Report by SJG

CHESHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE

WIGAN ATHLETIC   vs   CREWE ALEX. RESERVES

13^TH SEPTEMBER 1932

HOME SIDE DOMINATE GOALLESS GAME.

Latics returned to Springfield Park, hoping to build on their away success at Nantwich by gaining further points against Crewe Alexandria Reserves. The weather was dull and threatening, but the rain held off until just before half time. Due to damaging his ligaments in his foot Charlie Spencer was still unable to return to the starting XI. Crewe turned out in an all-white kit and featured in their forward line, Valentine, who had played for Wigan Borough and Southport.

Wigan struggled to show the attacking fluency that had been a feature of many of the other games. McCabe was often isolated in attack and there was a tendency for his fellow attackers to sit too deep. Crewe, for their part, looked to play on the break. However, they struggled to establish any progressive passing and as a result Wigan dominated long periods of the game. Murphy was the stand-out performer on this Wednesday evening. Callachan performed well in defence and McCabe worked hard in attack.

The home side played some attractive football, and probably deserved more than a share of the points on offer. The one compensation for the Wigan committee was the crowd of 8,000, which yielded income of around £200.

Crewe won the toss, but Wigan started the more positive of the two teams, and within a few minutes they had forced a couple of corner kicks, but these were well defended. Both sides adopted a patient passing approach, but the final passes were often inaccurate. The biggest threat came down the left wing with the pace and trickery of Murphy to the fore. One early foray saw Murphy crossing for McCabe, who was able to evade bot Turner and Thornley but his shot was charged down by the on-rushing Foster, who reacted quickly to grab the ball.

A Crewe counter-attack caused saw a cross ball landing just outside the Latics penalty area. Swindells and Jones challenged for the ball and the referee awarded the visitors a free kick in a dangerous area. The driven shot was well blocked and Jones was able to clear the ball. Next, O’Dell unleashed a shot that struck the Crewe upright, and then Foster gave away an indirect free-kick, when he was adjudged to have carried the ball. The free-kick saw the low shot being cleared from the line by Morris. Both sides were guilty of being careless with final crucial pass and a number of attacks failed to trouble the goals as wayward passes cost any chance of better opportunities. A wayward pass by Smith failed to find Hughes and on the counter attack Rosson was able to fire in a dipping shot that Abbott had to fist over the bar. Abbott then was called into action again as he dived to make a good save from Mather. Crewe had a lucky escape when O’Dell and Murphy carved an opportunity for McCabe who hit a vicious shot that Foster, the Crewe keeper, instinctively blocked by raising his hands in self-defence, the shot looped high in the air and landed on the roof of the net. Two further shots, one by McCabe, one by Walsh, were both well handled by the respective keepers.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 0-0   Crewe Alex Reserves.

The half-time interval was cut short, in order that the game could be finished before the light failed on what was now a grey and wet Autumnal day. Henderson made an early forward burst but he was buffeted in the act of shooting and his effort lacked the necessary power and direction. Murphy set off on a mazy run that saw him drifting past his markers, but his final shot was from an acute angle and Foster, who had positioned himself well, was able to fist the shot away. Crewe responded when Mather cut inside and fired in an effort that forced Abbott into a save.

Latics were now controlling the game and McCabe sent in a swerving shot that extended Foster as he turned the effort round the post. The corner was delivered into the box and Latics had three shots in quick succession, but Henderson, Allon and McCabe saw their efforts blocked. A long raking through ball by Smith almost saw the deadlock broken as McCabe and Hughes latched onto the chance, but a corner was all that matured. A Wigan goal, at this stage, seemed all but inevitable as the Crewe defence visibly wilted under the pressure. Another pacy attack by Murphy saw him fir in a shot that was smothered on the goal line by Foster. The Wigan forwards jostled to try and force the ball home but Foster held tight to the ball and forced it to safety.

The spasmodic Crewe counter attacks saw Jones misjudge a cross and Valentine ghosted in to direct a header that thudded against the Latics crossbar, then in a subsequent raid Valentine fell in the penalty area and appealed loudly for a spot-kick.  The referee, however, waved play-on. Then as full time approached Latics almost scored a freak goal when Hughes delivered an in-swinging corner that had Foster, in goal, back-pedalling, but the keeper, at full stretch, was just able to divert the danger.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 0-0   Crewe Alex Reserves.

Attendance; 8,000

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

CREWE ALEX—Foster; Thornley, Hill; Rossen, Turner, Morris; Gillespie, Valentine, Swindells, Walsh, Mather;

Referee; D. McCarthy (Northwich)