Smith: This was the absolute pits for me

ASTON VILLA boss Dean Smith branded this defeat his worst result as a manager.

Goals from Gary Roberts, Michael Jacobs and Joe Garner ended Wigan’s winless run of eight games and heaped more misery on Villa fans.

One league victory in seven leaves Villa with a mountain to climb if they are to gain promotion back to the Premier League this season – and Smith vowed to use the transfer market to shake things up.

“That performance was rubbish,” fumed Smith (right).

“That is the bottom of my career in management.

“It is my job as a manager to earn my money and make sure it never happens again.

“The window has always been there for us to bring more players in and I expect to do so.” From the start his side did not look like they were playing a team that had lost six of their last seven games.

New boy Anthony Pilkington, who joined on an 18-month loan deal from Premier League strugglers Cardiff during the week, added some much-needed urgency and power to Wigan’s attack.

But despite a bright start from the home side it was Smith’s outfit that should have been a goal up after 10 minutes through Tammy Abraham. Yannick Bolasie pounced on a mix-up between Jamie Jones and Cedric Kipre and fed the ball to Abraham on the edge of the box, only for the Wolves target to blaze wide.

That was as good as it got for hapless Villa who found themselves a goal behind five minutes before the break through Roberts.

Garner had his header well saved by Croatia goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic, who was making his league debut after his big-money move from Belgian side Gent when the transfer window swung open at the start of the month.

The Villa players, though, failed to clear the danger and the impressive Pilkington set up Roberts to drill home his second goal of the season.

Wigan continued to make the better chances after the break and both Josh Windass and Garner missed chances to increase their lead.

Smith had seen enough just after the hour and made a triple substitution to shake things up a bit. But it was a Wigan substitution that put the game beyond any doubt when Jacobs added a second with a magnificent diving header.

It got better for the home fans, who were in dreamland when Garner added a third from the spot when Glenn Whelan tangled with Windass in the box. That sealed Wigan’s first home win since November and made it an afternoon to forget for Smith.

Wigan boss Paul Cook said: “From that performance you would not think that we were the team in trouble.

“It was a game full of danger, but all the key moments were in our favour.

“There were many great performances out there today and all the credit has to go to the lads because they have stuck together over the last few weeks. I’m so pleased for the lads.”