Report by SJG

CHESHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE

              CREWE ALEX. RESERVES vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

21^ST SEPTEMBER 1932

WIGAN MAKE THEIR POINT.

The grandstand at Crewe had been gutted by fire the evening before this game and the pitch was badly scorched on one side. Smith returned to the Latics starting XI to replace Henderson, in an otherwise unchanged side.

The two sides had shared a well contested goalless draw only eight days previous and a good crowd of 2,500 was in attendance with a good away following making the trip down from Wigan.

Both teams took a while to settle, and the early play was bogged down in midfield with neither side creating much by way of chances. The game sprang to life after some neat wing play by Murphy saw him slip past his marker and he fed Callachan who in turn played in McCabe, his cross found Jones on the opposite side of the area and a well-directed shot forced Foster to produce a scrambling save. Wigan had now settled and after some neat touches it was Foster who was again forced into action, this time diving to turn a Jones shot around the post. A couple of corners followed and one led to an almighty scramble in the Crewe goalmouth where McCabe and Jones both were thwarted.

Crewe took longer to get into the game, maybe the backdrop of the burned-out stand was a factor, it certainly could not have helped.  However shortly after the quarter of an hour mark Valentine nearly scored but his close- range effort deflected wide off a bemused O’Dell, who knew little about it. Crewe began to exert a degree of control in midfield and this enabled to get the better of the exchanges as the Wigan defence became stretched as it tried to repel the invaders. Mather on the Crewe left wing was using his pace to good effect and he was cutting in and causing the defence some headaches. He whipped in one particularly accurate cross that looked threatening and Abbot did well when he claimed the ball above the lurking Crewe forwards.  At this stage Abbott was by far the busier keeper, saving well from Valentine, and then showing good awareness and agility when he turned an in-swinging corner from Mather over the bar. Mather then made a break from half way, O’Dell pursued with vigour, but the tricky winger pulled the cross back leaving the Wigan man prone, Spencer racing back on the cover handled the ball which bounced to Valentine who fired home. The referee had however already blown for a penalty so Wigan were offered a reprieve. Maddock took the penalty kick and fired his effort against the outside of the post. A few minutes later Spencer was again in trouble, this time for something he said. And the referee gave the Wigan player-manager a stern ticking off. Half time was fast approaching when Murphy broke free of the midfield melee to threaten the home goal, Maddock came across to challenge and the winger was felled in the act of shooting. The referee however saw the incident as a ‘coming together’ rather than a penalty kick and restarted play with a drop ball. Play restarted, but Murphy was limping badly after the collision.

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

The physio had clearly worked some magic at half-time as within a minute of the restart Murphy was firing in a well struck shot that grazed the crossbar with the keeper beaten. Crewe then went close when a misplaced Smith header let in Walsh, but Callachan was able to snuff out the threat at the expense of a corner. Unlike the first period, the midfield battle was now being won by Wigan, but they showed a reluctance to shoot and often over-played which led to attacks breaking down. Hughes did see one shot saved and Allon who was forward following a set play had a great chance but fired his attempt over the bar. Foster, who had been exemplary nearly blotted his copybook when he spilled what looked a routine cross but he was able to recover just before McCabe made contact with the loose ball.

Crewe had a chance when Murray picked out the forward with a searching pass, but the ex- Wigan Borough man snatched as his shot and it went wide. Hughes then came as close to anyone to opening the scoring, but his shot hit the underside of the bar and in the resulting melee the defence was able to clear.

As the game entered its closing stages the light began to fail and it was in the gloom of the Cheshire evening that first O’Dell was relieved when he was adjudged not to have infringed inside his own box, then Foster was relieved when he fumbled a cross to the feet of McCabe but the strikers shot was cleared off the line by the covering Hill, then in added time it was Spencer who was relieved as he found himself heading the ball off the Wigan line while on his hands and knees. 

The two teams had now gone head-to-head for just over 180 minutes, but there were no goals to show for their efforts.

Latics had probably shaded the games, but the lack of a cool head to apply the vital finish was evident. The return of Chambers after injury could not come too soon.

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

Attendance; 2,500

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

CREWE ALEX—Foster; Maddock, Hill; Rossen, Turner, Ashworth; Murray, Hall, Valentine, Walsh, Mather;

Referee; J. Poyser (Manchester)