Richardson: Hat-trick of victories is massive...
LEAM Richardson felt Wigan were good value for their victory over Crewe which took them four points clear of the drop with four matches remaining.
A first-half freak goal from Joe Dodoo and a second-half penalty from Lee Evans gave Wigan their third league win in a row for the first time this term.
And Crewe’s afternoon was summed up by the straight red card for Omar Beckles, for hauling down Callum Lang inside the box for the game-clinching spot-kick.
“It’s very satisfying, and I’m so pleased for the players,” said Richardson.
“To get three wins in the space of a week, at such a crucial point in the season, is massive.
“But, at the same time, my message is to continue to dampen it, because we haven’t achieved anything yet.
“All we’ve done is work very hard and been fortunate enough to land on the right side of the result three times.
“That sometimes happens in sport, and all you can do is continue the hard work and maintain the good habits.”
Wigan took the lead inside 15 minutes, thanks to a freakish deflection from Dodoo, and never looked back.
Funso Ojo twice came close to doubling the lead, before the important second goal did arrive with 20 minutes to go.
Lang drove into the Crewe box and was taken out by Beckles as he attempted to strike for goal.
The Crewe centre-back’s afternoon came to a premature end thanks to the inevitable red card.
And although Will Jaaskelainen got two hands to Evans’ spotkick, the ball had enough pace to find the corner of the net.
Crewe manager David Artell said: “We didn’t do well enough, and our decision-making was poor in the first half.
“We were better in the second half and even better when we went down to ten men.
“They scored a goal you see once a season, it’s a fluke.
“And we could have had a penalty ourselves, it’s a stonewall one at the end.
“Would it have affected the result? I don’t know.
“But everything that could have gone wrong for us did go wrong for us today.
“I’m a big believer that you make your own luck, and we didn’t do enough in the game to earn any.
“Goals win games, and we have to be more clinical.”