Report by SJG

FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs TRANMERE ROVERS

SECOND LEG

 16^TH August 1978

A HARD-FOUGHT TUSSLE

The Football League new boys celebrated their election with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Tranmere, to march onto the second round of the competition.

Tranmere’s disappointing history in the competition continued as they created a number of decent chances but failed to capitalise on them.

But the night belonged to Athletic---and in particular, Frank ‘Kempes’ Corrigan, the former steel erector, who scaled the heights by sounding the death knell for Rovers, with two superb goals.

The sides were level at 1-1 after 81 minutes when Corrigan latched onto the ball on the left at the edge of the box. The midfield man, bought last season from Northwich Victoria for £1,500, swivelled sharply and drove a low shot past the stunned Johnson in the Tranmere goals.

The home crowd responded to the goal with

a full-throated roar that continued through to the final whistle. Wigan manager Ian McNeill certainly savoured the goal, describing it as worthy of Mario Kempes, the Argentine World Cup winning striker.

Tranmere, of the third division, had looked like spoiling the party and they silenced the largest part of the impressive 8,512 crowd when O’NEIL netted from the spot after Gore had brought down McAuley in the 39^th minute. Three minutes later and Latics had drawn level, Gore sent over a beautiful cross from the right that CORRIGAN neatly chested down before side-footing home.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 Tranmere Rovers.

Both sides had produced some thoughtful, neat football but it was Athletic who grabbed the game by the throat after the interval. Clive Evans did have a shot blocked by one of his own team-mates and a header by O’Neil was saved by Brown as Tranmere sought for that winning goal, but Wigan survived and Purdie tried a curling shot that passed just wide of the post from a free-kick that was awarded for a foul by Palios on John Wilkie near the edge of the box. In the 72^nd minute Rovers brought on striker Kerr to supplement the attack and took off the defender Palios, but eight minutes later it was CORRIGAN that struck to claim the decisive goal. In the dying minutes Evans tried his luck with a shot from the edge of the Wigan box but Brown had positioned himself well and saved with ease.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 2-1 Tranmere Rovers.

Attendance; 8,512

Scorers; O’Neil (39, pen); Corrigan (42), (81);

Team; WIGAN—Brown; Gore, Hinnigan, Davids, Gillibrand; Corrigan, Wright, Crompton, Purdie; Wilkie, Houghton; Sub not used; Gay;

TRANMERE ROVERS—Johnson; Mathias, Flood, Postlethwaite, Palios; O’Neill, Peplow, Craven, Evans; Moore, McAuley; Sub; Kerr (for Palios);

Referee; Mr. C.L. Newsome (Broseley);

With a 3-2 aggregate win in the record books, Latics eagerly awaited the next round where they were drawn to play against second division side, Luton Town.