Cook’s cool after Soudani blow
WIGAN manager Paul Cook insisted he didn’t feel down, despite conceding a stoppagetime equaliser in a four-goal thriller against Forest.
The Latics had led twice through Nick Powell and a Will Grigg penalty, but were pegged back on both occasions.
Matty Cash provided the first Forest equaliser, before the visitors levelled right at the death in dramatic circumstances.
Cash got round Antonee Robinson before being clipped in the area by Sam Morsy for a clear penalty. Lewis Grabban’s spot-kick was kept out by Christian Walton, but Hillal Soudani slotted home the rebound.
“No, I don’t feel hard doneby,” said Latics boss Cook.
“When you’re talking about a team like Forest, with calibre like that, they’re always capable of hurting you.
“If I’m being truthful, I felt we did do enough to win the game, but football doesn’t work like that. But while we’re disWigan appointed with the result, I don’t think anyone inside the stadium would be disappointed with how we performed.”
Wigan were in front with barely a minute gone, and it was all down to Powell.
His pressing helped to force Forest into conceding a corner inside 30 seconds.
From the resulting set-piece, Powell rose highest to get his head to Michael Jacobs’ corner.
Wigan were almost in again moments later when only a good save from Costel Pantilimon denied Grigg.
And the visitors took full advantage of the let-off by restoring parity after 10 minutes, when Cash took advantage of a mistake by Morsy to slide the ball into the far corner of the net. Powell headed just over at the other end and then just wide from two inviting corners. Jacobs saw a 25-yard effort deflect off a defender into the side-netting, before Grigg got his toe to a Reece James cross, only to watch the ball roll wide.
Wigan eventually got the second goal their dominance warranted on the half-hour mark.
Grigg was wrestled to the ground in the box by Ben Osborn and then smashed the kick straight down the middle.
Morsy then saw a speculative strike from distance beat Pantilimon but come back off a post. Powell was the first to react to the rebound, but he could only steer his shot wide of the other post from a tight angle.
Forest offered more after the break, with Cash being denied only by an incredible block by midfielder Lee Evans. But Forest remained a threat on the counter, and they levelled in the dying seconds.
Cash was fouled in the box only for Grabban’s kick to be saved by Walton. Soudani was the first to react and stabbed home from close range.
Forest manager Aitor Karanka acknowledged his side hadn’t played anywhere near their best, but was pleased with the fighting qualities they showed.
“I think we deserved our point at the end,” he said.
“We created quite a few chances, although you are always a little fortunate when you equalise in added-time. I prefer to take the positives, and I thought we came up against a very good Wigan team.”