HARRY Kewell felt a lack of experience and “common sense” cost his Latics side against Mansfield Town.

Oldham took an early lead against the in-form Stags but two goals in around a minute swung the game in Mansfield’s favour.

Conor McAleny gave Latics late hope but Jamie Reid’s early second half strike for the visitors proved decisive.

And Kewell felt his players had been too easily bullied out of playing their own game.

“It’s disappointing. I felt that when we started the game we looked good, we scored the goal, we were looking fresh, we were picking up pockets and some of our decision making early on kind of cost us, and then we got sucked in to Mansfield’s way,” he said.

“We knew from the start, how they lined up, they were going to go very direct, they had the big players up top who caused problems and when you look back on how Mansfield play they kind of bundled their way over.

“Fair play to Mansfield, they played the game and they worked that. You saw clearly in the second half they were just diving, hoping to get the crosses in.

“But they played a certain way and they got the results in the end.”

Mansfield’s margin of victory could have been greater but Jordan Bowery missed from the penalty spot and George Lapslie hit the crossbar.

“We knew their threats, we knew exactly what they were going to do. Stop the crosses, we worked on that, defend areas, be aggressive in areas,” Kewell continued.

“We lacked a little bit of common sense at times.

“I felt we defended in areas and then gave the ball away sillily. We lacked a little bit of physicality. At times it did look like boys against men, which is a shame because our players are aggressive. But I felt we fell into the trap. We’re trying to get it out of them - you don’t fall into the trap of the long ball.

“If we’d have got the ball down, passed it and moved it we would have got our chances but we fell into their trap and we played the long ball and we were never going to compete.

“If you play long balls up to their two centre halves they’re going to win headers all day.

“I don’t know how much you can tell your players ‘don’t do that’ but they did it and we lacked that little bit of experience I think in the end.”