Report by SJG

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR

HALIFAX TOWN vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

16^th December 1978

A WELL-EARNED WIN FOR INJURY HIT LATICS.

The Wigan fans travelled in good numbers and boosted the home attendance so that Halifax recorded their best crowd of the season. 

The Halifax forward line was led by a young 22-year-old called Bobby Campbell (who would feature for Wigan in future seasons), and Campbell saw an early effort scrambled off the line by Kevin Smart after a nervous Mark Grew fumbled a high ball from a Smith free-kick.

Halifax continued to press and Latics had to be thankful that Tommy Gore was well positioned and was able to clear another corner off the goal-line.

Wigan survived the early scares and gradually came into the game and on 18 minutes MOORE sprinted past two defenders before firing home from an acute angle.

Wigan should have had a second a few minutes later but Brownbill contrived to miss the opportunity.

Halifax seemed to take heart from the miss and Smith unleashed a 25-yard effort that was denied by a magnificent diving save from Grew.

Wigan responded and Hinnigan forced Leonard in the Halifax goal to produce his own piece of excellence. The keeper, however, had no chance just before the break when a deep cross by Brownbill on the right found PURDIE arriving late in the box and the Scots wing-man directed his header into the net.

Half Time; Halifax Town 0-2 Wigan Athletic.

The second half saw Carroll replace Campbell but Davids marked the new man closely and it was not long before Latics re-established a degree of control.

Gore netted in the 55^th minute but the referee ruled the effort out, then a few minutes later Moore fired over the bar from 12 yards with the goal gaping.

In the 80^th minute Joe CARROLL pulled a goal back for the hosts and this set up a frantic finish as Halifax subjected the Wigan back-line to a bombardment. The Wigan defence stood firm and Grew came out of the game with his reputation enhanced following a fine personal performance.

It had been a tough week for McNeil but the performance of his new stand-in keeper meant that he ended the week with a smile on his face, as he joked with reporters that he would sleep well tonight.

Full Time; Halifax Town 1-2 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Carroll (80); Moore (18), Purdie (44);

Attendance; 2,437

Team; WIGAN (4-4-2)—Grew; Smart, Fretwell, Davids, Hinnigan; Corrigan, Wright, Gore, Purdie; Brownbill, Moore; Sub not used; Crompton

HALIFAX TOWN (4-4-2) —Leonard; Hutt, Loska, Sidebottom, Dunleavy; Smith, Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson; Campbell, Mountford; Sub; Carroll (for Campbell);

Referee; Mr G. Courtney (Spennymoor).