Wigan Athletic boss Malky Mackay has admitted that a lack of focus cost his side during their 3-1 defeat at Birmingham City.
The Latics were comfortably beaten at St Andrew's on Saturday as a Clayton Donaldson hat-trick secured Birmingham the points.
After conceding twice inside the opening 14 minutes, Mackay believes that his players did themselves no favours during the match.
"I think we shot ourselves in the foot," he told BBC Sport. "Giving the ball away in a really poor area and against any team, you're going to be punished. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb with both of the first half goals.
"Then we settled and getting a goal settled us down more. We were in the ascendancy after that and had two or three chances early in the second half. You've got to take those, but we didn't and then the third goal deflated us."
Wigan continue their Championship campaign on January 17 when they welcome Blackburn Rovers to the DW Stadium.
Jack Prescott
