Report by SJG

FRIENDLY

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs EVERTON

7^th August 2001 

FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL IS A SIX-HIT, BUT NOT FOR THE TICS.

The saying goes, ‘Bad rehearsal, great show’ and Jewell will be hoping that is the case after his charges were well beaten 6-1 by a strong Everton line up.

Wigan began well and in the eighth minute they grabbed the lead when BUKRAN, a trialist from Hungary latched onto a loose ball and fired a low shot from the edge of the box that found its way through a crowded area and into the Everton net.

Wigan continued to play brightly throughout the first half and Liddell had a couple of chances to add to the scoreline, then on the stroke of half time a suspiciously offside looking CAMPBELL found himself free and he levelled the scores.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 Everton.

The second half was a very different story and it all began to unravel when a bad back-pass left keeper Stillie exposed and CAMPBELL quickly pounced, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball home.

On 72 minutes the floodgates opened when new Everton signing Alan STUBBS headed home. Two minutes later and Stillie failed to hold a fierce drive from Duncan Ferguson and CAMPBELL was first to react to complete his hat-trick.

Wigan were now a pale shadow of the team that had played with such early promise and every Everton attack looked likely to pierce the defence.

The big talismanic Scottish striker scored the fifth in the 83^rd minute when he out muscled the defenders to bullet home a header from a fine cross delivered by Gravesen.

Then a sixth goal arrived a minute later when substitute Max-Moore fed in Swedish international Alexandersson who neatly lifted his finish over the despairing Stillie.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 1-6 Everton.

Scorers; Bukran (8); Campbell (45), (52), (79), Ferguson (83), Stubbs (75), Alexandersson (84);

Attendance; 9,558

WIGAN ATHLETIC; Stillie; Sharp, De Vos, Mitchell, De Zeeuw; Brannan, Bukran, Liddell, P. Kennedy; Roberts, Ashcroft; SUBS—Johnson (for Ashcroft)

EVERTON; Gerrard; Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth, Pistone; Alexandersson, Gravesen, Gemmill; Ferguson, Campbell, Pembridge; SUB—Max-Moore (for Pembridge).

Referee; Mr. M. Ryan