Wigan Athletic vs Luton Town FC (18th Feb 2026)

18/02/2026 WIGAN ATHLETIC 1-0 LUTON TOWN

Town fall to defeat at Wigan

Hatters defeated on the road as Taylor earns Latics victory

The Hatters went down to a disappointing defeat at Wigan as their struggles away from home continued.

Relegation-threatened Wigan secured their first victory in eight games as ex-Hatters striker Joe Taylor returned the haunt his former employers with the match winner on 73 minutes.

The Town had a flurry of chances deep into stoppage time to equalise but Wigan held on to condemn Jack Wilshere’s side to a sixth straight away defeat in League One.

It began with Wilshere making two changes to the side that lost at leaders Cardiff on Saturday with Ali Al-Hamadi given his full Hatters debut.

The striker came on as a half-time substitute in South Wales and replaced Gideon Kodua, who dropped to the bench while captain Kal Naismith also started, the defender returning to face his former club in the place of Joe Johnson.

In a game of few chances, however, both defences were on top with Al-Hamadi close to reaching Jake Richards’ cross on 22 minutes.

Kasey Palmer curled a free-kick narrowly over the bar six minutes later before Al-Hamadi’s shot on the turn was deflected behind moments later.

Chances continued to be few and far between in the second period. Jordan Clark’s shot from the edge of the penalty area was charged down on 54 minutes but slowly Wigan turned the screw.

Taylor saw a shot on the turn held by Josh Keeley on 64 minutes before the striker was again denied by the Town stopper three minutes later.

But just as the Town were about to make a triple substitution, Wigan took the lead. The Hatters were caught light of numbers at the back and Taylor was released in the penalty area and clipped a fine finish over Keeley.

The Town upped the ante in search of a late equaliser and Clark flashed a shot inches wide of the mark with four minutes left.

Seven added minutes were shown by the officials and with the very last action of the game, the Town were denied by a string of last-ditch blocks by the Wigan defence. Palmer, Kodua, van den Berg and Nigel Lonwijk all saw efforts cleared as the ball pinballed around the penalty area – but couldn’t force the ball over the line in a frantic, but ultimately frustrating, finale.

A night to forget for the Hatters. We’ll see you at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

Town: Keeley, Lonwijk, Naismith, Mengi (sub van den Berg 83), Andersen, Palmer, Clark, Richards (sub Morris 61), Jones (sub Kodua 83), Al-Hamadi (sub Wells 82), Cole.

Subs not used: Shea, Saville, Johnson.

Attendance: 8,440, including 618 shouting for the Town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO9obpdThmE – Jack Wilshere interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y94crFmO0fY – match highlights

League One: Wigan Athletic 1 Luton Town 0

Abysmal Hatters fall to shocking defeat at Wigan Athletic

Luton slumped to one of their lowest points in their more recent history as they produced an absolutely pathetic display to lose for a maddening sixth successive game on the road, beaten 1-0 at relegation threatened Wigan Athletic.

Going into the contest, the Latics had lost their last five in all competitions, shipping 15 goals in that time, as manager Ryan Lowe lost his job following the 6-1 debacle at Peterborough United. Yes, they appointed Exeter boss Gary Caldwell on Monday, but he only had around 48 hours to work with a group of players that were devoid of confidence, conceding four goals inside half an hour in the FA Cup at Premier League Arsenal on Sunday.

Wigan also hadn’t won a league game on home soil since December 2, over two months ago, or posted three points in the calendar year to date, but make no mistake, the hosts deserved this victory, given to them by ex-Hatter Joe Taylor’s 73rd minute strike, as Town’s bafflingly bad performances on the road showed absolutely no signs of ending, although this one was probably the most embarrassing of those previous reverses.

Prior to kick-off, Hatters manager Jack Wilshere made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 at Cardiff on Saturday, Ali Al-Hamadi in for his full debut, while skipper Kal Naismith returned against his former side, Gideon Kodua and Joe Johnson dropping to the bench. Town went with two upfront in Al-Hamadi and Devante Cole, but bar the odd eyecatching pass early on, couldn’t get any meaningful attacks going, thankful to Mads Andersen for making a vital header at the back post after Will Aimson had nodded one delivery into a dangerous area.

