Antonee Robinson became the latest American player overseas to score his first goal for a new club. The 21-year-old U.S. Men’s National Team product helped Wigan Athletic to a point on Tuesday in a 2-2 draw at Millwall.
Known for his ability to get upfield at left back, Robinson made the most of his appearance in London. A diagonal cross hit Robinson in stride, allowing him to slide a shot underneath Millwall goalkeeper Bartosz Białkowski. After the match, Robinson reflected on his goal which at that point of the match put Paul Cook’s side in front.
“I got a little bit of luck with it, but I saw a couple of defenders getting across to my side of the goal, so I tried to fire it in low and hard into a good area,” Robinson said in an interview with the club’s website. “It’s gone in under the keeper, so I’m delighted to finally get a goal.
“Garns [Joe Garner] created the space for me and it’s something we work on, the forward sucking the defenders further in field allows us as wing backs to get into wide spaces. It’s a testament to how we can link up in those positions.”
Robinson not only got to celebrate his first goal, but his strong 90-minute performance helped Wigan on the defensive side of the field as well. In 14 individual duels, Robinson won eight of them against a physical Millwall side who have played better at home than away this season.
He made five recoveries, one tackle, four clearances, and won one foul. Tuesday was Robinson’s 41st appearance for the club in two stints at the DW Stadium, as he continues to develop into a consistent first-team player. With 16 points from their opening 18 matches, Wigan are two points clear of the relegation zone and in need of positive results heading into the holiday season. Saturday’s home date with Reading is next on the schedule and Robinson believes Tuesday’s draw can help grow confidence going forward.
“It’s a tough place to come and it can be more of a battle than a football match at times, especially towards the end,” Robinson said. “Matt Smith came on and caused us problems, so we had to adapt and keep what we’ve got because we’ve been struggling away from home. Any points are gold at this stage, so all-in-all everyone is pleased with the result. It gives us confidence to go again and pick up more points on the road.”
“We’re all looking ahead to Saturday now. We’re back at home and it gives us a chance to pick up more points and keep some momentum going to push up the league. We really appreciate the effort the fans put in to come down and support us. It’s a long way to come for a midweek game. They made a good atmosphere for us. We’re all trying to dig in and work hard for the supporters so that we can give them what they deserve to see.”