OWEN Coyle bemoaned ‘poor basic defending’ as Blackburn Rovers’ shocking start to the Championship season continued with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at his former club Wigan Athletic.

Rovers had bounced back from their opening day 4-1 home loss to Norwich City with a 3-1 EFL Cup win at Mansfield Town in midweek.

But their performance in the first half at the DW Stadium was every bit as bad as they one they produced in the opening 45 minutes against the Canaries one week earlier.

Will Grigg and Nick Powell made the most of mistakes from Adam Henley and Jason Steele to put the Latics two goals to the good in their first home match since winning promotion as League One champions.

After ‘home truths’ at half-time Rovers responded strongly at the start of the second half.

But any hopes of a comeback were ended when Shane Duffy bundled Max Power’s cross into his own goal.

Rovers boss Coyle, who was sacked six months into the job at Wigan, said: “I don’t think we gave ourselves an opportunity in the game by poor basic defending. Every one of the goals was avoidable.

“The first one was a miss-hit shot, a very fortuitous break for Wigan, but having said that young Adam should have headed the ball at the back post. He’s not and their lad has scored with a reaction header into the top corner.

“The second goal, I think Jason Steele is a wonderful goalkeeper, but he will know if he had started half a yard over he would have saved that.

“There were one or two home truths that needed to be said at half-time and I thought the reaction at the start of the second half was fantastic and we looked to all intents and purposes that we’d get that goal to get back in it.

“Then from their first venture up the park, they won a corner, we cleared it, and then the second phase of play we’ve been caught with that sucker punch.

“It was not to the level we want. We need to defend better and have more solidity in terms of individual errors which happened today.

“It’s not a nice feeling. We were backed by a wonderful turnout of fans. The players have to understand they need to give the fans something to shout about and we didn’t for long enough periods today.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Coyle had recalled makeshift left-back Henley and right-winger Liam Feeney to the team which had started against Mansfield in place of Stephen Hendrie and Craig Conway.

Hendrie came on a half-time for the injured Henley and Conway was introduced for Feeney soon after.

Coyle, who also criticised Rovers’ passing before the break, said: “Stephan and Craig had both missed time in pre-season.

“I think they both only played one pre-season game, so that’s why during the week it was important to try and get them 70-80 minutes, which we did, but on the back of that, to throw them into a game for 90 minutes might have set them back.

“It’s about getting them up to game speed. It’ll be the same when Corry Evans starts to build up as well.

“We need to protect them so they don’t get injured again and we have them for the duration of the season.”

Wigan manager Gary Caldwell, whose side had lost their opening two games, in the league and EFL Cup, said: “It was total dominance from us.

“It should have been more than 2-0 at half-time and that was the only frustrating aspect.

“But in terms of the way we played, the way we went about our business, with and without the ball, that was us at our best.

“For the first 45 minutes, I don’t think there would have been many better performances up and down the country.

“Our pressing was incredible, our energy was incredible, and we showed real belief with the way we passed the ball.

“It could have been four or five at half-time and at 2-0 the next goal is always pretty big.

“We had 10 minutes at the start of the second half when we didn’t manage the game well and we’ll have to learn from that.

“But unlike last week we managed to turn it around and come back into the game, scored another goal, and controlled the last 20 minutes.”