Report by SJG

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs YORK CITY

28^th February 1979

A POINT DROPPED AS HOUGHTON HOBBLES OFF.

Wigan looked a good bet to record their first ever ‘double’ in the Football League and in so doing close the gap with the promotion pacesetters.  York City were marooned in 19^th place and were not expected to hold up the charge of an in-form Wigan team.

Kevin Smart was serving a one game ban so Gore dropped into the right back role with Moore coming into the midfield.

Latics began brightly enough and Hinnigan had a header following a Purdie corner that was cleared off the goal-line. Houghton was busy in attack, but following a goalmouth melee the Wigan man went down with a twisted ankle, and despite resuming he was never quite the same force thereafter.

HOUGHTON did however manage to give Latics the lead after 21 minutes when he got onto a defence splitting pass from Hinnigan and slid his shot under the advancing Neenan in the York goal.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 York City.

At half-time Brownbill came on for Houghton who was clearly struggling from the earlier knock. The game became an increasingly scrappy affair, Fretwell was having a rare poor game in defence and was carrying an injury, Brownbill was struggling to make an impact in attack and gradually the Minstermen gained the ascendancy.

York had an effort that struck a post and the David Loggie the York centre forward was becoming an ever more influential figure in attack.

On 80 minutes Loggie latched onto a loose ball and lashed a drive past a stranded Brown, only for the referee to rule out the effort for a foul in the build-up.

Loggie was not to be denied on 88 minutes he found space on the left flank after a neat piece of chest control and his finish was clinical.

A section of the home crowd, who had been getting more and more frustrated with the showing vented their frustrations at the final whistle as some jeering was to be heard, much to the managers annoyance, and McNeill was not slow to berate the boo-boys in the local press.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 York City.

Scorers; Houghton (21); Loggie (88);

Attendance; 5,896

Team; WIGAN (4-4-2)—Brown; Gore, Fretwell, Ward, Hinnigan; Corrigan, Wright, Moore, Purdie; Houghton, Crompton; Sub; Brownbill (for Houghton)

YORK CITY (4-4-2) —Neenan; Kay, Walsh, Faulkner, Clements; Pugh, Ford, Randall, Staniforth; Loggie, McDonald; Sub not used; Stronach;

Referee; Mr G. J. Napthine (Loughborough).

The performance had been well below par but the team still sit sixth in the table and the reception at the end of the match was certainly harsh.

The loss of a vital point in the promotion race certainly was not welcome but results elsewhere saw both Grimsby and Barnsley also dropping points and the promotion race is still wide open.

A bigger concern for the Wigan management was the growing injury list.

Goalkeeper Colin Darcy who had signed on a month’s trial from third division Bury was released having failed to impress sufficiently in training to get a longer-term deal.

Wigans next game was scheduled to be a trip to Spotland to play lowly Rochdale, but the game was called off as the pitch was deemed to be waterlogged.

The decision was made very late in the day and hundreds of annoyed Latics fans had a wasted journey.

Wigans attention now turns to the weekend and a crunch tie against a Barnsley side managed by ex- Leeds United striker Alan Clarke.  Both sides are going well in the league and the game should attract a good crowd.

The treatment room worked hard to make the most of the extra few days and tried hard to get Fretwell and Houghton fully fit for the encounter.