MATCHWATCH : Wigan Athletic (h) sponsored by Nicky Forster

[Muskrat]

Because form is temporary, there is always a team whose upturn in form coincides with the run in and others whose downturn does the same. However we've done it, luck or whatever, we've given ourselves the boost in confidence that we needed to put a run together. We are low on quality but just might survive again by dint of the shitness of the other teams.

[strap]

So I go to the loo in disgust at getting beaten 1-2 and playing absolute rubbish - when Mrs Strap tells me we won 3-2?!?!? Tought she was taking the p!ss!! This oxf*rd team?!?!?! We are so SO lucky surely we simply cannot go down this season!?!? Wigan must be totally gutted!?!?!

Strap when was the last time we came from behind to win?

I'll get back to you.

By my reckoning it's when we beat Rotherham at home 2-1 on 17 April 2017. Rotherham opened the scoring on 19 minutes, Grabban equalising on 66 with Swift getting the winner on 79. Will have to do a more detailed check.

[Sutekh]

See, I knew a Nicky Forster sponsored home game against Wigan would work.

Which was better though? That or the play off semi win?

[Sutekh]

By the way, another for Strap, though don’t know how his records are with visiting teams. Wigan had Olsson (ex WBA) playing for them - is it possible that the Mad Stad is his nemesis? Seem to recall a catalogue of losses and sendings off for him down the years here. Is it really that bad or is it just memory tricks and if it is that bad are there any opposition players with worse runs?

[WoodleyRoyal]

Strap when was the last time we came from behind to win?

I'll get back to you.

By my reckoning it's when we beat Rotherham at home 2-1 on 17 April 2017. Rotherham opened the scoring on 19 minutes, Grabban equalising on 66 with Swift getting the winner on 79. Will have to do a more detailed check.

nearly two oxf*rd years

[Denver Royal]

Taking a step back, how on earth did we win that game? Either we were extremely lucky, or are secretly good enough to score on demand (2 in 10 mins) and choose not to.

Barrows goal very good, but any goal from there takes a big slice of luck- hence why he isn't able to do it every game.

A fun and excellent result given the first 80 mins notwithstanding!

Oh FFS. Who cares?

Brain, if Wigan had won with a 30 yarder, would we be scrutinizing it?
It's minutes after a vital win. Let's enjoy the moment.

[Snowflake Royal]

That's 5 points nicked with last minute and injury time goals against relegation rivals in a week. That's some spirit being shown, one thing we've been missing for nigh on 2 years.

We've had spirit since Stam left IMO... not constantly, but we've put in much better fighting performances and picked up some late points or recovered from set backs that would have seen us buried last season under both regimes this year. More so under Gomes maybe, but not exclusively.

Now if we could just make the odd game relatively safe by 60 minutes, life would be a bit easier.

I don't believe we had any spirit whatsoever when Stam left and saw none at all under useless Clement.
Gomes seems to have woken them up to the fact that we are in real trouble and they are fighting.

81st minute winner against Preston after being pegged back to a draw
Won 3-2 vs Bristol after twice being pegged back to a draw.
84th minute equaliser against Ipswich
93rd minute equaliser against Stoke

[Snowflake Royal]

Everyone said we would take a scruffy win, then when we win scruffily the knobs are moaning, it`s three points, its a league of 6 now, many more difficult hurdles to cross stating on Tuesday but it`s a great feeling to win .
Martinez was outstanding again apart from the blip for their 2nd goal.

Genuinely, who is moaning?

[strap]

By the way, another for Strap, though don’t know how his records are with visiting teams. Wigan had Olsson (ex WBA) playing for them - is it possible that the Mad Stad is his nemesis? Seem to recall a catalogue of losses and sendings off for him down the years here. Is it really that bad or is it just memory tricks and if it is that bad are there any opposition players with worse runs?

Good memory. 6 matches at the MadStad, 2 draws and 4 defeats.

[strap]

I noticed today Tim Dellor nicked my stat about the average positions of RFC's opponents in the run-in from last week, so I might as well update it after today's games - and it's not great reading.

Reading - 10 games left, 5 Home, 5 away, 0 against bottom 3, average position of remaining opponents 7.7
Wigan - 10, 5, 5, 2, 11.3
Millwall - 10, 5, 5, 1, 10.6
Rotherham - 10, 5, 5, 0, 9.7
Bolton - 10, 5, 5, 2, 13.7
Ipswich - 10, 5, 5, 1, 10.0

So we have by far the hardest run-in. In fact we only have 1 game left against a team in the lower half of the division! Stoke away.

