It just goes from bad to worse! Athletic stumbled to a 3-1 defeat at relegation haunted Brighton in a performance that Latics boss Joe Royle described as "abysmal", particularly in the first-half. Dean Cox and Lloyd Owusu scored in the first half and although Lewis Alessandra (pictured) pulled one back, Owusu found the net again after a comical mix up between the Latics central defenders.Royle told Latics World, "We were abysmal in the first half. I don't know what we were doing or where we were going. We had words in the dressing room at half time, to say the least. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and the goals we gave away. The players just weren't at it and didn't do what they were told. We had a chance to get back into the game when we pulled one back and we could have already had a couple more. I fancied us strongly at 2-1, but instead we gave away another schoolboy goal where the two centre-halves have waited for someone to kick it and Brighton come through the middle. That took the wind out of us - but the appalling first half ultimately lost us the game."
"I waited until 10 minutes from the end to see us win our first header in the box - and that was Sean Gregan. Their centre-halves will have concussion tonight given the amount of balls they headed freely. The players don't learn and one or two of them have their own ideas on the game which will have to change. Our record is not good and personally I am desperate for a win. There are one or two reputations in that dressing room which need re-establishing and there are more than one or two players who should not be here. Southend will be looking on ahead of next week and we look like a charity team at the moment. All the teams who are playing for something don't want their rivals to play us."