Luton went close on 20 minutes, Jake Richards winning the ball back high up, his cross well cleared before Al-Hamadi could pounce and turn the ball over the line, while Izzy Jones was soon brought down on the very edge of the area as Kasey Palmer did well to get his free kick up and down in time, Sam Tickle palming away well. Al-Hamadi had another effort charged down after tenacious work from Cole, while Josh Keeley had an easy first shot to deal with, Jensen Weir’s tame 25-yarder straight into his midriff.

A first half which was a poor advert for League One football ended with Town at least in some kind of ascendancy, Naismith breaking away and finding Jones whose shot was headed behind for a corner that Tickle claimed commandingly. After the interval, having taken five minutes to get going in their customary slow start, Luton enjoyed some tiny moments of joy, but frustratingly their final ball or cross went astray as they never put Tickle under any kind of pressure.

In fact it increasingly looked like Wigan were the side most likely to break the deadlock, Keeley springing to his right to ungainly shovel Morgan Fox’s 25-yard free kick behind for a corner. With the visitors’ passing nothing short of abysmal, as time and time they failed to find a team-mate or put the ball straight out of play, another set-piece pumped into the box led to Joe Taylor’s shot forcing Keeley into a smart save.

The Town stopper was called into action again midway through the half when a ball forward when Taylor tried to beat him at his near post, but the goal, which had definitely been coming, arrived on 73 minutes. Naismith’s clearance was charged down and rebounded favourably for Dara Costelloe to get to the ball and with Wigan having a three on one situation, kept their heads to play Taylor clean through and he calmly dinked the ball over Keeley.

Clark put a corner straight out which summed up the Hatters’ efforts, before Morris cross was straight into Tickle’s gloves, as Luton delayed and delayed making a triple substitution, eventually bringing on Nahki Wells, Davy van den Berg and Kodua with just eight minutes to go.

As time ran out, Luton did have a brief moment of quality, Clark finding some space and letting fly on his left, narrowly missing the far corner. Seven minutes were then added on but still it was Wigan pushing, Costelloe prodding Joe Hungbo’s cross over. With seconds left, Wells had his penalty appeals turned down, before the visitors were somehow denied in the final seconds, as Wigan showed the desire needed to keep the ball out of the net, blocking from Kodua and Palmer, before van den Berg’s attempt struck his own player and Nigel Lonwijk’s attempt was cleared to huge roars from the home faithful, who were cheering even louder moments later having recorded an utterly deserved success.

Latics: Sam Tickle, Morgan Fox, Will Aimson, Jensen Weir (Matt Smith 59), Fraser Murray, Callum Wright, Christian Saydee (Dara Costelloe 59), Joe Taylor (Harrison Bettoni 79), Jason Kerr ©, Raphael Borges Rodrigues (Joe Hungbo 44), Owen Moxon (Steve Sessegnon 80).

Subs not used: Toby Savin, Callum McManaman.

Hatters: Josh Keeley, Nigel Lonwijk, Mads Andersen, Teden Mengi (Davy van den Berg 83), Kal Naismith, Kasey Palmer, Jordan Clark (C), Izzy Jones (Gideon Kodua 83), Jake Richards (Shayden Morris 60), Ali Al-Hamadi (Nahki Wells 83), Devante Cole.

Subs not used: James Shea, Joe Johnson George Saville.

Booked: Aimson 22, Rodrigues 27, Richards 35, Moxon 37, Lonwijk 63, Sessegnon 89.

Referee: Jamie O’Connor. Attendance: 8440 (618 Hatters).

Hatters boss tells fans to 'be angry with me' after yet another dismal away loss

Town boss Jack Wilshere has told supporters to direct their anger towards him and not the players after Luton’s dismal season plumbed to new depths last night following a terrible 1-0 loss at relegation threatened Wigan Athletic.

The Hatters had gone to the Brick House Community Stadium already in absolutely dreadful form on the road, having made it five straight defeats when being beaten 3-1 by table-toppers Cardiff City on Saturday, and six from seven, with just one point gleaned from a possible 21, that thanks to Gideon Kodua’s late leveller in a turgid affair at Leyton Orient before Christmas.

Even though it was new Latics manager Gary Caldwell’s first game in charge having been appointed on Monday, Ryan Lowe sacked after Wigan dropped into the bottom four, the trip was finally meant to end the away hoodoo as the hosts had been in a terrible run themselves at home, without a win in five league games, that stretching back to December 2, losing their last five matches in all competitions too, leaving them without a third tier success in 2026.

