Wigan Athletic chief assesses MK Dons victory - 'Excellent...and I still think we can get even better'
Gary Caldwell insisted Wigan Athletic’s first League One points of the season had been coming, after watching his side comfortably beat MK Dons 3-1.
After three league defeats on the spin - plus a Carabao Cup first-round exit at Barnsley - Latics came flying out of the blocks and deservedly picked up the spoils at the Brick Community Stadium.
Two goals from Jensen Weir and another by skipper Max Power had Wigan three goals to the good, before Aaron Collins pulled back a late consolation for the visitors.
"I think we carried on the way we've started this season," was Caldwell's assessment.
"We didn't deserve to lose in the first round of the Carabao Cup, and we deserved to get points in probably every league game so far.
"For a new group not to get that, and to still come to perform like that shows the belief and the understanding we have.
"I thought we were excellent for large parts of the game, and I still think we can get even better, like in the later stages.
"But having not won, with it being such a young group, that has shown the character and the quality we have here.
"And it's really exciting in the way we can still get a lot better as well.
"There's lots to take from that, but also lots to do in terms of recovery for another tough game on Saturday.
"I'm just really pleased for the players, because they've got their rewards for sticking to our principles, and sticking to what we want to be as a team, and getting the right result tonight."
Latics had already come agonisingly close to scoring before they did open the scoring.
Fraser Murray had hit a post and then, after receiving the ball back from Dara Costelloe, the winger saw his second effort hacked off the line by a desperate defender.
Weir scored his first goal nine minutes before the interval with a superb curling effort from 25 yards out off Power’s sideways pass.
Power himself added the second goal three minutes after the restart with a volley from similar distance after a corner was only half-cleared.
And Weir made the points safe with 16 minutes to go with another fine right-footed strike from just inside the box, with substitute Brad Burrowes – a deadline-day signing from Aston Villa – supplying the assist with his first touch.
Collins pulled one back for the Dons with nine minutes left after he outpaced the Latics cover and slipped the ball beyond goalkeeper Joe Whitworth, making his debut 24 hours after joining from Crystal Palace.
But not even a yellow card for Gary Caldwell, followed by a caution and then a red card for assistant David Perkins could ruin a great night for the home side.
"I can’t dispute that they were significantly better than us and we deserved nothing from the game," said Dons boss Paul Warne, the former Latics forward.
"They scored two screamers too which can happen, but they also had other chances too.
"Wigan had energy, momentum and we looked leggy. It took their goal to liven us up.”