Can anyone see another win between Tuesday and the end of the season?

[Hound]

Well we’re going to need to

We probably need 3 more wins. Think one of those probably needs to be in the next 2 games

[windermereROYAL]

I noticed today Tim Dellor nicked my stat about the average positions of RFC's opponents in the run-in from last week, so I might as well update it after today's games - and it's not great reading.

Reading - 10 games left, 5 Home, 5 away, 0 against bottom 3, average position of remaining opponents 7.7
Wigan - 10, 5, 5, 2, 11.3
Millwall - 10, 5, 5, 1, 10.6
Rotherham - 10, 5, 5, 0, 9.7
Bolton - 10, 5, 5, 2, 13.7
Ipswich - 10, 5, 5, 1, 10.0

So we have by far the hardest run-in. In fact we only have 1 game left against a team in the lower half of the division! Stoke away.

Can anyone see another win between Tuesday and the end of the season?

Nothing quite like enjoying the glow of an important win on a Saturday night is there?

[Denver Royal]

...or minutes after the excitement, on a Wigan match thread, talking about......Stam and Clement yet again! Making comparisons, searching history, comparing records, marginalizing Gomes.
The level of preoccupation and obsession with past managers is quite unbelievable, esp for managers who were only here a short while anyway. Can we move on, or at least save some of that for the off season? Maybe not.

[Snowflake Royal]

Well we’re going to need to

We probably need 3 more wins. Think one of those probably needs to be in the next 2 games

Gomes is pretty good at picking up draws, so I don't think we're going to need three wins... 9 points seems about right though - 45 points. Two wins and 3 draws seems pretty attainable, maybe even 1 win and 5 draws would do it. Just got to avoid losing many.

I know it only takes one round of results to be right back in it and we're rather unlikely to make it three on the bounce, but...

Hopefully we don't get cocky or complacent having picked up wins against the real shit in the division. But going up against some harder teams will hopefully keep us on our game. Even if we were utter turd today by most accounts, despite the win.

Mind you, it'd be refreshing to finish the season on a high, rather limping just over the line.

[Snowball]

On iFollow in Sydney starting 02:00.

Missed the first goal while in the loo, missed Barrow's equaliser
cos I'd drifted off, but saw Meite's winner.

But had to punch the air silently so I don't wake the house up!

TBF to Gomes his stats improve steadily!

[LUX]

Just checking in to say I am ecstatic with that turnaround

[Hound]

Well we’re going to need to

We probably need 3 more wins. Think one of those probably needs to be in the next 2 games

Gomes is pretty good at picking up draws, so I don't think we're going to need three wins... 9 points seems about right though - 45 points. Two wins and 3 draws seems pretty attainable, maybe even 1 win and 5 draws would do it. Just got to avoid losing many.

I know it only takes one round of results to be right back in it and we're rather unlikely to make it three on the bounce, but...

Hopefully we don't get cocky or complacent having picked up wins against the real shit in the division. But going up against some harder teams will hopefully keep us on our game. Even if we were utter turd today by most accounts, despite the win.

Mind you, it'd be refreshing to finish the season on a high, rather limping just over the line.

Yep - - I think if we could win one of the next 2, would be confident of 6 points from the rest, regardless of how we do it

We badly need a striker back, be it Bod, Oli or Baldock. Plus Ejaria, Kelly, Rino or Ezatolahi

If it wasn’t for our ridiculous injury list I think we’d stroll to safety tbh

[Snowflake Royal]

Theres a chance Stam would still be in charge if our injury list was less disastrous over the last two years, let alone few months so I agree.

[Brain Traysers]

Because yoi can only out perform goal expectancy stats by fluke apparently.

Taking a step back, how on earth did we win that game? Either we were extremely lucky, or are secretly good enough to score on demand (2 in 10 mins) and choose not to.

Barrows goal very good, but any goal from there takes a big slice of luck- hence why he isn't able to do it every game.

A fun and excellent result given the first 80 mins notwithstanding!

Oh FFS. Who cares?

I would suggest lots of people if (i) we are as I suggest getting lucky, (ii) management subsequently get complacent because 'hey we are winning', (iii) the luck turns, and we go down as a result. I would much rather Gomes and team believe they still have an awful lot of work to do and continue to strive for improvement.

Ultimately where the luck falls on any given day makes football the game it is - I'm not moaning or telling anyone not to enjoy it. Quite the opposite!

[windermereROYAL]

Paul Cook still whinging, said all 3 goals should have not have counted. ,