Clough: We lost our opportunity to win

The Brewers held on when Latics enjoyed a spell on the front foot in the second half to earn a draw and keep their unbeaten record against Latics going.

But Clough was left to rue missed chances from the opening exchanges, and felt his side would have left the DW Stadium with all three points had they been able to convert their chances.

“In the first half, that’s where we lost our opportunity to win the game today,” he explained.

“We still managed to weather a little bit of a storm in the second half and keep a clean sheet, so that was pleasing, the second on on the spin.

“But we have to do more to get a goal when we’re in control, like we were in the first half.”

Notable chances fell to Lucas Akins and Chris O’Grady, who came close with a 50-yard effort when Latics keeper Adam Bogdan was caught off his line, but neither side succeeded in troubling the scoreboard as they cancelled each other out in what became a game of chances being exchanged.

And Clough says the way the game panned-out is nothing new to his side.

“That’s been the story on the road so far this season,” he said.

“There were a number of situations in and around their penalty area where it just didn’t result in a clear-cut chance or a finish, and that’s what we have to try and improve upon.

“But generally speaking, you have to realise, in the first five or 10 minutes of the game, if that’s when you have your spell, you have to do more to get the goal.”

Latics improved in the second half, with Michael Jacobs, Yanic Wildshut and Nick Powell all going close.

And Clough says he expecting a Wigan revival in the second half given the quality Gary Caldwell brought off the bench in Will Grigg and Craig Davies.

“They were going to improve and they were going to have a spell in the game, which we weathered because of the quality that they have throughout the team and also coming off the bench,” he said.

“When Grigg and Davies come at you late on they can cause you problems and they had a couple of skirmishes and chances.”