Wigan Athletic chief hits out at officials after Stockport County setback - 'not capable of controlling a game'

Latics twice led with Joe Taylor bagging a brace inside 11 minutes.

But with the scores locked at 2-2 on the hour, Sessegnon was given a second yellow card by referee Matt Corlett.

After that, it was attack against defence, and Latics held out until the second minute of stoppage-time when Stockport went ahead for the first time.

Asamoah Jnr was then given a straight red for lunging in on a Stockport defender, before the home side forced a fourth goal with 100 minutes on the clock.

All of which left the Latics boss with a sour taste in his mouth after the game.

"I thought we were okay until the referee changed the game...after which it became really difficult, and we were hanging on," fumed Caldwell.

"Too often, and I've seen it all season - especially at away grounds - referees aren't capable of making strong decisions.

"For me, the first one is never a red card, I don't think it's a second yellow card.

"Even the second one, I think he was a little bit late, it was a reckless tackle, but I don't think it was high...I think the pitch has made it worse.

"Then you have 15 of their staff jumping off the bench, and nobody gets booked, then it shows you again the referee and the fourth official are not capable of controlling a game, and a home crowd, where they got a lot more than we got.

"Nothing gets said to them, nothing gets said about the stuff going on out there on the pitch.

"I see the same thing every week, and I probably shouldn't say too much about it, but it is what it is, and we have to deal with that.

"We've got enough problems of our own that we have to work on this week, but hopefully the referees will work on their games as well.

"The referee has changed the outcome of the game, I think he made too many decisions that went for the home team.

"I have to give my opinion...and too many times I've seen it this year...definitely we have to get better, but also referees have to get better."

Will Caldwell be seeking an explanation for the decisions made by the officials?

"No point," added Caldwell, who also confirmed Graham Barrow received a yellow card for the melee in the technical area following Asamoah Jnr's red card.

"I thought it was just an Exeter thing, but it's obviously an Exeter and Wigan thing...maybe it's just teams that I'm involved with!

"I could phone them up and try to get some kind of response, but will that change anything?

"When you come away from home to a stadium like this, as loud as this, where they put pressure on, the officials have to be capable and strong enough to make the right decision.

"Too often it was too easy to give the home team the decision."

Taylor got Latics off to the perfect start when he pounced on a defensive error to put the visitors ahead with only two minutes gone.

The lead only lasted three minutes, before Oliver Norwood’s free-kick was headed home by Brad Hills.

Taylor was at it again on 11 minutes though, heading home Fraser Murray’s cross at the near post.

Sam Tickle made a brilliant save to deny Ethan Pye, but Stockport found a second leveller four minutes before half-time when Jack Diamond’s cross went in via a combination of Adama Sidebeh and Sessegnon.

That wasn’t the low point for Sessesgnon, as he picked up a second yellow card on the hour mark to leave his side a man down for the last half an hour.

Morgan Fox produced a superb block to deny Sidebeh, but Kyle Wootton headed County ahead for the first time two minutes into added time.

And after Asamoah Jnr picked up a straight red card for a ridiculous sliding lunge on the near touchline, Wootton added his second and County’s fourth in the 100th minute to rub salt into Wigan wounds.