Oxford United suffered a first defeat in seven league games with a 2-0 loss at Wigan.
For the first time since the opening day against Cambridge, the U’s failed to find the back of the net.
Here are three talking points from the game.
Long Shots
Oxford started the game very brightly and even ended the match with far better statistics. However, all of the chances they created came from range.
This was a combination of disciplined defending from Wigan and a lack of confidence from the U’s. Liam Manning’s side were simply unable to get into the Latics’ box and were forced into shooting from range.
Wigan Defence
And it wasn’t just in the form of shooting where Oxford looked frustrated. The midfield were unable to penetrate the final third due to Wigan’s low block.
Their backline looked resolute and fairly comfortable throughout the game. It simply added to the Oxford frustration.
And if the U’s did find a way through, there was no successful pass in the final third.
Key Players Missing
Cameron Brannagan has missed two games with illness and he clearly leaves a massive dent in the midfield when he doesn’t play.
Marcus McGuane looked solid but as noted in the previous points, even he was unable to pick the lock of the Latics backline.
Josh McEachran came in and while he did what was needed, he didn’t add anything extra. In the wide areas, Stanley Mills and Tyler Goordham were often outnumbered and rarely attempted to get past their men – this is why the likes of Marcus Browne and Kyle Edwards could have made the difference – and we know that both players are capable of beating an opponent.
