Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

CRAWLEY TOWN vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

18^th February 2025

TWO POINTS DROPPED BY WASTEFUL TICS

Wigan Athletic had to settle for a point after a 1-1 draw with Crawley Town on the occasion of their first ever visit to the Broadfield Stadium despite having two Dale Taylor second half goals ruled out as well as hitting the post.

Maloney made five changes from our last league outing against Stockport County. Will Aimson, Ollie Norburn, and Joe Hungbo returned to the starting line-up, while Owen Dale and Darcy were handed their first Latics starts. James Carragher missed out through illness, whilst Will Goodwin was unfortunately ruled out with an injury he picked up in training that is likely to rule him out for a number of weeks.

Dale was looking sharp in the early stages and when his left-sided cross was kept alive by Joe Hungbo at the far post the hosts had to scramble to clear their lines before Taylor could pounce inside the six-yard box.

At the other end Hepburn-Murphy fired at Sam Tickle who got a hand to his shot which took the sting out of his effort and Latics were able to clear the danger.

Hungbo, like Dale, was getting the better of his full back and he cut in from the right and tested the keeper with a fizzing low effort.

Harry Forster then went for goal from the edge of the box and the ball so nearly fell into the feet of Hepburn-Murphy before at the right end, Taylor glanced a header wide in a first half full of efforts at goal.

Hungbo again got the better of his full back and drilled another effort at goal which Joe Wollacott, in the home goal was equal to at his near post.

Latics continued to have the better of the play but the breakthrough would not come, despite a string of corner kicks.

Latics finally went ahead in deserved fashion six minutes before the break as Dale and former Crawley Town man Ronan Darcy linked up brilliantly down the left, and the latter floated a wonderful ball to TAYLOR whose downward header at the back post squirmed past the desperate efforts of Wollacott as he tried to stop the ball crossing the line.

The lead, however, did not last long as BARKER rifled in a first time shot from the edge of the box which flew over Tickle and into the top corner.

Tickle then saved Kamari Doyle’s curling free-kick in added time at the end of the first half as the teams headed in all square.

Half Time; Crawley Town 1-1 Wigan Athletic.

Taylor thought he had doubled his and Latics tally four minutes into the second half, but his header following an Aimson cross from the right hit the post and bounced agonisingly wide. At the opposite end a cross from the right finds Forster who headed just wide of the near post. Taylor thought he had found his second on the hour mark, but he was flagged for offside at the back post as he tapped home Toby Sibbick’s wayward cross shot.

Doyle then produced a driving forward run on the counter attack, but Tickle was equal to his shot, saving down low.

Substitute, Jonny Smith, thought he had scored, via a deflection, but the ball drifted narrowly wide. He then tried his luck from distance, but again his shot was just off-target.

Latics threw everything at Crawley in the second half and Taylor had another goal chalked off for offside deep in added time as he diverted in Callum McManaman's shot. Latics continued to press with shots and corner kicks mounting but they failed to find the vital goal and somehow the points were shared.

Full Time; Crawley Town 1-1 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Taylor (39); Barker (42);

Attendance; 3,733

Teams; WIGAN— (4-1-4-1) Tickle; Sibbick, Aimson, Kerr, Mellish; Norburn; Darcy, Weir, Dale, Hungbo; Taylor; Subs: --- Watson, Adeeko (for Weir), Sessegnon, J. Smith (for Hungbo), McManaman (for Dale), S. Smith (for Norburn), Asamoah;

CRAWLEY TOWN-- (3-5-1-1) Wollacott; Radcliffe, Conroy, Barker; Fraser, Camara, Anderson, Doyle, Forster; Hepburn-Murphy; Showunmi; Subs: --- Adeyemo (for Doyle), Feely, Holohan (for Camara), John-Jules (for Showunmi), Quitirna (for Anderson), Swan (for Hepburn-Murphy);

Referee; Mr. Richard Eley (Derby).