Report by SJG

CHESHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs CHESTER RESERVES

 16^th December 1933

WIGAN BEAT CHESTER AND THE FOG, BUT BOTH WERE CLOSE CALLS.

Latics were unchanged for their clash with Chester Reserves while the visitors named a strong starting XI which included five players with substantial first team experience. Ex-Tottenham Hotspur centre-half Skitt made a rare appearance in the heart of the Chester defence.

The referee who had been appointed to be in-charge of proceedings was late arriving at the ground after Fog had caused his journey from Northwich to be delayed and only a mad dash in a taxi allowed him to arrive during the first half and take over from the linesman who had stepped into the breach. Wigan director Mr. Arthur Roberts had filled in and ran the line.

The ground was shrouded in a thick blanket of fog at kick off time and there is little doubt that the conditions deterred many from attending what, on paper, looked to be an attractive match-up.

Both sides relied on the direct approach with a succession of long balls being the order of the day rather than a more considered build up. Burke in the Chester goal and Freeman at right full back displayed their undoubted pedigree as they repelled a succession of Wigan attacks.

Latics went close on 15 minutes when Kavanagh and Snaith combined well to create space and when the ball was fed in to Felton his low drive forced Burke into a diving, sprawling save as he pushed the ball against the foot of his post before reacting quickly to clear the danger as the ball rolled along the goal-line. Five minutes later saw Cowper and Jones combining but again they were thwarted as Burke fly-kicked the ball away from the danger zone.

The Chester forward line was offering little by way of attacking threat and when Latics wingman Scott beat his full back and crossed Jones directed a header goalwards, only for Burke to again show ‘good hands’ and collect well.

Caunce was called into action on the half hour mark when Peters fired in a testing shot after a cross by J. Davies had picked out his forward surge.

On 35 minutes the designated referee, Mr Carter arrived on the field to take over the refereeing duties and his first duty was to adjudicate on a strong challenge that saw the Chester right back, Jones, escorted from the field with a damaged shoulder.

Wigan pushed hard to try and make their greater numbers count but Felton and Jones both saw efforts saved as the visitors made it to half time with their clean sheet intact.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 0-0 Chester Reserves.

The second half saw Jones return to the game with a heavily strapped shoulder and the match resumed its familiar pattern with Latics dominant. The fog was closing in quickly now and the spectators would have been hard pressed to see more than occasional glimpses of the action.

Felton, who had been lively throughout the first period tried his luck with an adventurous lob shot from distance and many in the ground thought that he had scored but Burke was again ‘up to the challenge’ and defused the situation despite an unfriendly bounce off the Springfield Park pitch. Wigan continued to press and an effort by Jones looked to have broken the deadlock but his flighted shot bounced clear off the crossbar with Burke, for once, beaten.

Chester seemed to take heart from that piece of good fortune and had a spell of attacking that nearly saw them claim an undeserved lead. G. Davies flashed a low drive from his berth on the wing and the effort flew across the face of the home goal with neither defender or attacker able to get a vital touch.

Wigan surged forward again and O’Dell saw his dipping shot from distance tipped over by Burke, then with 16 minutes left on the clock Scott squared the ball across to SNAITH and his well-struck shot finally beat Burke and found the visitor’s net.

The big concern now was the fog which rolled in, and as the light began to fade the game was clearly in danger of being abandoned. However, the crowd’s fears proved to be unfounded and the points were safely bagged.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 Chester Reserves.

Scorers; Snaith (74);

Attendance; 3,000

Team; WIGAN---Caunce; Robinson, Talbot; Kavanagh, Robson, O’Dell; Cowper, Felton, Jones, Snaith, Scott;

CHESTER RESERVES--- Burke; Jones, Freeman; Morris, Skitt, Bell; G. Davies, Peters, Vaughan, Kelly, J. Davies;

Referee; Mr. A. G. Carter (Northwich).

The two points lifted Wigan up to second place in the table and they now sit just behind Macclesfield on goal average with 24 points. Hurst, Witton Albion and Stockport County reserves also have accumulated 24 points but have all played more games than the top two sides.