Wigan Athletic 'shot ourselves in the foot' at both ends against Wimbledon, admits Gary Caldwell

Latics totally dominated at Plough Lane, and on another day could easily have won by five or six goals.

Despite creating a number of gilt-edged opportunities, the likes of Sonny Perkins, Dara Costelloe, Connor Barrett, Archie Harris, Reggie Walsh and K'Marni Miller failed to take advantage.

And there was a sickening sense of inevitability when the home side forced home a dramatic winner late on, when Myles Hippolyte slotted past Joe Walsh to leave Latics still rock bottom and without a point on the boar.

"I don't know how we've lost that game, to be perfectly honest," mused the Latics chief. "We need to get better in certain actions, that's clear.

"But there were so many good moments in the game, so many clear chances, but no goals again. Obviously we have to be better in the final third, in and around the box, we have to take our chances.

"And we're not talking small chances, we're talking big, big, big chances...and it's not just one player, but many different players.

"We spoke before the game about controlling the chaos, of the long balls and the set-pieces, and I think we could have been better at that at times. But when you have difficult moments like this, you have to keep working.

"I said to them at the end, this is a new group, but as young players, you cannot play with your careers. You can't wait for your career to start, you can't wait for someone else to always be there to help you.

"You cannot come out and play like that, and not win the game. That's four games now, and I feel we should have won every single game.

"We've not, and we have to look at everything to work out why that's not been the case. We will get better, because there's so many good things that I'm seeing, but it's newly formed and it needs time to build."

Caldwell also pointed the finger at both ends of the pitch.

"If you don't put the ball in the net, you don't win games of football," he added. "But that should also be a 0-0 game.

"We had to defend our box, which we did well, although we did get lucky with one, where it bounced about a bit...and you're going to get that here.

"But you just cannot concede the goal we conceded at the end, it's such a poor goal to concede.

"We knew they'd look to go long, and we end up shooting ourselves in the foot by losing a game we should have won let alone drawn.

"The old saying goes 'if you can't win, don't lose', and that is the teething problems that come with a new group and a new team."

Winger Fraser Murray was a noticeable absence from the matchday squad.

"Fraser has a small groin strain that he picked up in training," he said. "He was very close to being available, but we'll assess him and hopefully he'll be available for the next game."

In a battle of the bottom two in League One, Latics received a massive stroke of luck right at the start, when goalkeeper Walsh raced out of his box to mop up a long ball, only to head the ball straight into Wimbledon striker Jayden Stockley.

With an open goal to aim at, Stockley appeared to be impeded by Walsh, but the official waved play on - much to the visitors' relief.

Within a minute at the other end, Jensen Weir's cross-shot deceived home goalkeeper Joe McDonnell, who managed to get back and tip it on to the bar and over for a corner.

Latics were almost in again when a deep cross was dropped by McDonnell, but Costelloe's snapshot towards a gaping goal clipped a defender on its way behind.

The visitors were forced into an early sub when Akeel Higgins appeared to pick up a hamstring injury inside 12 minutes, and was immediately replaced by Harris .

But still Latics pressed and a driving run by Barrett into the box saw the ball drop to Costelloe, whose shot was again deflected wide for a corner.

A loose ball in the home box led to Perkins firing a yard past the post, before boss Caldwell was shown a yellow card, for views expressed to the fourth official.

Latics continued to create - and waste - chances as Barrett's cross was blazed over the top by Harris, and Perkins again failed to hit the target from a good position.

Barrett forced a fine diving save from McDonnell, before Reggie Walsh led a three-on-two break but couldn't find the unmarked Costelloe, who would have been in on goal.

Latics’ afternoon was summed up twice the space of a minute midway through the second period, when they passed up two gilt-edged opportunities to nose in front.

First, Harris crossed for the unmarked Barrett, who took a touch only to fire against the goalkeeper.

Then, seconds later, James Carragher drilled the ball across the goal, and Perkins somehow fired over the top from a yard out.

Within a minute at the other end, following a mad scramble, Wimbledon hit the Latics post from close range.

There was still time for substitute Miller to race through and force another great save from McDonnell, with Costelloe's follow-up being pouched by the custodian.

Finally, the deadlock was broken with two minutes left, but incredibly it was the home side who forced what proved to be the winner.

Donnell McNeilly threaded through the pass for Hippolyte, who slid the ball under Walsh to leave Latics still rock bottom and without a point on the board after three league matches.