Report by SJG

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs ALDERSHOT

30^th December 1978

A GREAT WIN TO END A FABULOUS YEAR FOR LATICS.

1978, was an historic year for Wigan Athletic and it was only right that such a fabulous year for the football club should end with a gem of a football match against a side that arrived in the town on the back of an impressive sixteen game unbeaten run.

The pitch was hard after heavy frosts over the Christmas period but it only served to add to the excitement. The visitors got off to the perfect start when a clearance deflected off the unlucky Hinnigan to the feet of MCGREGOR who fired home past the unsighted Grew.

The lead did not last long as five minutes later MOORE ghosted in to get on the end of a Houghton cross and steer the ball home.

The game was full of attacking intent and Aldershot had a great chance to regain the lead when Needham found himself one-on-one with Grew, but to the delight of the home fans the Aldershot number nine fluffed his lines and blasted his shot wide of the target. For Wigan Gore and Corrigan were all energy in midfield and Jeff Wright was prompting and probing with precise passing. Wigan took the lead from a corner kick, Purdie provided the precise delivery and Howitt could only divert the ball to the arriving HOUGHTON, who headed home.

The visitors were clearly rattled and Wigan pushed hard for another before the break but Johnson in the Aldershot goal proved a formidable barrier.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 2-1 Aldershot.

The fans grabbed their hot drinks to warm them up as the early evening frost started to bite, and they can barely have regained their vantage spots when HOUGHTON extended the lead.

Two consecutive corners allowed Wigan to crowd the visitors’ area and it was following a goalmouth scramble that the ex-South Liverpool striker bundled the ball home.

Aldershot were not going to lie down and they went in search of a way back into the match.

On 51 minutes Alan WOOLER pulled one back with a crisp left foot shot after he had drifted effortlessly into space and rounded Kevin Smart at right back.

There was no let-up in the drama as Aldershot continued to have the better of the exchanges.

Joe Hinnigan was called upon to clear one effort off the line and Aldershot marksman John Dungworth blasted an effort that flew only narrowly over the Wigan goal.

Latics certainly had to dig deep in those final 39 minutes but the excellence of the defensive unit has been the bed-rock on which their recent run of form has been built and there was no way through for the visitors who certainly showed enough to suggest that they will be in the final reckoning when the promotion places are decided in May.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 3-2 Aldershot.

Scorers; Moore (7), Houghton (34), (48); McGregor (2), Wooler (51);

Attendance; 7,289

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

ALDERSHOT (4-4-2) —Johnson; Howitt, Wooler, Dixon, Youlden; Jopling, Crosby, Longhorn, McGregor; Needham, Dungworth; Sub not used; Tomlin.

Referee; Mr C. N. Seel (Carlisle).

The game was the last one at Springfield Park for over a month as the worst winter for many years was about to play havoc with the fixture programme. January saw very little football played and the ‘Pools Panel’ (if you remember those gentlemen.) were working overtime.

Wigans only on-field action was an away encounter against Port Vale.