Jason Price admitted he was to blame for Latics' 1-0 defeat at  Colchester in Coca-Cola League One.

The 32-year-old striker confessed he failed to mark his man at the corner from which defender Danny Batth headed the match-winning goal.

The on-loan Price, who was unlucky to twice hit the frame of the goal at the opposite end, said: "It was a silly mistake at a set piece and it was a lapse of concentration on my part as the man I was supposed to be marking scored.

"I have apologised to the boys, but there was an argument just before when we were asleep at a throw in which was another set piece and a case of not doing the basics.

"I was hoping the keeper (Dean Brill) would get the corner but, when he didn't, I should have blocked off Batth and I take responsibility for that."

Price says he has seen improvement in each of the four games since he arrived on loan from Millwall adding on chances they ought to have won 4-1 or 5-1 at Colchester.

He explained: "Their keeper was named man of the match which shows how dominant we were.

"They are third in the league, we are near the bottom yet we ought to have come away with three points.

"We are hitting the target which is more than we did with the chances we missed at Swindon so there is not a lot more you can do than hope for a bit of luck in front of goal.

"It is frustrating because since I arrived we have outplayed every team by far. And it is not as though it has been by five or ten-per-cent, but by I would say it has been by 30-per-cent."