Pearce: Wigan Athletic momentum not lost

Latics surrendered their three-game win streak against the Valiants, despite a brilliant free-kick from Pearce ensuring an exciting finale.

But the left-back doesn’t feel the side – which had a very youthful look after several changes – will lose too much momentum.

“The mood around the camp is great at the minute,” he said. “Obviously you want to win every game, but the league is our main focus.

“So to go to Crewe and get three points on Saturday would lift us back up from the defeat.

“We didn’t start how we wanted to in the first half. We had a few words in the dressing room at half time, and came out much better in the second half, we performed well.

“And we can take a lot of positives from that.”

It was an eventful evening for Pearce, who started the game in a far more advanced role down the left before switching to his more natural role just before half-time.

“It was a bit strange, I hadn’t played up there for a while,” he acknowledged.

“It took a bit of getting used to, but I moved back to left-back after about 30 minutes so we’ll see how it goes.”

The highlight was undoubtedly his 79th-minute set-piece, which flew into the top corner from 25 yards.

There’s only one problem now – who takes the next one, with right-back Tom James having sent over a pearler himself at Portsmouth last month.

“It might have to be a rock, paper, scissors to see who’s on them!” Pearce laughed.