Report by SJG

FRIENDLY

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs STIRLING ALBION

3^rd August 1970

SCOTS FLOP AS TEMPLE ENJOYS A FINE DEBUT.

Stirling Albion travelled South for a pre-season tour but found a Wigan side, enhanced by new signings Temple (ex-Everton) and Davies (ex-Northwich) far too hot to handle and Wigan raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half hour.

DAVIES opened the scoring with a picture book headed goal that would be the goal of the game. Wigan doubled the lead when Jim Fleming put CORRIGAN under heavy pressure and the unfortunate defender looped the ball over his own stranded keeper. Fleming cheekily tried to claim the goal but the defender’s demeanour barely concealed the truth.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 3-0 Stirling Albion.

The second half witnessed something of a fight back by the visitors as goals early in the half by HUGHES and DUFFIN (a penalty) threatened to turn the game on its head. However, Latics soon dispelled any doubts and drew clear with further goals from SAVAGE and FLEMING in the final quarter of an hour, to complete a five-star performance.

The wobble at the start of the second period coincided with Coutts leaving the field following a knock, and Ian Ledgard filled in, somewhat uncomfortably, at centre-half.  Ledgard was not helped as Gillibrand was also nursing a knock and the Scottish side took full advantage of the opportunity this afforded.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 5-2 Stirling Albion.

Scorers; Davies (14), Corrigan (18, OG) Temple (28), Savage (75), Fleming (83); Hughes (52), Duffin (53, pen)

Attendance; 3,086

Team; WIGAN---Reeves; Morris, Sutherland, Coutts, Milne; Gillibrand, Breen, Todd, Temple, Davies, Fleming; Sub; --- Ledgard (for Coutts), Savage (for Gillibrand);

STIRLING ALBION---Young; Grant, Smith, Henderson, Corrigan; Chapman, McPhee, Inglis, Hughes, Carr, Dowds; Sub; --- Logan, Duffin, Christie;

Referee; Mr. M. D. McDonald (Wigan).