Exeter City assistant stokes fire ahead of Wigan Athletic return clash

Latics make the return trip to Devon a fortnight after winning 2-0 in the league, thanks to a goal in either half from Martial Godo and Jordan Jones.

The home side dominated the game in terms of territory and possession, but proved unable to break through a determined Latics rearguard.

And taking media duties from former Latics skipper and manager Gary Caldwell - the Grecians manager - Nicholson wants his side to 'right the wrong' from the previous encounter.

"I would take the same performance, with just a little bit more belief in front of goal," he said.

"The game against Wigan was a fascinating game when you look back on it.

"They got the result, but to get beat 2-0, with one shot on target against you, probably summed up the day it was.

"Our process was good, our performance was good, the way we created and the way we forced them back was very good.

"We just need to make sure that when we get our chances to cross, and our chances to shoot, we're fully committed to it.

"Whether it's the edge of the box, or crosses fired in and players running in there...if we can do that, I'm confident we can score goals against anybody.

"It's up to the boys who are selected to go out there and right the wrong I suppose from last month."

Interviewed on club media, Nicholson was asked whether he expected anything different from Latics this time round, with a place in the FA Cup second round at stake.

"Yeah definitely," he added.

"I think they got the result, they got the three points, and you looked at how they defended, how desperately they hung onto things, how they doubled up.

"They threw themselves in the way of things, they made it really difficult for us, and it's excellent on their part.

"But 10 years ago they were a Premier League club, and they don't expect to be coming to Exeter and having 28 per cent possession and having 30 shots against them.

"They expect to come here and dictate play, and put their stamp on how they play out there on the pitch.

"Their manager is a very, very detailed guy, he's a very, very intelligent football coach.

"He would have looked back on that, and looked to see how he could have made corrections to get them on the front foot and get them controlling the game with the ball.

"As opposed to hanging in there without the ball, which I think it would be fair to say.

"But at the same time, they got the result, so they know they can come here and sit back and know they can be hard to break down.

"And it's up to us to make sure we have the answers to that."