Latics scramble another late point

Last updated : 27 March 2007 By The Chairman
The Latics managed to scramble a point in their trip to Brentford on Sunday after going two goals down with just five minutes of the game left. For the second week running they fought back for a share of the spoils and it was new boy Leon Clarke who got the decisive goals that demoralised poor Brentford. His equalising goal was a penalty shot in the 96th. minute.

John Sheridan (pictured) was far from happy and told the official website, "We were very fortunate to get back two late goals for a point. Although we battled, I didn't think we deserved anything and I'm very disappointed. Yes, we had chances in the first half, but we were poor for a team that's supposed to be pushing for the play-offs. I don't know why we struggle against sides lower down the table. Maybe they battle harder and get stuck in more and we can't match that. I can't put my finger on it. There shouldn't be a problem, and we should always perform to the best of our ability no matter who the opposition are. I don't think we looked like a promotion-chasing team. The energy and will to win wasn't there, and that's what disappoints me most."

"Are there any positives? Not really. We scored two goals to get a draw, but you should be able to get three points against struggling teams if you're going to go anywhere in this division. Obviously it's difficult getting used to a new team, and the new players did okay. Luigi did quite well when he came on, and Hasney will get better the more games he plays. Hopefully all of the new signings will settle in quickly. It's a very big game for us next week. Yeovil will open up a gap if they beat us, and we need to start winning if we're to stay in the top six. Hopefully we can get the result we want."

Sheridan's counterpart, Brentford manager Scott Fitzgerald, told the press, "We got a performance but didn't get the result. I'd rather take bad performances and win. We competed, they had the better possession but we had the better chances. To be 2-0 up with only four or five minutes to go we then showed our naivety. Whatever mistakes we make we're getting punished for. To concede a goal straight after we scored leaves me lost for words. It was farcical. Then people start to get edgy again. We pushed forward and get the second goal to give us the cushion and take the pressure away and then mentally everyone switched off and their guy ended up with a free header in the box."

"At the end of the day the buck stops with me and I don't have a problem with that. I pick the side and its tactics and we're not winning enough games. Now I have to watch the video and see how we can make it better next week. The performance was good for 86 minutes and the attitude was good. But the game doesn't finish until the referee blows his whistle. I don't just think it's the back four making the mistakes. I've got to be honest and say it's the whole side. We should be defending higher up the pitch so we don't have to defend like that."