Wigan Athletic, Lincoln City flashpoint should not detract from breakthrough brilliance | OneFootball

James Carragher has been a real asset for Wigan Athletic this season

Wigan Athletic's 1-1 draw with Lincoln City last Saturday left Shaun Maloney's men 16th in the League One table ahead of their FA Cup clash with Premier League Fulham this weekend.

The Latics took a first-half lead over the Imps when striker Dale Taylor unselfishly laid the ball off to wideman Jonny Smith, who placed his shot into the bottom corner.

Maloney's side missed opportunities to double their advantage, with Taylor firing wide just shy of the hour mark, before substitute Will Goodwin was unable to direct his header goalwards late on.

And the Latics would go on to rue those missed chances when referee John Mulligan awarded the Imps a penalty on 88 minutes, which was initially saved by England Under-21 goalkeeper Sam Tickle.

But penalty taker James Collins reacted quicker than any of the Wigan defenders, and steered the ball home on the rebound, albeit Maloney's men felt as though an attacker in a seemingly offside position had prevented Jason Kerr from completing a goalline clearance.

Latics academy graduate James Carragher was central to the controversy, as he conceded the spot-kick after being adjudged to have held Lincoln's Adam Jackson at a corner.

Lincoln City flashpoint should not distract from James Carragher's breakout season at Wigan Athletic

The argument could be made that a more experienced defender than the 22-year-old would have avoided conceding a penalty so close to the full-time whistle, especially when his side held a narrow lead.

But one unfortunate error should not distract from the fact that Carragher is enjoying a brilliant breakout season at the Brick Community Stadium, and is fast becoming a key member of Maloney's team, whether he's deployed at full-back, or as a centre-half.

The youngster was handed his Latics debut during a 2021/22 season in which he made three EFL Trophy appearances and one EFL Cup outing, but his first league appearance for the club did not arrive until the current campaign.

He has made 25 appearances across all competitions for the Tics so far this season, including 19 outings and 12 starts in League One, showing that he is one of Maloney's trusted assets.

Perhaps the greatest compliment that Carragher can be given this term is that his presence, coupled with that of summer signing Will Aimson, has ensured that the Latics have sufficiently filled the void left behind by talented youth academy graduate Charlie Hughes, who joined Championship outfit Hull City last August.

Carragher's confidence, meanwhile, was perhaps best showcased by the well-crafted assist he created during his side's 2-0 win over bitter rivals Bolton Wanderers back in December.

He went on to score his first goal in senior football during last month's 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers, in which he also showed his defensive solidity, which helped the Latics maintain their clean sheet.

Fulham FA Cup clash could give Wigan's Carragher an opportunity to showcase his ability on a big occasion

Carragher's strong performances in recent weeks will mean that he is surely on the mind of boss Maloney ahead of Wigan's FA Cup fourth round encounter with top-flight Fulham.

The Scot may choose to deploy the 22-year-old at centre-back, as seen during the aforementioned League One meetings with the Imps and the Gas, or he could also play his youngster at right-back, which was a more frequent occurrence earlier on in the season.

Either way, Carragher should be relishing the opportunity to make an appearance against Premier League opponents and could provide Latics supporters with yet another reminder of his brilliance, following last weekend's costly mistake.