Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs BOLTON WANDERERS

27^th February 2024

HUMPHRYS GIVES LATICS DERBY DAY DELIGHT.

Steven Humphrys, who certainly seems to enjoy playing against local rivals Bolton Wanderers, came off the bench to grab a second half winner and claim the bragging rights for the Latics faithful.

Kick-off was delayed for 30 minutes due to traffic and crowd congestion near the stadium, Charlie Hughes missed out through illness and Charlie Goode came in to replace the young centre half.  Maloney made three other changes with Magennis, McManaman and Scott Smith being introduced to the starting line-up. Bolton, riding high in the promotion race, were backed by a strong following and they must have been encouraged at the way their heroes began the game.  Josh Sheehan had the first shot but his effort from 30 yards was too high to trouble Tickle.

Maghoma then caused problems when he out-muscled Chambers and got in behind the Latics defence, but Liverpool loanee got back well to block the attempted shot.  Wigans best work was coming from McManaman who was rolling back the years with a feisty display, and Scott Smith was following in similar fashion with a series of strong challenges in midfield.

In defence the pairing of Goode and Kerr were using all their experience to mop up the Bolton attacks and on 27 minutes Goode did well to divert a dangerous cross behind for a corner.

The best efforts in the first half fell to Toal, the Bolton man found himself unmarked and only five yards out but his header, from a Maghoma cross, passed safely over the bar. Then on 42 minutes Toal struck a curling shot from distance that Tickle did well to save.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 0-0 Bolton Wanderers.

The second half began in a similar pattern with the visitor’s dominating possession but creating very little against a well drilled Wigan defence. Tickle did have to palm a near post shot against the woodwork when Ogbeta found space for a speculative effort. Sheehan, who was at the heart of most of the Bolton moves, then tried his luck from 20 yards but Tickle was up to the task. On 64 minutes Martial Godo came off the bench and within five minutes he combined with Chambers and HUMPHRYS who got in behind following a neat exchange of passes and as the keeper came out he poked a shot under Coleman’s body and into the corner of the net.

Latics suddenly stepped up a gear and Aasgaard nearly made it two when he struck a first- time volley after being picked out by an accurate cross but Coleman produced a top class save to deny the number ten. The Wigan crowd was now in full voice and the momentum was with the home side as Godo had a snap shot that drifted just wide.

Bolton tried hard to get back into the game and Sheehan had a free kick that was just wide, then as bodies were thrown forward in the last few minutes a corner found the head of Santos but his header from close-range failed to find the target.

Bolton kept up the pressure until the final whistle, but Latics held firm to record the double over their ‘noisy neighbours’

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 Bolton Wanderers.

Scorers; Humphrys (69);

Attendance; 13,204

WIGAN (3-4-2-1) --- Tickle; Kerr, Goode, Chambers; J. Smith, Adeeko, M. Smith, S.Smith; Aasgaard, McManaman; Magennis; Subs; Humphrys, Godo, Pearce, Morrison;

BOLTON WANDERERS (3-1-4-2) --- Coleman; Jones, Santos, Toal; Sheehan; Maghoma, Thomason, Ogbeta, Dacres-Cogley; Mendes, Adeboyejo; Subs; Collins, Bodvarsson, Dempsey, Jerome;

Referee; J. Busby;

A fabulous result that really showed the fantastic spirit within the club, despite all the issues it is very clear that the side is pulling together to make sure that the club starts build back for the future.