Wigan boss Shaun Maloney got one over on his good friend Gary Caldwell, but praised the role his young players had in Saturday’s 2-0 League One win at Exeter.
Martial Godo capitalised on an Exeter defensive error to tap in Shaun Humphreys’ low cross for the opener after eight minutes, before Jordan Jones’ stoppage-time strike took a huge deflection off Will Aimson before nestling in the net to complete the win.
“We put a challenge to the group but I wasn’t sure how the game would look,” Maloney said. “I wasn’t sure what it would look like in terms of adversity. I am very proud of my young players.
“We went quite aggressive with the front three. I knew how Exeter would play, they try and dominate the ball, but I felt with the front three we could win the ball back very quickly and then be a threat.
“It is quite satisfying for a coach to see the whole squad celebrating like that.
“The victory meant a lot and we had a really good travelling support considering the distance. We are happy to give them something to go home with.
“I wasn’t quite sure with that young a group how we would compete but the young players did a really good job and the senior players got them over the line.”
Maloney and Caldwell have known each other for over 20 years and the Exeter manager was left frustrated after seeing his side register 29 shots on goal and dominate the game with 72 per cent possession.
“I thought we played well, but I felt we gifted them a goal and the way that they came to win the game, it allowed them to play very deep and slow the game down at every opportunity and frustrate us,” Caldwell said.
“I still think we created moments and opportunities, but we have to be better in the final third. We have to be more clinical. We had 29 shots and only four on target and I think that tells the story of the game.
“It’s clear we need to be better in that area of the pitch and I am sure we will get better when Ads (Admiral Muskwe) and different players pick up their fitness levels and that understanding of playing with each other.
“Another lesson is that we can’t concede a goal as easily as we did. Wigan didn’t come here to score, they came here to frustrate and wait for a mistake and we gifted them that opportunity.
“The effort and application was outstanding, we kept going right to the end and their second goal just sums up what’s been happening with a ricochet of (Pierce) Sweeney and a big deflection.
“But we need to stick together and be resilient, keep believing in what we are doing and I thought we showed that in the second half.”
Al-Riyadh 2-2 Al-Nassr: Laporte sent off for punch as Al-Nemer salvages point
Former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte was sent off for punching Mohammed Al-Aqel on the arm as Al-Nassr played out a 2-2 draw with Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.
Meshari Al-Nemer's 97th-minute strike salvaged a point for Al-Nassr, who had trailed for over half the game and played with a one-man disadvantage for over half an hour.
Otavio had put Al-Nassr ahead only for Andre Gray to drag the hosts level, before Al-Aqel gave David Ospina no chance with a terrific overhead kick to make it 2-1.
Al-Nassr's position was put in further jeopardy when Laporte was sent off following a bizarre off-the-ball incident which saw him grab and punch Al-Aqel on the elbow, while Cristiano Ronaldo came up with a glaring miss from Sadio Mane's pass across the six-yard box.
Al-Nemer levelled at the death for Al-Nassr, though they still sit some 14 points adrift of champions Al-Hilal, who could complete an unbeaten season against Al-Wehda on Monday.
Data Debrief: Laporte's horror show
It was a game to forget for Laporte, whose bizarre punch on Al-Aqel put Al-Nassr up against it versus a team still in danger of relegation.
Laporte did not attempt a single tackle in the game while his four duels contested were the joint-fewest of every outfield starter (alongside Khalid Al-Shuwayyi). He was also sent off in Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League quarter-final tie against Al Ain in March.
Putellas signs two-year deal with Barcelona
Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas has signed a two-year deal until 2026, the club announced on Thursday.
Putellas was due to be out of contract next month, but extends her 12-year relationship with Barcelona, with the new deal also including an option for an additional season.
The 30-year-old is a two-time Ballon d’Or winner in 2021 and 2022, though she has struggled with injuries that have kept her sidelined since winning the second.
Overall, she has made 424 appearances, scoring a record 189 goals for the club, playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s recent domination in women’s football.
Putellas has won 29 major trophies with Barcelona and is looking for another on Saturday when they face Lyon in the Champions League final.
Having already clinched Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Supercopa this season, Putellas can help Barcelona to complete an unprecedented quadruple with a win over the French champions.
Sargent earns recall as Pulisic, Balogun and Adams headline USA's preliminary Copa America squad
United States coach Gregg Berhalter has named a 27-man preliminary squad ahead of the Copa America.
Josh Sargent, the Norwich City forward, has earned a recall to the USA squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, and is set to feature for his country for the first time since 2022.
With first-choice right-back Sergino Dest injured, meanwhile, Berhalter has turned to Nashville SC's Shaq Moore in defence.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Weston McKennie and Brendan Aaronson are among the established names to feature.
Former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who opted to represent the USA rather than England, has also made the cut, as has Coventry City's Haji Wright, who has had a strong season in England's second tier.
Berhalter explained Sargent had been called up to give him another option in attack, with Wright seen primarily as a wide option.
"Between their club form and what they've done for the national team in the past, we think it's a talented group of strikers," he said.
Giovanni Reyna, the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest since January, has also been included, despite a feud between Berhalter and the playmaker's family in the wake of the World Cup.
Antonee Robinson has had another impressive season with Fulham, and has been called up alongside club-mate Tim Ream.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was a notable omission, as were MLS stars Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris.
"This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Berhalter said.
"We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world."
Berhalter will cut down his squad after the friendlies, with Copa hosts USA taking on Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in Group C.
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