Wigan Athletic chief reveals FA Cup motivation - 'a little bit disrespectful.'

Gary Caldwell has revealed Wigan Athletic’s FA Cup first-round triumph at Boreham Wood was fuelled by a feeling the side had been ‘disrespected’ in the build-up.

Latics were convincing 3-0 winners at the weekend, against a side that is flying high at the top of the National League, and on course to be a League Two outfit next term.

Indeed, Boreham Wood had been odds on favourites to win the game, despite Latics being two divisions above them.

Which gave Caldwell even more satisfaction at the way his side booked their place in the hat for the second round.

"I think they were favourites before the game, and I think that was a little bit disrespectful,” he said.

"We are a very good League One team - albeit we haven't had the start to the season we would have liked.

"But when you see things like that...I think a lot of people expected us to come here and get beat.

"And I think we showed a professionalism, an attitude, a hunger, a desire that you need to win an FA Cup tie.

"It was never going to be easy against a team that has won a lot of football matches this season, and know how to win.

"But I thought we were very good value, and if anything we could have scored more goals."

From the moment Jon Mellish opened the scoring inside 11 minutes, Latics were rarely troubled by their opponents.

Morgan Fox curled home a brilliant free-kick before the interval, and then headed home Max Power’s corner after the break for No.3.

And Caldwell felt his side had even more gears to hit had they been pushed in the second period.

"I'll never stop pushing players who I think can be better, and need to be better,” he said.

"And I've said all season that we have to keep developing and we have to keep improving.

"Whether you're winning 3-0 or losing 3-0, you need to keep pushing your standards.

"At times in the game I thought we were sloppy, and I will keep pushing them all the time.

"I'm sure some of them are thinking 'here he goes again', I'm not sure they all understand my Scottish accent!

"But that's how I have to be, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and my passion will always be there to be seen.

"At the moment, they are responding really, and we are picking up confidence as well as form.”

The margin of victory could and perhaps should have been greater, with Latics denied a clear penalty towards the end when Connor Barrett was felled inside the box, only for the officials to wave play on.

"It's a stonewall penalty, and it's happened to us a few times already this season,” mused Caldwell.

"I don't know what I'm allowed to say about it, but it can't keep happening.

"If the game could have been tighter, that decision could have had an effect on the result.

"Those big decisions...when they're as clear as that...referees have to get them right."