Report by SJG

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs HALIFAX TOWN

18^TH October 1978

ANOTHER WIN - BUT STILL NO GOALS FROM OUR STRIKERS.

Wigan were presented with a great chance to record back-to-back League wins and start to climb up the table. Halifax are rock-bottom and low on confidence, and they travelled to Springfield Park with only one point from the possible twelve on their travels.

It certainly all started well when on six minutes Joe HINNIGAN latched onto a poor clearance following a Jeff Wright corner and unleashed a pile-driver that left Leonard in the Halifax goal grasping at thin air as it flew into the net.

Halifax had arrived at the ground with a game plan based on sturdy defence and they clearly hoped to frustrate Wigans goal shy attack. The master plan was not amended once the opening goal was scored and it took 30 minutes for the visitors to register an effort on goal. The play was bogged down in the middle of the park and there was no sign of Wigans forwards getting onto the goalscoring charts.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 Halifax Town.

The second half finally saw Halifax pushing forward a little more as they searched for a leveller, but they rarely tested Brown in the Wigan goal and it was Latics who had the best opportunities with Ward heading narrowly over from a corner, then Moore again fluffed his lines when he was well placed to score. The game was niggly and too frequently punctuated by misplaced passes and stoppages in play.

There were a number of positives for Wigan fans, the defence looks to be working well as a unit with new boy Fretwell settling in well as the cultured ball playing foil to Noel Wards more aggressive game. The game also saw the return to action of Peter Houghton, his goals have been sorely missed.

At the final whistle Wigan had bagged two more points, but it was hardly promotion form and the fans were a disgruntled bunch as they headed home.

The next game would be a real test of the team’s new spirit and cohesion. Barnsley were very much in-form and were sitting in fourth position in the League. The team under the experienced player-manager Alan Clarke and likely to be roared on at a big crowd at Oakwell, would certainly be a challenge for the League’s newest members.

Latics had now climbed up to 16^th place but one more point could see them climb as high as ninth.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 Halifax Town.

Attendance; 5,216

Scorers; Hinnigan (6);

Team; WIGAN—Brown; Smart, Fretwell, Ward, Hinnigan; Corrigan, Wright, Gore, Purdie; Brownbill, Moore; Sub; Houghton (for Moore);

HALIFAX—Leonard; Hutt, Loska, Burke, Dunleavy; Smith, Firth, Carroll, Johnson; Bullock, Lawson; Unused Sub; Bell;

Referee; Mr. D. W. Lloyd (Worcester)