Injury nightmare for Latics

Photo: Darren Robinson

skipper Liam Kelly gets a comforting hand from assistant manager Peter Shirtliff.

ATHLETIC were left counting the physical cost of last night’s defeat at Barnsley in which FOUR players were injured.

Brian Wilson was taken to hospital with a neck problem after colliding with goalkeeper Joel Coleman in the first half at Oakwell. Carl Winchester limped off with a knee problem, Mike Jones hurt his ribs and went off at half-time in the 2-1 defeat, and though he played throughout, James Wilson suffered an ankle injury.

“He would have come off if we’d had another sub to put on,” Athletic manager John Sheridan said of James Wilson, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Fleetwood in a vital contest near the bottom of Sky Bet League One.

“We have to get on with it. We will see who is fit.”

Jack Tuohy (19) came on at half-time for Jones and was part of a second-half revival which featured Curtis Main’s equaliser.

Main cancelled out Sam Winnall’s 45th-minute header — the loan striker has now scored in three successive games — before Winnall netted a penalty in the 83rd minute.

Sheridan felt the result was hard on his side, who paid the price for their errors against a strong Barnsley outfit particularly potent in the air.

“I don’t think there was a lot between the sides,” Sheridan added. “Both teams had half-chances. They hit a post with the best chance of the first half, but I was pleased with the way we were playing.

“The biggest downer for me was the goals we conceded — one from a corner and one from a penalty.

“It is not usually like us with the clean sheets we have kept.

“In the second half, up to the goal we were the better team and got right back in it. Full credit to the players. It’s a downer we didn’t get anything from the game.”