Wigan Athletic boss 'desperate' to end the 'heartbreak and hurt'

Saturday's defeat at Stevenage was Latics' sixth in their last seven league matches heading into the second international break of the campaign.

It's a run that's been underpinned by misfortune, with several key decisions going against Maloney and his men.

The Latics boss received one of TWELVE yellow cards dished out to the visitors, who saw skipper Callum Lang controversially sent off, as they lost to a hotly-disputed early Stevenage penalty.

While trying to remain upbeat and positive at all times, Maloney admits the club is 'hurting' at present.

"It's heartbreaking, it really is," he said.

"Even at the end (at Stevenage), when the fans were singing my name…

"I'm just desperate to give them a great season, and a club where they can feel stable.

"It's coming, it's just we're feeling a little bit of hurt at the moment."

Nevertheless, even during the Stevenage setback - which saw Latics slip to second-bottom in League One - Maloney felt he saw enough signs for optimism.

"When you're on a run like this, and particularly when you go a goal down in the first 10 minutes, the game can go two ways," the Latics boss acknowledged.

"You can go into your shell, feel sorry for yourself, and see the confidence drain out.

"If anything, it went the other way, we started to control the game, and limited them in terms of chances.

"What I saw on Saturday was a real effort, a real desire, a real fight, even though things were going against us.

"I said to the team at the end, that's it's moments like this you see what the team is made of.

"I saw a lot...and I just need more of that in every game, and in every day in training.

"The mentality has to be the same every time and, in fairness to the players, they're giving me that.

"I know it's very little consolation for the supporters who have once again travelled a long way with us.

"But if there's anything they can cling on to, it's that every single player and staff member was fighting for their team."