The Latics made two changes to the team that started against
It was the visitors who started the game better in what was poor atmosphere. The bright green pitch seemingly startling both the home support and the home side.
The Hornets took the lead after just ten minutes. Eagles was played on the right side of the area after he crept behind Baines. The loanee took full advantage of Baines’ mistake and he fed in Bruce Dyer who coolly side-footed into the net from eight yards out.
Jimmy Bullard, Jason Roberts and Lee McCulloch to name the main three. They did not go hiding as the fans got more and more agitated. Bullard - although he hadn’t found his range – was behind everything the Latics did going forward.
Others such as Nathan Ellington and Gary Teale went hiding. Teale especially who was chasing shadows down our right side, he just wasn’t interested in getting into the game.
Filan, who had another off day and he will be glad the ink is dry on his contract. He was spilling shots and crosses with alarming frequency. On one such occasion he was lucky to earn a free-kick, Watford were just about to put the ball the net after the Aussie spilled a simple take from a corner.
Unsurprisingly it was two of the three mentioned above who helped get the Latics back on level terms. In the 25th minute, Roberts did well to win a long ball right of the area, he then laid the ball back for Eaden who delivered a great first time cross which McCulloch attacked powerfully to head across goal and past the beaten Jones.
The lead didn’t last long. Just two minutes later and
The game was now in
This went on until half time when Jewell will surely have roasted his players, some more so that others.
The second half started much the same and just five minutes in and Jewell decided enough was enough. Alan Mahon came of the bench for Mike Flynn who had not caught up with the pace of the game from the start despite plenty of enthusiasm.
The substitution had a big effect on the game.
Teale was released down the right hand side, he ripped down the outside past Mayo and whipped in a cross with pace that McCulloch again got his head to. The result, as in the first half, was a goal for
Teale meanwhile was seemingly transformed from a player who really wanted to be anywhere but on the football pitch, to a good quality winger. The confidence to get at Mayo and deliver a cross was back, it was just what
The major talking point now will be whether the Latics or indeed
First came
In my opinion however, the Latics should have had a penalty. Just five minutes from the end and McCulloch was being pulled and pushed all over the place by
The game ended 2-2 and thankfully the Latics haven’t paid too heavily for the complacency shown today. We still occupy second place but
Lessons must be learnt, a better side would have ripped us to pieces today.
Complacency has cost us top spot.
"The first half was as poor as we've played for a long, long time. It was sloppy and we didn't take the game by the scruff of the neck.