Ryan Lowe reflects on Wigan Athletic's 'cagey' victory over Stockport County

With the teams having made a total of 17 team changes between them from the weekend, it was no surprise to see a game that struggled to get going at the Brick Community Stadium.

Indeed, neither goalkeeper was really troubled before substitutes Christian Saydee and Fraser Murray combined with five minutes to go, the latter heading the former's cross home for the only goal.

"I thought it was a little bit cagey in that first half, and it opened up a little bit in the second half," assessed Lowe.

"Both teams cancelled each other out, probably not rolling the dice as much as you'd probably want to.

"The two teams made a lot of changes, and obviously it was nice for us to get minutes into a few lads we haven't seen much of this season.

"All of the lads who came in were excellent, and then the lads who have been playing came on the pitch in the second half and gave us a little bit more of an edge.

"I thought we had to roll the dice a little bit, get those players on the field, and it proved to be the difference.

"Overall it was cagey, the atmosphere was a little bit flat, there weren't many inside the ground tonight.

"But we're just pleased to go through 1-0, and it was a good goal that won it."

It had looked as though the match was destined to go all the way to penalties with neither goalkeeper really threatened during a disappointing north-west derby.

Latics had slightly the better of it in terms of chances, with the pace of Maleace Asamoah Jnr proving a constant menace to their visiting defence.

After firing wide and too high in the first half, he thought he’d raced in behind after the break only to be penalised for a foul on last man Corey O’Keeffe.

Lowe did everything he could do tip the game Latics’ way, making five attacking changes – Murray, Callum Wright, Joseph Hungbo, Dara Costelloe and Saydee – in the second period.

And it paid dividends as Saydee crossed for Murray to head home at the far post with five minutes left.

It could and perhaps should have been 2-0 moments later, only for Tobias Brenan to be denied by a fine save by Ben Hinchliffe in the County goal – but Latics held on to remain on the Wembley trail.

County boss Dave Challinor said: "Listen, it wasn't a great game, both teams made a lot of changes and you probably saw that led to it being a bit clunky, with not much rhythm.

"It ebbed and flowed without a great deal of quality, and we've cost ourselves the game by not defending a routine ball into the box. If you do that, then you deserve to lose, and we did.

"It was a close game, with not much in it, and it was always going to be decided by either one moment of quality or a mistake, or it would go all the way to penalties. And that proved to be the case."