Can we go back to August?

All isn’t well at the Brick Community Stadium at the moment and it shows.

First off let’s give full credit to Hemel Hempstead Town, The Tudors as they’re affectionally known should be the ones in the Second round – not us.

Ryan Lowe admitted as much after Saturday’s game, I think without penalties Hemel would quite possibly have finished the job. So was our lacklustre performance.

Saturday followed a trend that’s been in motion since Bolton away back in September – the only bright points in that period being a hard-earned win over Port Vale and a point apiece against Plymouth and then Mansfield.

Lowe went strong against The Tudors, far stronger than I expected and when Callum Wright opened the scoring mid-way through the first half many could have quite rightly expected Latics to go on to a comfortable win.

But even in a first half that Lowe’s side dominated Hemel Hempstead could have drawn level.

They picked up in the second half where they left off in the first peppering Latics goal and forcing the defence in to conceding possession.

It was a surprise that Matt Smith was brought on, and an even bigger surprise that a penalty was conceded a minute later resulting in a straight red for Smith.

It was a weak penalty to give away but followed a path in a match where Latics struggled to assert themselves in any sort of positive manner.

Callum McManaman again showed the heart that was missing when he was brought on, as he has done in various cup matches this season.

But it can’t just be left to Callum to show what it means to wear that Tree and Crown.

I’m sure the manager – sorry head coach will have referenced that in his post-match Phil Brown style huddle.

Latics can thank Jurgen Klopp’s sulking over his precious players playing too many matches for facing a penalty shoot out as oppose to a Tuesday night trip to Hemel Hempstead, where I’m not sure with our current away form we would have reached the second round.

Latics can also roundly criticise the likes of Klopp for taking away the chance of a replay at Hemel Hempstead.

So we’re through but as with the last two months of the season there is a lot of work to do.

Next up it’s a trip to Exeter and a certain Gary Caldwell and Josh Magennis, Exeter have had a difficult start to the season but sit only a point away from ourselves.

They’ve also won five matches, where we’ve only won the four. But we’re a point ahead due to the higher number of draws. Three of those five wins have come at home, whilst we have yet to win away this season.

So perhaps it’s a good time to change that and get that first away win of the season on Saturday.

I worry as we begin to head into the depths of winter if we don’t start picking up those wins be they at the Brick or on the road.

If the Latics of August could return, I’m sure we’ll all be happy.

I’m sure Ryan Lowe will be happy as well because the collapse since Bolton has been both surprising and worrying in equal measure.

Sean Livesey

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