Report by SJG

Wigan's next outing would be in the Cheshire Cup, and the draw had seen them selected to travel to Chester to take on the Chester Reserves.The players made the journey to the game at ‘Sealand Road’ by car, but the fans were able to take advantage of a special train put on by LM and S Railway and a return ticket could be obtained for the bargain price of 2s 6d. 

CHESHIRE COUNTY CUP

CHESTER RESERVES   vs   WIGAN ATHLETIC

7^TH SEPTEMBER 1932

A KEEN STRUGGLE.

Allon had still not fully recovered from the knock he sustained against Tranmere and so the Latics fielded the same starting XI that earned a point away at Port Vale 

As reported by the local Chester press, the game was a scrappy affair, not short on effort or excitement, but lacking in good flowing football. The reporter singled out Johnny Burke, an Irish international, for special praise as his goalkeeping heroics served to earn Chester a draw that their general play barely warranted.  

Chester started the game positively, but they snatched at a number of half chances and their anxiety saw the chances wasted. Ferguson had one good effort that had to be well saved by Abbott. Hedley was guilty of the most glaring miss as he miskicked when well placed. Armes on the wing was lively for the home side, but his crossing was often rushed and inaccurate. On the Wigan side the wingers, particularly Murphy, impressed and with

McCabe leading the line effectively, and Spencer and wake looking sound in defence the visitors gradually settled and started to exert a degree of control. Wake fired in an effort that warmed the hands of Burke in the Chester goal. Then, on the quarter of an hour mark, and against the

run of play, Stevenson sent Roscoe through, Callachan stepped in to seemingly avert any danger, only for the referee to decide that the Wigan defender had used his hand and a penalty was awarded. FERGUSON made no mistake with the spot kick as he fired home a well struck rising drive into the roof of the net.

Latics struck back and the equaliser that arrived on the half hour was almost inevitable. In the build up to the goal Richards, who was struggling at centre-half, misdirected a header and it almost resulted in an own goal. The neat Wigan passing that led up to the goal saw Roberts totally wrong-footed and the spread-eagled defender could only watch as the former York City striker MCCABE fired home past a helpless keeper. Wigan continued to have the better of the exchanges but there were no further goals before the break.

Half Time; Chester Reserves 1-1 Wigan Athletic.

The second half was punctuated with a series of fouls, free-kicks and injuries as the match took on a more physical nature. McCabe made a darting run forward into the Chester box only to be checked by two defenders who roughly sandwiched the forward. The referee felt the challenge to be too robust and awarded the second penalty of the game. Murphy stepped up but his shot was saved and then smothered by the Chester keeper. Murphy in an attempt to redeem himself challenged the keeper and in the melee the keeper sustained a bad head injury that left him dazed for some few minutes. Burke did recover enough to continue, but he still appeared dazed and adversely affected by the incident. Chester grabbed the lead again half way through the second half, when ARMES, who had adopted a more roving role in attack, found space, and fired home a well struck shot. Wigan regrouped and again pushed for an equaliser and it was no more than they deserved when MCCABE burst forward past a weak challenge by Salter, to outpace three pursuing defenders and place an accurate shot past Burke and into the corner of the net.

Wigan could, and should, of had a second penalty when Chambers went on a forceful run that was brought to an abrupt end by what appeared to be a foul, but was adjudged to be a fair tackle.

Burke and O’Dell both picked up injuries as both sides pushed hard for a winning goal, but whilst the end-to-end nature of the final minutes was exciting it lacked real quality and neither side was able to add to the score.

Full Time; Chester Reserves   2-2   Wigan Athletic.

Attendance; 2,000

Scorers; Ferguson (15 pen), Armes (67); McCabe (30), (80);

Team; WIGAN-- Abbott; Jones, Callachan; Wake, Spencer, O’Dell; Chambers, Smith, McCabe, Henderson, Murphy;  

CHESTER—Burke; Salter, Parker; Ferguson, Richards, Bell; Armes, Stevenson, Roscoe, Butler, Hedley;

Referee; W H Dodd (Birkenhead)

The tie would be replayed at Springfield Park at a date to be agreed.

Sammy Armes, who was a goal-scorer for Chester in this tie would go on to represent the Latics, with distinction, in the 1934-35 season.