The Latics were involved in a remarkable game of football at Victoria Park. In game full of excitement the Latics took a two goal lead in at the half-time mark, only for Hartlepool to score three and take the lead in a crazy seven minute spell early in the second half, one of them a penalty. The visitors drew level before Sean Gregan (pictured) was sent off but, even then, the ten men could have snatched a winner on several occasions but it wasn't to be. In the end they had to settle for a draw, a result they would probably have taken before the game.A shell shocked John Sheridan told Latics World, "I thought we were excellent today - you've just got to look on the goals as a mad five minutes and that's what I'll be doing. We took the game to them when we were 3-2 down and did the same again when we went down to ten men. I told the lads afterwards that I could go on about the goals and losing a 2-0 lead, but we showed a lot of character and that's very pleasing. Even after we had Greegs was sent off we could have won the game and I'm very pleased to have got something from it in the end. Last year we probably would have folded, but everyone struck together and we got stronger instead."
"We started sloppy in the second half, it's as simple as that. I think the goals could have been prevented. We took our foot off the pedal and I think we were in a comfort zone against a very good footballing side who will cause lots of problems for lots of teams. Now will we take a look at the DVD and go through things to see where we went wrong and where we can improve, then we will work on that. But a point is a good result here - we looked solid for 85 minutes and could have even won it at the end had Craig Davies's lob gone in."