Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION THREE

LINCOLN CITY vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

 28^th August 1982

OPENING DAY BLUES FOR UNLUCKY LATICS.

Defeat was cruel on Latics who went to Lincoln with a sizeable following and for long periods more than matched a side that went very close to promotion in the previous season.

Kevin Sheldon had been allowed to join Port Vale on a month’s loan a few days before the opening game and this paved the way for both Lodge and Rogers to make their league debuts.

Latics began well and forced David Felgate to produce two good saves to deny Lodge and Glenn but Latics were not to be denied and an 18^th minute Lodge corner was met perfectly at the near post by BRADD who glanced his header into the net.

Lincoln had threatened briefly with Hobson shooting just wide in the 14^th minute and Cockerill being frustrated when his close-range shot was blocked by Tunks who spread himself well to make the save.

Wigan continued to threaten from set pieces and looked capable of extending their lead.

On 32 minutes Lincoln grabbed a leveller when a long throw caused problems in the Wigan box and SHIPLEY, who scuffed his shot, somehow found a way past the partially sighted keeper. Latics nearly regained the lead before the break when Bradd brought a top class save from Felgate with a shot on the turn, then as play switched to the other end Barrow produced at worse a clumsy challenge on Cockerill and the referee surprised many in the ground when he awarded a penalty. SHIPLEY stepped up and calmly slotted home the opportunity as he sent Tunks in the wrong direction.

Half Time; Lincoln City 2-1 Wigan Athletic.

Lincoln were now a much tougher proposition after the break and dominated possession without really creating much by way of scoring opportunities.

Latics rallied in the final quarter and the home defence came under increasing pressure.

Peake and Carr both produced blocks to deny goal-bound efforts and in the dying minutes Houghton appeared to be felled in the box but as the referee waved play-on it was the alert O’Keefe who found space and fired in a low shot from barely ten yards but Felgate got down superbly to save and in so doing he effectively guaranteed that the points would stay in Lincolnshire.

Full Time; Lincoln City 2-1 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Shipley (32), (45, pen); Bradd (41);

Attendance: 3,196

Teams; WIGAN— (4-3-3) Tunks; McMahon, Glenn, Cribley, Methven; Lodge, Barrow, O’Keefe, Bradd, Houghton, Rogers; Sub; --- Butler (for Rogers)

LINCOLN CITY— (4-4-2) Felgate; Carr, Heath, Peake, Strodder; Cockerill, Shipley, Turner, Hibberd, Cunningham, Hobson; Sub; --- Bell (for Hobson);

Referee; Mr Maurice Robinson (Sutton Coldfield).