LATICS’ RUN EXTENDED TO DELIGHT LEAM
LEAM Richardson was happy with a point despite his Wigan Athletic side being knocked off top spot after their draw at Cheltenham.
The Latics remain in pole position for the title, with games in hand on new leaders Rotherham United, and Richardson was pleased to come away from Gloucestershire with something, despite a below-par showing.
“Any point away from home is a good point,” he said.
“We’re playing against a side who are going to fight for everything. They’re well-disciplined and you have to match that.
“I thought, on the balance of play, we probably shaded it without ever possessing that bit of quality needed to win it.
“But on days like today, where the pitch isn’t easy to play on, sometimes you take your point and go home.
“If you’re not going to win a game, you make sure you’re not going to lose, and it’s another game unbeaten for us.”
Wigan have still not lost on the road since the opening day of the season, but they could not find a way past ex-Latics goalkeeper Owen Evans at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium.
Alfie May’s corner was nodded into the middle by Will Boyle and Callum Wright headed over from a good position in the fifth minute as Cheltenham started positively in search of a first win in ten. Gwion Edwards saw a low shot flash wide of the left post at the other end in the 24th minute, but the leaders found it hard to break down their well-drilled hosts.
May fired wide after the ball fell kindly to him in the Wigan box in the 28th minute.
Wigan missed a big chance to take the lead eight minutes after half-time when Graeme Shinnie’s pass was helped on by the chest of Josh Magennis in to the path of Keane, but the striker could not hit the target and injured himself in the process.
Jack Whatmough shot straight at Evans, who kept his first League One clean sheet of the season to frustrate his former club.
Cheltenham registered a fourth draw in their last five, despite having debutant Ben Williams sent off for a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Robins boss Michael Duff said: “If we keep performing like that and keep running as hard for each other, we might be OK.
“It was a tight game and if we’d won they’d have felt it was harsh and probably vice versa, but we were well in the game and we had the better moments in the game.
“It was a really good performance, organised, hard-working and a clean sheet, which we’ve not had for a while, so lots of positives within it.”