Pools miss out on giant-killing chance

Class told in the end as Premiership Wigan got their first win of the season and inflicted the first defeat of the campaign on Hartlepool United in their Carling Cup second round game at Victoria Park. But Pools caretaker boss Mick Wadsworth was delighted with parts of his team's performance in defeat.

Pools made it hard for themselves by gifting Wigan with a Sam Collins own goal after just three minutes, but they did well in the first half and Wadsworth isn't far off the mark when he says Pools were better than Wigan up to half-time.
But they weren't in the second, and after failing to score when they had their chances, they were eventually well beaten.
If they'd scored when the chances were there, it might have been a much different game. But they didn't play quite well enough to spring another cup shock and Wigan were worth their third round ticket in the end.
Meanwhile, with chairman Ken Hodcroft saying nowt again, the only clue on the club's thinking on the next manager came from Wadsworth, who told the Northern Echo: "I've heard nothing on that front but I have enjoyed working here with Chris and love being on the training ground.
"We have some great young coaches here in Micky Barron and Richie Humphreys and I'm not sure whether the chairman is going to move things around or bring in someone from the outside. We will just have to wait and see."
On the match, he said: "The first half we were absolutely magnificent, I thought the boys put on a great display.
"We were better than them in the first half. I felt we picked up everything in midfield and just controlled the game.
"We had a couple of great chances and if Evan Horwood had only put in that free kick in the first couple of minutes instead of sending it over the bar it would have been a different game."
When Pools ran out of steam in the second, Wigan's second came from Jordi Gomez smashed in a free-kick on 76 minutes and sub Victor Moses got the third four minutes from time.
After this disappointment Pools face another big test on Saturday when one of League One's fancied sides, Sheffield Wednesday, visit the Vic.
After a respectable start to the League season, a win in this game would more than make up for missing out on the chance of a giant-killing against Wigan.