Tony Philliskirk’s youth team were beaten 1-2 at home to Mansfield Town on Saturday morning.
Brendy Glackin had equalised for the young Latics early in the second half directly from a corner after Mansfield went into the break in the lead.
The Stags managed to get the winner in the second half, with Latics finishing the game with six schoolboys on the field.
Philliskirk said: "We were second best in the first half, we didn’t move the ball and looked nervous. We went in 1-0 down at half time, a goal which could have been avoided.
"We regrouped at half time and made a few tactical changes and we battered them in the second half but we missed so many chances. We got the equaliser through Brendy and there only looked to be one winner but we conceded a poor goal and Mansfield won it.
"We dominated in the last 10 minutes but we missed chance after chance and it was just so frustrating. Looking back, we finished the game with six schoolboys on the pitch and we dominated the game so that’s a real positive.
"When we look at the games this season, Lincoln, Scunthorpe, Bradford, to name a few, we should have won them. At the moment we are just a victim of where we are.
"We have so many injuries at the moment. We get one player back and lose another two, that just seems to be the way it is at the moment. We can feel sorry for ourselves but there is no point in that, we just have to get on with it.
"The schoolboys are stepping up to the plate but it’s hard for them. They are training one or two times a week and playing against 18 year olds. That’s players who are nearly three years older than them and in full time training.
"You can get away with one or two. I usually introduce one or two of them into the side towards the end of the season to give them some experience but to have six in the first 11, against 18 year olds is a big ask. To say we are only losing narrowly is definitely a positive, though.
"I don’t think it will be until the new year until we get the majority of them back and we need to be judged then. Things just aren’t going for us at the minute but some of the schoolboys are doing well and giving us food for thought going forward into next season.”