Wigan Athletic bow out of Carabao Cup following Wycombe Wanderers defeat
Wigan Athletic’s hopes of drawing a Premier League giant in the Carabao Cup are over after they were beaten by fellow League One side Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 in the third round at a nippy Brick Community Stadium on Tuesday night.
Wycombe will now have an eye on the fourth round draw that takes place on Wednesday evening, with proceedings starting straight after the conclusion of the third round tie between League One side Port Vale and Premier League giants Arsenal.
Wycombe took a 1-0 lead into the half-time interval thanks to a fine effort from Caolan Boyd-Munce on the half-hour mark. The Wanderers extended their lead on the hour thanks to Donnell McNeilly, with Latics bowing out of the Carabao Cup at the third round stage.
Latics boss Ryan Lowe made five changes to his starting line-up that went down to a 4-1 defeat to derby rivals Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. Jensen Weir, Callum Wright, Raphael Borges Rodrigues, Ollie Cooper and Maleace Asamoah Jr came in for Steven Sessegnon, Matt Smith, Fraser Murray, Ryan Trevitt and Paul Mullin.
There was a bizarre stoppage in the opening 10 minutes as one of the assistant referees went down with an injury, which contributed to the six additional minutes at the end of the half.
It was a slow start to the game, with the first real chance coming in the 16th minute as Dara Costelloe found space on the left before cutting inside and passing to Cooper, whose shot went just wide of the left post.
Neither goalkeeper had much to do in the first half-hour until Wycombe drew first blood in the 32nd minute thanks to a fine strike from outside the box from Boyd-Munce, with Latics stopper Sam Tickle not being able to do much to keep that effort out.
Wigan came close to equalising in the 42nd minute through Will Aimson after a free-kick was whipped into the box, but the skipper’s effort agonisingly wide of the mark.
Boyd-Munce almost had his second and Wycombe’s second just before the break thanks to another curling effort from distance, but a super save from Tickle tipped it past the post. Latics went into the break 1-0 behind.
Latics manager Lowe made his first change at the start of the second half, with Callum McManaman coming on for Asamoah Jr.
The visitors got their second on the hour mark through McNeilly, who headed in a cross at the back stick to give his side a 2-0 lead.
Lowe made a triple sub in the 68th minute, with Murray, Smith and Trevitt coming on for Rodrigues, Baba Adeeko and Cooper.
Tickle was forced to produce another diving save to deny Wycombe a third goal in the dying embers, but the Wanderers finished 2-0 winners, sealing their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Latics will aim to bounce back when they host Cardiff City at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon, 3pm kick-off.
Wigan: Sam Tickle, Morgan Fox, Will Aimson, Jensen Weir, Callum Wright, Dara Costelloe, Baba Adeeko, Raphael Borges Rodrigues, Ollie Cooper, Maleace Asamoah Jr, Joe Hungbo. Subs: Toby Savin, Fraser Murray, Paul Mullin, Ryan Trevitt, Matt Smith, Luke Robinson, Callum McManaman, Tobias Brenan, Jack Rogers.
Wycombe: Will Norris, Caolan Boyd-Munce, Bradley Fink, James Tilley, Dan Casey, Finley Back, Niall Huggins, Donnell McNeilly, George Abbott, Magnus Westergaard, Anders Hagelskjaer. Subs: Stuart Moore, Taylor Allen, Luke Leahy, Declan Skura, Jaiden Bartolo, Mekhi Savage, Fred Onyedinma, Alexander Lowry, Arthur Gregory.