Report by SJG

FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP- MILK CUP

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs BURY

FIRST LEG

30^th August 1983

DEFENSIVE SLIP-UPS LEAVE LATICS FACING AN UPHILL BATTLE.

The Milk Marketing board had sponsored the Football League Cup since 1981 and it seemed appropriate as Latics found themselves crying over spilled milk as a series of defensive blunders allowed local rivals Bury to grab an early advantage in the fixture with victory in the first leg.

Bury may have been a league below Wigan but it was not evident as Bury looked bright and enterprising in attack and Entwistle was proving a real handful for the Latics centre halves.

On 21 minutes it was Entwistle who found space and when Methven miscued his attempted clearance it fell to JAKUB who fired Bury ahead.

METHVEN made amends eight minutes later when he powered home a header from a well delivered free kick by Comstive.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 Bury.

The second half was one way traffic as Latics controlled the game, but David Lowe, on his eighteenth birthday had clearly forgotten his shooting boots as he fluffed the best chance of the half when he failed to net with a close-range opportunity.

A number of scouts were in the stands watching the Latics youngsters with Walsh, Butler, Langley and Lowe attracting interest, but on 76 minutes Bury grabbed a surprise second goal when Tunks, who had just made an excellent save to push an Entwistle effort round the post, completely misjudged the resulting corner kick and BRAMHALL headed into an untended net.

Latics still have another chance to turn the tie around with the second leg at Gigg Lane still to come.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 1-2 Bury.

Scorers; Methven (29); Jakub (21), Bramhall (76);

Attendance; 3,071.

Teams; WIGAN— Tunks; Cribley, Comstive, Walsh, Methven; Langley, Bruce, Lowe, Butler; Houghton, Taylor. Sub not used: --- Williams;

BURY --- Brown; Gardner, Pashley, Hilton, Bramhall; Coleman, Potts, Jakub, Carrodus; Madden, Entwistle; Sub not used: --- Spence;

Referee; Mr. John Lovatt (Crewe).