Norwich City 1 Wigan Athletic 0: How social media reacted

Latics remained unchanged from last Friday’s 1-0 victory over Bristol City, whilst Callum McManaman, Jamie Jones and Will Grigg returned from injuries to take their place on the substitutes bench.

Wigan and Norwich looked set to split the spoils at Carrow Road after both sides struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities to break the deadlock, but substitute Mario Vrancic scored an 86th minute penalty to give the hosts all three points and condemn Latics to their third consecutive away defeat in the Championship.

Latics failed to register a single shot on target all afternoon and could have little complaints about the result despite the controversy surrounding Norwich’s late winner. They slipped outside of the play-offs to eighth place following their narrow defeat in East Anglia, while Norwich ascended to fifth after they recorded their fourth straight league victory, and fifth consecutive win in all competitions.

Following Saturday’s defeat at Carrow Road, Wigan Athletic fans voiced their concern on social media regarding Latics’ current away form and criticised the referee’s decision to award a penalty to the hosts.

Stewart Hart (No1fan_): “86th minute penalty gifted by another incompetent ref. It’s beyond a joke.”

@WafcSean: “3 away games, 3 losses, 0 goals scored and hardly a shot on goal in the last 2 games. Doesn’t warrant a meltdown, but does justify a concern. Need to sort it.”

@WGRI9G: “Tough one to take that, ref bottled it big time, away form is concerning #wafc.”

@csdoogz21: “Well another long trip to watch us lose. Not much in it really but in balance of play they deserved it. Great home form but could do with starting to pick up some away points. Ah well @LaticsOfficial there’s always Preston away next week to do it.”

@CraigHilton71: “Hope they can address this away form. We’re still in good shape though IMO. Up the Tics! #wafc”

@tom_piper: “Can't complain about the result cause it sounds like we deserved to lose, but this penalty decision is a shambles #wafc #ncfc.”

@dmartw: “In all my years of watching football I don't think I've ever seen a softer penalty decision. The ref must have been on a promise from Delia. #wafc.”

@GallagherJ82: “Bad one that, as much as the decision in the first half was wrong the second half one was worse, 2 wrongs don’t make a right terrible ref never had hold of that today. That had a draw all over it, ah well ok to Tuesday #wafc #ncfc.”

Meanwhile, Latics fans also urged their fellow fans to remain positive given that Wigan still sit just one point outside of the play-off places after the opening 10 games.

@_yon_mon: “We'd all have taken top 6 in the league after 10 games. Cook is doing a top job. Keeping the DW a fortress is key now. #wafc.”

@haydenwafc1991: “Wigan are 8th out of 24 teams in the league and people are whingin'. Bore off! @LaticsOfficial #wafc.”

@mattlatics: “I know Latics have lost 3 in a row away from home, but I can't understand the gloom of some people. In the 2013/14 season, Wigan failed to score in their next 5 or 6 away games after beating Barnsley 4-0 and still managed to make the play-offs, it's still early days yet #wafc.”

@Josh_WAFC: “Don’t understand why we’re moaning so much, if someone offered us 8th after 10 games nobody would’ve said no... #wafc.”

Paolo Howard: “Not the greatest performance today, especially going forward… but 16 points from 10 games, sitting 8th and just outside the play-offs. Would I have taken that in July? Your god-damn right I would. We won’t win every game, so we’ll ride again on Tuesday. Up the tics.”