The Latics recent good run ended with a 2-0 defeat at Walsall. Manager John Sheridan was disappointed with the outcome which witnessed both Lee Croft and Brian Wilson being sent off.
Sheridan admitted, “The sending off hasn’t helped us early in the game. I’m very disappointed with Crofty. It was a definite sending off, it was right in front of me so I’ve got no qualms about that, it was a stupid tackle. He has let himself down and he has let the team down. I don’t want to be saying that about one of my players so I’ll talk about the ones who have stayed on the field. I thought we dug in. We had to reshuffle a bit, it was 0-0 at half time and Connor Ripley has again done well. I thought we did well with 10 men in the second half. I thought we were right in the game up until they scored. I’ve just seen the goal and it’s never a penalty. It’s a clear foul on Aaron Holloway and I don’t know how they don’t see it. I’m sick to death of it, no wonder you lose it sometimes. I’ll go in and see them, talk nice and calmly and ask him what he’s seen and why he’s given the penalty and there is not a foul on Aaron Holloway.”
“I don’t know regarding Brian Wilson’s sending off so I’m just going to take it on the chin. We lost the game, it was important we tried to get something from the game but we haven’t so it’s disappointing. I don’t want to lose two players either but I thought the lads who were on the pitch worked their socks off again. We have had good opportunities in the game. I think Tope should score and Aaron should score and you need goals to win you games but we didn’t have that killer instinct when we had opportunities. I’m giving one or two people a chance. When it works, everyone applauds you, but sometimes it doesn’t work. That decision hasn’t worked for me today because the one I put in got himself sent off."
"I don’t want players getting sent off because they do miss games and it’s an important time. I’ve just said to the players then to let it go. They are all disappointed with getting beat and the decisions and how we have lost the game. We have two home games now and we have to concentrate on them. I’ve just seen the results from other games and it’s a shame we haven’t come away with something because results have been good to us so it’s still very tight and it’s going to be until the end of the season. The supporters were brilliant again but we go away beaten,”