Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs SHREWSBURY TOWN

28^TH October 2023

LATICS TAME THE TEN-MAN SHREWS.

Wigan made it three wins on the bounce with a comfortable win against a Shrewsbury side who never really recovered from the early red card that deprived them of the services of Chey Dunckley after just four minutes.

Wigan named an unchanged starting XI and in the first minute Martial Godo whipped a cross in that somehow evaded everyone. Then on four minutes Aasgaard got the wrong side of the defence and as he approached the box Dunkley produced a badly timed desperate lunge that saw him depart the game prematurely.

Jones flashed an effort just wide of the post after he checked inside on the left. Then on 16 minutes Aasgaard again came in for rough treatment and Sraha was perhaps fortunate not to join Dunkley in the early bath.

On 20 minutes Godo nutmegged his marker and raced into space but his shot was straight at the keeper Marko Marosi. Humphrys fired in an effort from 25 yards that Marosi had to palm away to safety, then on 33 minutes the Wigan man again ran into space before crossing towards Sessignon but the delivery was just too far ahead of the late arriving midfielder.

HUMPHRYS was not to be denied and on 35 minutes he collected a short pass from Jones, then he checked inside and curled a precise shot into the far corner of the Shrewsbury net for his sixth goal in all competitions. Minutes later Adeeko fired over the bar from distance, before a Jones cross deflected off Benning, wrong footing the keeper, before striking the post and being cleared.

The visitors rallied and put together a decent spell of pressure just before the break, however, the Wigan rearguard stood firm and the lead was intact at half-time.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 Shrewsbury Town.

The second half started with a n Adeeko effort from 30 yards deflecting to Liam Shaw, but the loanee was flat footed and the chance was gone. On 58 minutes God delivered an inch perfect cross for Humphrys and the striker somehow contrived to miss with the goal gaping from no more than a yard.  A minute later and Joned produced a curling shot that beat the keeper but the crossbar came to the rescue for the side from Shropshire.

Maloney made a triple substitution just after the hour mark and the substitutes combined to grab the second goal. McManaman whipped in an inch perfect cross and LANG headed home.

Aasgaard and Pearce both tested the keeper with efforts on goal but Marosi was up to the challenge.

Young Josh Stones was introduced to the fray in the closing minutes and he came close to adding a third when he tried an audacious lob over the Shrewsbury keeper. The shot, however, was too high and Wigan had to be happy with the two strikes.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 2-0 Shrewsbury Town.

Attendance; 9,389

Scorers; Humphrys (35), Lang (66);

Team; WIGAN---(3-4-3); Tickle; Clare, Hughes, Morrison; Sessignon, Shaw, Adeeko; Jones; Godo, Aasgaard, Humphrys; Subs; Pearce, Lang, McManaman, Stones, Magennis;

SHREWSBURY---(5-3-2); Marosi; Winchester, Flanagan, Dunkley, Sraha, Benning; Percy, Bennett, Bayliss; Bowman, Udoh; Subs; Kenneh, Anderson, Sabowale, Mata;

Referee, D. Middleton.

Three back-to-back wins have helped Wigan climb out of the relegation zone. The performances may have not all been entirely convincing but the team’s self-belief was certainly returning. The mix of youth and experience looks exciting and while the aim remains a season of consolidation there are now more smiles back on faces.  The club have given first team outings to a host of acadamy graduates and the way they have adapted to first team pressures is a joy to see.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Next up is another home tie with Charlton Athletic and if the squad can earn another win they can pull themselves away from those bottom four relegation places and start to ease the pressure that had begun to build on the manager and team.