Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

 9^th October 1979

BROWN RETURNS FROM INJURY AS LATICS CRUSHED.

Latics slid further down the league table after being well beaten by a Town side that now sits proudly at the top of the table.

Wigan welcomed back first choice keeper, John Brown, to the starting XI and new signing Colin Methven was named as the substitute.

Wigan did play some tidy football in the first half and perhaps were unlucky to trail by two goals at the break, but a series of defensive errors were clinically punished by the home side who ran out comfortable winners.

On 25 minutes the Yorkshire outfit took the lead when Robinson floated a cross into the Wigan box and STANTON, who had lost his marker, was left in space to head powerfully past Brown.

Latics did not learn their lesson and barely five minutes later the same player ghosted into space and should have doubled the score but his shot struck a post and bounced safely into the Wigan keeper’s hands.

On 37 minutes more poor defensive work by the Wigan back four allowed a deep cross by Laverick to reach FLETCHER who bundled the ball home despite Browns desperate last-ditch efforts to save.

Latics mustered a couple of shots before the break with Houghton and Moore working hard but Huddersfield had now taken a vice like grip on the game and their domination of midfield offered little hope of a Latics fight-back.

Half Time; Huddersfield Town 2-0 Wigan Athletic.

The second half started in similar fashion with the home side dominant. Manager McNeill pushed Gore into midfield and brought on Methven for the ineffective Derek Brownbill.

The additional body in midfield did little to stem the flow and on 65 minutes COWLING let fly with a fierce low drive from fully 25 yards that whistled past the unsighted Brown.

Sutton and Stanton both missed golden chances to add to the home sides advantage, while Houghton went close for Latics with a glancing header.

Then in the 83^rd minute Town added a fourth goal when Brown crossed deep into the box and FLETCHER got in-front of his marker to slot home.

Methven, on debut, looked off the pace but any real assessment of the new man would be unfair as he joined the game with the home side in full flow.

The Latics fans who made the trip over the Pennines were left wondering where the next points would come from, as after two consecutive heavy defeats it certainly looks that Wigan may face a long battle to avoid dropping into the re-election zone.

Full time; Huddersfield Town 4-0 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Stanton (25), Fletcher (37), (83), Cowling (66);

Attendance; 7,871

Team; WIGAN—Brown; Gore, Hinnigan, Davids, Fretwell; Urquhart, Wright, Corrigan, Houghton; Brownbill, Moore; SUB; -- Methven (for Brownbill)

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN--- Starling; Brown, Robinson, Sutton, Hanvey; Stanton, Laverick, Hart, Cowling; Fletcher, Robins; SUB; -- Holmes (for Hart)

Referee; Mr. A. Saunders (Newcastle).