Wigan Athletic boss reacts to home defeat by Sunderland

Latics remain second in League One, but are now ahead of third-placed MK Dons on goal difference - albeit having played three games fewer.

The afternoon couldn't have started in worse fashion, with Bailey Wright heading Sunderland ahead with barely a minute gone.

Ross Stewart converted a couple of penalties - one in either half - to hand Latics their first home defeat since last October

And Richardson was in no mood to sugar coat the result - or performance - after the game.

"Listen, you've got to be respectful of other teams at all times, especially when they play well," he said.

"They've obviously got off to a fantastic start, going ahead inside two minutes, which is disappointing.

"It's not a goal we usually concede, that type of goal, and it gave them the perfect start.

"I thought we came back into it well, I thought we took over the game for around half an hour.

"But the second goal, from a penalty, from our possession, is so disappointing.

"From then on in, the game was a bit bitty, a bit scrappy, with the injuries and the bookings and the substitutes.

"But credit to Sunderland, they've come here to get the win, and they did.

"They're full of good players, they've got a good manager, they're a fantastic club.

"But as always, it's about what we do, and it's the first time since October that we've lost at home.

"That tells you how well the lads have been doing, and it's all about consistency.

"We don't get too high when we win, and we don't get too low when we lose.

"At the end of the day, we've lost to a set-piece and two penalties, which have come from our possession.

"It was a flat performance from our point of view, we know we have to be better in and out of possession.

"Probably the biggest disappointment of the day is we've had the biggest crowd here since the Premier League, and we weren't able to marry that with the result or performance."

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