Report by SJG

FRIENDLY

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs TULSA ROUGHNECKS

17^th October 1979

A FESTIVAL OF GOALS.

Wigan played hosts to a Tulsa side that plied their trade in the North American soccer league. On a very wet evening a decent crowd of just under 1,500 turned out to see a Wigan side that comprised a mix of trialists, reserves and senior players share seven goals and spurn a number of other good scoring opportunities.

Tulsa included ex-Leicester City man Keith Weller in their line up and coped well with the early exchanges but on 18 minutes Houghton broke into space and when his goal-bound effort deflected off a defender it fell to Tony QUINN who stroked the ball home.

Latics should have been out of sight by the break but good goalkeeping and profligate finishing (by Crompton in particular) meant that the lead was not extended.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 Tulsa Roughnecks.

Wigan extended their lead shortly after the restart when HOUGHTON timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap before rounding the keeper to score.

Poor marking on 53 minutes allowed SAUTTER space in the box and he fired low past youngster Alan Harrison to reduce the deficit.

Latics quickly took back control and after a period of sustained pressure they again found the net but this time it was courtesy of a Tulsa defender as HUBER, under pressure from Quinn and Houghton overhit a back pass and the stranded keeper could only watch as the ball nestled in his goal.

On 76 minutes the lead was extended further when WRIGHT produced an exquisite lob from fully 25 yards that floated over the keeper before dropping into the goal.

Wigan visibly relaxed and Tulsa, who were always neat and tidy on the ball, took the opportunity to grab a brace of consolation goals. Earle produced a precise cross from the flank that found the head of WEBB and his downward header found the Latics net, then two minutes later EARLE produced a neat chip that caught Harrison off his line.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 4-3 Tulsa Roughnecks.

Scorers; Quinn (18), Houghton (49), Huber (OG, 74); Wright (76); Sautter (53), Webb (81), Earle (83);

Attendance; 1,478

Team; WIGAN—Cassidy; Buckley, Davids, Methven, Fretwell; Gore, Urquhart, Corrigan, Houghton; Crompton, A. Quinn; SUBS; -- Harrison (for Cassidy), Jones (for Fretwell), Wright (for Gore), Smart (for Buckley);

TULSA ROUGHNECKS---Ochcarauk; Astigarraga, Gibbs, Weller, Cohen; Danaifard, DuChateau, Earle, Gazonas, Huber, Hughes; SUBS; -- Brand, Skotarek (for Huber), Ord (for Cohen), Villa (for Gibbs), Sautter (for Danaifard);

Referee; Mr Don Shaw (Sandbach)