Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

EXETER CITY   vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

21^ST October 2023

LATICS BATTLE THROGH FOR A MUCH NEEDED THREE POINTS.

If you judged this game purely on the end of game statistics then Latics would have been well beaten. Exeter manged to rack up 72% possession, 30 shots, and 17 corners, while Latics managed just one shot on target. However, statistics can lie, and Wigan were well worth at least a point from this battling display.

Maloney made four changes to the starting XI and Josh Stones made his Football League debut with Lang and Wyke both serving suspensions.

Exeter had an early chance to grab the lead, on eight minutes a near post corner was won by Aimson but his volley passed just wide of the target. The miss was costly as Latics swiftly moved play to the other end with Humphrys winning the ball on half-way before sprinting forward and then slipping a neat pass to GODO who fired low into the far corner of the net.

Exeter responded well and defender Jules burst into the Wigan area but his shot was blocked by Hughes and a corner was the outcome. There followed a succession of corners as the Grecians ramped up the pressure but Wigan stood firm and the closest the hosts came was with a shot from distance by Mitchell on 20 minutes that passed over the bar. Tom Pearce whipped one of his trademark free kicks into the box and Morrison had a shot that deflected just wide of the post. Exeter continued to dominate the ball but without really threatening, in fact Wigan looked the livelier with the pace and direct running of Godo and Humphrys stretching the home defence.

Half Time; Exeter City 0-1 Wigan Athletic.

The second half saw Exeter really throwing everything at the Latics defence who sat back in and worked tirelessly to repel every forward thrust. On 62 minutes Josh Stones was replaced by Liam Shaw. Stones had certainly put a full shift in on his debut and can hold his head high. The first proper opportunity of the half arrived on 70 minutes and it fell to Latics.  Humphrys ran at the Exeter back line, checking inside before bending a shot that was narrowly wide. Exeter were being restricted to long range shots and despite the pressure Tickle was having a quiet time, such was the quality of the defensive work on show. This was no better displayed than in the 82^nd minute when Clare brilliantly slid in to tackle Mitchel to stop him playing a dangerous ball into the box.

The big chance that Exeter had worked so hard to create finally arrived on 85 minutes, Aimson got onto a free kick at the far post and the big centre half planted his free header wide of the post. Suddenly, Exeter were now creating chances and the introduction of ex-Tic Yanic Wildschut further added to the pressure. Tickle saved well, palming Mitchel’s goal-bound shot onto the crossbar, and then he had to parry a Wildschut effort onto the post and away to safety. The home side came again for one last foray and Scott Smith threw his body in-front of James Scott to ensure his shot was denied.

That was the crucial moment as on 97 minutes Wigan broke away through Jones, who ran the length of the pitch and then fired in a shot that looped up off AIMSON and landed perfectly in the Exeter net to spark wild celebrations on the touchline.

Full Time; Exeter City 0-2 Wigan Athletic.

Attendance; 6,337

Scorers; Godo (17), Jones (90+7);

Team; WIGAN---(3-4-3); Tickle; Clare, Hughes, Morrison; Sessignon; S. Smith, Adeeko, Pearce; Humphrys, Stones, Godo; Subs; Shaw, Magennis, Rekik, Jones;

EXETER CITY---(4-4-2); Sinsalo; Sweeney, Aimson, Hartridge, Jules; Harper, Carroll, Trevitt, Mitchell; Muskwe, Aitchison; Subs; Watts, Cole, Scott, Wildschut;

Referee, B. Atkinson.