Darren Ferguson: Individual errors cost Peterborough at Wigan

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson bemoaned “two individual errors” for his side’s 2-1 League One defeat at Wigan.

The hosts had enjoyed the better of the first half, with on-loan Fulham winger Martial Godo giving them a sixth-minute lead and Jordan Jones hitting the bar.

But a formation change helped to transform the game after the break, with Kwame Poku equalising nine minutes after the restart, and David Ajiboye sending another shot whistling just past the Wigan post.

Just as it looked as though Posh would force a second goal, however, Wigan struck with eight minutes to go through substitute Callum McManaman, whose rasping strike from the edge of the box secured all three points.

“It’s a bad result,” acknowledged Ferguson, whose side lost for the first time in 10 league matches.

“To lose any game is a bad result but, given the nature of the game, it’s a very bad result.

“In terms of how the game went, two individual errors have cost us. When you’re playing against a team like Wigan, they are a good team, but they gave us a lot of respect.

“They sat back off us, they changed their shape, they were happy for us to have the ball at the back, and it was too slow.

“Once they get the goal, it becomes very difficult. And the goals we conceded stopped any kind of momentum we tried to get in the game.

“In saying that, in the second half I thought we were excellent and we still should have got something out of the game.

“The formation change worked, we dominated them, and we were getting one-on-ones out wide against a winger (Jordan Jones). We had to isolate him, we managed to do that, and we caused them all sorts of problems.

“Look, a lot of the performance was very good, and a lot of the details were very good.

“To come to Wigan and do what we’ve done, when they were penned in, is very good. But individual errors have cost us a result.”

For Wigan boss Shaun Maloney, it was a fifth win in six matches, against a side he feels will be up there at the end of the campaign.

“It was a brilliant win against a really good team,” he said.

“When I analysed Peterborough, I watched one of their games, and it was probably the most impressive performance I’d seen so far this season. And we’ve played some really good teams. Portsmouth, Oxford, to name two.

“I really enjoyed the first half, we tried to limit their space, and when they had the ball, I really liked what we did.

“In the second half, they came out really aggressive, and when they equalised, all the momentum was with them. I felt like there was a 15-20 minute period when it could have gone either way.

“Then we have that bit of magic from Cal at the end, and then we have to defend with everything we had. Sometimes the games you win like that, they give you more joy.

“I have to say again, I thought it was a brilliant game, and a huge win against a team I genuinely feel will come very close to the top two at the end of the season.”