Paterson 82).