Report by SJG

CHESHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE

WIGAN ATHLETIC   vs WHITCHURCH

10^th December 1932

WIGAN SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.

A crowd of 5,182 turned out on a bitterly cold, but dry, day. The pitch was heavy with overnight rain not helping the underfoot conditions. Latics went straight onto the offensive with Chambers heading a Hughes centre just wide, and the Hughes himself hitting a long-range shot that passed narrowly over the top. O’Kelly and Williams tried to get the visitors going forward but they were well marshalled by Spencer and O’Dell. Nixon had a snap shot that was too high and O’Kelly struck an effort that went into the side netting. However, it was Latics who were clearly the dominant side and on 12 minutes Jamieson fed the ball to CHAMBERS, who controlled the ball neatly before shooting home from 25 yards. Wigan continued to dominate with good passing and following a corner Wake had a shot that was goal-bound until it struck Pritchard and passed just wide of the post. Allon produced a neat piece of play to set Chambers free and his shot tested Bennett in the Whitchurch net. On 24 minutes the inevitable second goal arrived. McCabe played a long pass out to Murphy; the winger delivered a precise cross and CHAMBERS hooked the ball home.

The Wigan pressure on the Whitchurch goal was relentless, crosses and shots rained in and Bennett produced several pieces of fine goalkeeping to keep the scoreline respectable. McCabe, Chambers and Murphy all had goal-worthy efforts saved by the young keeper, but on 33 minutes the third goal arrived. On this occasion it was Chambers who supplied the telling pass and MCCABE provided the flying finish with a well struck drive. Bennett was in action again shortly after as Hughes threatened and when the half-time whistle blew the crowd were quick to applaud the efforts of the overworked visitor’s keeper.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 3-0 Whitchurch.

Whitchurch started the second period in much more sprightly fashion and Abbott was called upon to collect a dangerous curling effort from Davies. However, it did not take long for Latics to re-establish their fluent passing game and the early Vim and vigour which the visitors briefly showed gradually dissipated. On 50 minutes Latics produced a flowing move that covered most of the length of the field, eventually Murphy produced a telling cross and Bennett had to dive at the feet of Chambers to save and then he repeated the feat to deny McCabe, the ball was still loose and it eventually fell to HUGHES who fired into the roof of the net. The pressure was unrelenting and on the hour mark a cross by Hughes found the head of JAMIESON, who on his home debut, nodded in from the most acute of angles. The goal was the 50^th of the League campaign.

The pattern of the game changed little, Wigan remained the dominant side, but the number of chances being produced declined as the home side eased off with the game and the points surely won. On 73 minutes Wigan added a sixth goal. A corner was played into the area and when the defence failed to clear a melee broke out, CHAMBERS bravely threw himself at the ball to force it home and in so doing he collected yet another hat-trick. He also suffered a blow that saw him requiring attention from the trainer.

The trainer was called upon again when McCabe collided with a defender as he tried to wriggle through the defensive line. The unfortunate Wigan man was clearly hurt and he was to play no further part in proceedings. McCabe had been unlucky only a few minutes earlier when he fired into the Whitchurch goal, only for the linesman to adjudge that Jamieson had wandered into an offside position.

With five minutes left on the clock, and with Latics down to ten men, the visitors launched a late rally that saw Field attempt to dribble into the area. Callachan closed down the Whitchurch man, but in so doing he was adjudged to have tripped the player and a penalty kick was awarded. It was no more than a consolation but NIXON fired home from the spot.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic. 6-1 Whitchurch.

Attendance; 5,182

Scorers; Chambers (12), (24), (73), McCabe (33), Hughes (50), Jamieson (60); Nixon (87 pen);

Team; WIGAN-- Abbott; O’Dell, Callachan; Wake, Spencer, Allon; Hughes, Chambers, McCabe, Jamieson, Murphy;  

WHITCHURCH—Bennett; Rose, Evans; Thomas, Newton, Pritchard; Davies, Field, Nixon, Williams, O’Kelly.

Referee; T. Atkinson (Altrincham).

At the end of the season, with financial issues proving a heavy burden, and with their on- field performances resulting in a string of heavy defeats, the Shropshire side resigned their position in the Cheshire League.