Cook hails ‘great advert for football’ after Wigan edge five-goal thriller

Paul Cook thought Wigan’s 3-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday was “a great advert for football” as his side kicked off life back in the Sky Bet Championship in style.

Michael Jacobs grabbed a brace either side of Atdhe Nuhiu’s equaliser in a swashbuckling first half in which the Latics winger also hit the bar.

Nick Powell made it 3-1 on the hour mark to the promoted Wigan before Fernando Forestieri pulled one back midway through the second half.

And there was still time for Wigan substitute James Vaughan to hit the bar and have a goal chalked off for offside, as well as Nuhiu to pick up a second yellow right on full-time.

“It was just a great advert for football wasn’t it?” said the Wigan boss.

“Probably the sending-off tainted it a little bit at the end, but the game was played in a very good spirit.

“It had everything you’d want when you go to a football match…goals, entertainment, hitting the woodwork, goals disallowed…

“To play a side as strong at this level as Sheffield Wednesday, with the support they brought, I thought our lads handled the occasion so well.

“It was a very strong team performance and, in my opinion, a very deserved win.”

For Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay, it was a disappointing way to kick-off the campaign.

“I was surprised with the lack of stability we had in our defending,” he admitted.

“We’ve had so much progression over the last few months since the end of last season, and today we gave so many chances away.

“This is not what we can do. We have to be much better and we have to get better very quickly.

“I’m not so much worried as disappointed. You expect more than we got today.

“There was a good feeling at the start in the team, but we didn’t have any control.

“We lost every second ball, every third ball, and if that happens you don’t get the confidence to be able to play.

“The opponent starts to think they are stronger, that they can make chances, and score the goals to win the game.

“I know we can play football, I have seen it many times.

“But when you don’t have the trust, you don’t have the stability, you don’t get the feeling you can win the game.”

Luhukay also did not have much complaint with the sending-off of Nuhiu, for clattering Wigan centre-back Chey Dunkley shortly after he’d been cautioned for a bad foul.

“The first yellow card I think was correct,” the Wednesday boss added.

“The second yellow card, I can’t see exactly what the referee saw.

“But it’s stupid, when you already have a yellow, you can’t take the chance.”