Report by SJG

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR

HARTLEPOOL UNITED vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

3^rd April 1979

A POINT DROPPED AS LATICS LOSE GROUND IN PROMOTION RACE.

Latics manager Ian McNeill has set a target of 58 points to achieve promotion, and while that may be a little optimistic he must surely have been hoping for two points from his trip to the North East to play a Hartlepool side that was struggling in 19^th place in the table.

Hartlepool came into the game with a weakened side with four players ruled out through injury and a further three suspended.

Latics got the ideal start when after just three minutes HOUGHTON played a neat one-two with Moore before racing clear and finishing clinically past Richardson in the Pool goal. Minutes later and Houghton again got clear but he chose to try and round the keeper and with the angle becoming tighter his shot was scrambled clear by recovering defenders. Corrigan then had a good chance to double the lead but his shot was straight at the keeper who collected safely. Wigan were in full control of proceedings with Moore and Purdie both spurning good chances.

Half Time; Hartlepool United 0-1 Wigan Athletic

Latics had been dominating the game but that all changed in the 62^nd minute when Keith HOUCHEN saw his speculative shot take a deflection off the unfortunate Smart and the wrong-footed Brown was unable to recover to make the save.

The goal seemed to inspire the home side and they created further chances with Linacre, Larkin and Houchen all failing to add to the Hartlepool tally.

Latics weathered the storm and in the dying minutes they thought that they had claimed both points as following a Purdie corner Moore netted from close-range, only for the referee to rule out the effort for pushing.

Full Time; Hartlepool United 1-1 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Houghton (3); Houchen (62);

Attendance; 2,128

Team; WIGAN (4-4-2)—Brown; Curtis, Smart, Fretwell, Ward; Corrigan, Wright, Gore, Purdie; Houghton, Moore; Sub not used; Davids;

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2) — Richardson; Smith, Gorry, Harding, Goldthorpe; Ayre, Linacre, Larkin, Loadwick; Houchen, Crumplin; Sub; Lawrence for Larkin;

Referee; Mr. Keith Hackett (Sheffield).

Latics currently sit in fourth spot and if things remained like that they would grab the final promotion berth. Barnsley and Wimbledon both have games in hand and Newport County, who currently sit in seventh spot are in a strong run of form.

Next up for Wigan is a long trip to the south coast to take on Torquay United (Currently ninth in the table).