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Latics pay price for horrific hour as late flurry at Cambridge is in vain

· Paul Kendrick · 2026-08-15T16:11:50+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Wigan Athletic pay price for horrific hour as late flurry at Cambridge United proves to be in vain Wigan Athletic paid the price for a shambolic opening hour at Cambridge United, as goals from Sonny Perkins and Akeel Higgins in the final quarter counted for nothing in a five-goal thriller. Latics couldn't have got off to a worse start, with Kell Watts taking advantage of his former club's inability to clear a corner by forcing the ball home from close range. With Latics struggling to put anything together - and looking open at the back every time Cambridge went long - the home side doubled their lead through Louis Appere. The main positive at half-time was that Cabridge had only scored twice, but that became three within seven minutes of the restart with Isaac Hearth this time applying the finishing touch. Latics made a double sub on the hour mark, with K'Marni Miller and Akeel Higgins taking over from Connor Barrett and Chris Sze, toi join Archie Harris, who replaced Llyton Chapman at the interval. And from then on it was a completely different game, with Latics enjoying almost total dominance.. After Miller fired over from a decent shooting position, Latics pulled one back on 68 minutes when Higgins' superb strike from 25 yards hit the post, before Sonny Perkins followed it in from two yards. Perkins saw another llow shot tipped round the post by the home goalie before Latics scored a second goal 17 minutes from time. This time Fraser Murray's cross was headed back acreoss goal by Dara Costelloe, and Higgins tapped home from a yard. However, try as they might - and despite the late introduction off the bench of Callum McManaman - Latics couldn't quite force a late leveller to snatch a point.