Shaun Maloney still believes in Wigan’s escape bid
Posted Sunday, April 02, 2023 by PA
Shaun Maloney insists Wigan Athletic’s latest ‘Great Escape’ is on after seeing his side edge past fellow Sky Bet Championship strugglers QPR by the only goal at the DW.
Max Power’s sixth-minute penalty after former Wigan defender Leon Balogun felled Callum Lang proved to be the difference and lifted the Latics to within five points of safety with seven games to go.
Wigan’s position could have been even better but for a recent three-point deduction for repeated late payments of wages.
Maloney said: “It feels like a pretty big win at the moment, and I’m really happy.
“I was really happy with the way we played in the first half. I’d like us to be even more aggressive in some of the situations we got ourselves into.
“We had to defend more in the second half, and I think we saw both sides of the game overall.”
Maloney was part of Roberto Martinez’s Wigan side that famously won seven of their last nine matches in 2011-12 to avoid the drop from the Premier League and will not give up while it is still mathematically possible.
“Obviously the three-point deduction has really hurt us,” he said.
“I still think there’ll be enough moments in all of the remaining games for us to get something out of them.
“I still genuinely think we have a chance of staying up.
“I know probably most people outside of Wigan won’t have that opinion but we’ll keep going right until the last game.
“I think everyone can see the way we’re trying to play. We just have to make sure in those big moments in both boxes that we make them count.
“You can see we’re slowly getting there and hopefully we can keep that going for the last seven matches.”
QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth was left to rue a nightmare start.
“You can’t be giving away silly goals like that, especially after only four minutes,” he said.
“We made a point before the game of saying to be solid from the off and trying to keep it as secure as possible.
“It’s just a big punt downfield from the edge of their box and we don’t defend it well enough.
“It’s criminal really, it’s just basic stuff, not even something you’d work on in training because it’s so simple.
“We give a penalty away, to be fair the boy dispatches it really well, then we’re chasing the game.
“After that there were positives and we probably tested their goalkeeper more than they tested ours. But we just couldn’t find that finishing touch and, at the moment, goals are proving few and far between.
“Hopefully we can put that right as quickly as possible.”
Rangers’ victory in the corresponding fixture at Loftus Road at the end of October saw them go top of the table but an alarming slump means they are now only three points above the drop zone.
“I believe the team was massively overachieving at the start of the season to be fair,” said Ainsworth, who recently took over in the hotseat.
“It’s the same group of players, but they were scoring some wonder goals which we’re not being blessed with at the minute.
“Being top of the league was incredible, and I think it surprised everyone – particularly the fans.
“But I still think with a full squad this group can be competitive at this level.”
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