You got the sense from every early on that wasn’t going to be the case though, as Town turned in a performance that was every bit as bad as they have done this term, in fact probably worse, as passes were either going to the opposition or out of play throughout the contest, while against a side who hadn’t kept a clean sheet in eight league matches, and shipped four before the half hour mark at Arsenal in the FA Cup on Sunday, had just one shot on target in the first half, that when Kasey Palmer’s free kick was parried away by Sam Tickle.

Things got progressively worse in the second 45 period too, as Wigan came on stong and were knocking on the door for most of the game, Josh Keeley denying Joe Taylor twice, before the ex-Hatter did find the net on 73 minutes, as the hosts manufactured a three on one situation, allowing the forward to go clean through and dink the ball over the advancing stopper.

Town rallied ever so slightly in the closing stages, but yet again their final third play was nothing short of abysmal, as they only looked like levellling in the final seconds of seven added minutes, having four shots blocked by the home side’s defence in one passage of play, the Latics back-line showing their opponents how it’s done, putting their bodies on the line time and time again to make it a terrific first game for Caldwell.

After the full time whistle, the Luton players who went over to the travelling fans, and not all of them it must be said did, were met with some understandable vitriol from those 618 supporters who had made the trip to Greater Manchester on a bitterly cold February evening, with a number taking the opportunity to let those who had taken the field know in no uncertain terms what they made of their efforts.

Asked about it the afterwards, Wilshere expressed a desire to shoulder the criticism himself, saying: “The players care, that’s why they go over there to try and have a conversation, try and thank them for their support. It’s difficult of course and I completely understand the fans point of view.

"My message to them is point your anger towards me. I’m the manager, I’m the head coach, I make decisions. The players, they care, they really care, they’re really, really low, really disappointed and of course the fans have every single right to be angry with the results, and the support they give and the distance they travel. We have to be better, we have to be better, I have to be better, so be angry with me.”

Having won his first two away matches, Wilshere has now presided over what can only be termed as one of the most embarrassing runs on the road in the club’s recent history, with Town’s efforts at home the only thing that is keeping their season afloat and the club away from a third relegation in a row. Asked whether he felt the players needed to bear some of the brunt though after delivering yet another in a long line of inept performance from start to finish, he continued: “In the second half I thought that when they started to get more aggressive, we didn’t have the right solutions.

"I don’t know why that is right now I’ll have to watch it back and see if there were solutions, if there were passes to be made, or if there was space in behind to put it in behind. On Saturday we couldn’t quite find our rhythm, couldn't quite find the way we've been playing recently and that’s tough. It takes, I call it technical efficiency or an ability to manage the ball and that gets harder when you talk about pressure, and when teams start pushing you a little bit more and then you’re chasing a goal, all the outside noise comes.

"So I’m not going to stand here (and blame them), I always look at myself first, look at the gameplan, look at was it right? If it wasn’t right, why wasn’t it right? Was it a tactical thing? Was it an individual thing? Was it a technical efficiency thing where we didn’t quite execute it? All those factors come into it, but it starts with me.”

With Town now four points from the play-off places that have time and time again been stated as the very bare minimum that the club’s board will accept this season and 14 games to go, with seven of those outside of Bedfordshire, it looks an increasingly tall order that the Hatters will have enough to get above the dotted line now.

Asked if the kind of pressure he is facing has led to him questioning just how he can put things right in what is his first permanent managerial role, as Luton are thankfully back at home this weekend when facing Burton Albion, Wilshere added: “That’s what we’ve been doing, soul searching since Saturday, but even longer than that as we had two away games against Huddersfield and Plymouth where they were tough as well, so we knew what we had coming.

"We knew we had two home games that we had to win, we did that, but we also knew in the background that we were going to have to go away from home again and do something different. Cardiff are a very good team but we weren’t good enough, but tonight is very disappointing as it felt like an opportunity missed.

“There’s pressure all around now and the players, but me in particular we have to be able to stand up and face that. When you’ve had a career and a life in football, pressure is everywhere and you have to be able to handle that, you have to be able to deal with that, you have to be able to thrive in that. We certainly have to do that Saturday as it’s not going to get any easier. We felt like it was an opportunity missed tonight and we dropped points, but we need to get points back on Saturday and we have to, that creates a pressure.”