Wigan Athletic 3-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Wigan return to the Championship with a win over Sheffield Wednesday
Both sides were coming into this fixture on the back of two polar opposite seasons. Wigan were still in high spirits after winning League One. Where as Wednesday had a terrible injury hit season and finished 15th in the Championship.
The first major opportunity fell to the host’s. Robinson’s cross from the left was tamely headed out by van Aken only to James whose thunderous strike was bravely blocked by Barry Bannan who threw himself in front of the shot.
Wigan Athletic took the lead just after ten minutes had passed. Antonee Robinson burst down the left flank, with his run beginning from his own box, and the full-back beat Tom Lees to the byline to swing in a ball where van Aken again poorly headed the ball away to the edge of the area. Michael Jacobs dummied a shot before rifling his effort past Dawson via a deflection.
Wednesday were back on level terms twenty minutes in. Forestieri slipped Adam Reach down the left and the winger crossed towards the middle. The cross was misjudged by Cedric Kipre which allowed Atdhe Nuhiu to chest it down and take two bites of the cherry before bundling the ball into the back of the net.
Moments later, the Latics went back ahead. James slid Gavin Massey down the right. Massey swung a ball into the box where van Aken flicked it on towards the back post. This meant Will Griggs intended volley turned into a perfect assist for Jacobs to hammer home his second.
Jacobs almost got his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time. Nick Powell teed up Jacobs who, from twenty-five yards out, curled a shot that cannoned off the crossbar.
The start of the second half summed up the Wednesday defence as the ball was passed back to van Aken who subsequently sliced the ball out of play.
Five minutes after the restart, Gavin Massey broke fast towards goal and managed to wrong foot Pudil before seeing his attempt palmed away by Cameron Dawson.
Wednesday’s first chance of the second period came in the fifty-sixth minute. Bannan wriggled free of his marker and curled an excellent ball towards the back stick where Nuhiu rose highest but headed well wide of the mark.
Athletic inflicted more misery on the Owls as they added a third. Wigan intercepted a sloppy Bannan pass and countered towards goal. Jacobs toyed with Lees and saw his shot parried by Dawson into the path of Nick Powell who was on hand to dink the ball over the keeper.
Three minutes after Wigan’s third, Liam Palmer won a free-kick thirty yards out. Pelupessy stepped up and crossed into the middle. The ball fell to Pudil who floated a cross back into the box where Kipre headed the ball into the path of Hutchinson whose half volley was saved by Walton.
Moments later, Wednesday pulled another goal back. Bannan played the ball out to Adam Reach who took the ball out of his feet and crossed the ball into the middle for Lucas Joao to control and tap the ball over the Wigan back-line for Fernando Forestieri to chest down and poke past Christian Walton.
Wigan then had the chance to extend their lead further. Jacobs’ cross was flicked on by Grigg and then diverted onto the face of the crossbar by James Vaughan.
With ten minutes to go, Atdhe Nuhiu slotted Joao through into the penalty area. The Portuguese back-heeled the ball to Forestieri who switched it for Liam Palmer but unfortunately for the Owls, Palmer cut in and fired his left footed shot over the bar.
In the closing stages, Atdhe Nuhiu was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card for a raised arm when battling with Kipre for the header.
Wednesday were pushing for an equaliser. Bannan picked the run of Liam Palmer but the right-back fluffed his lines and Wigan were able to clear.
The final chance fell to Wednesday. Forestieri switched it to Joao who cut across his marker and teed up Reach. Reach decided to play it to Fletcher instead of a shot himself but the Scotsman fired straight at Walton, he was offside anyway.
Attendance: 14.207
Goals: Jacobs (11’, 26’), Powell (60’); Nuhiu (20’), Forestieri (67’)
Wigan Athletic: Christian Walton, Reece James, Antonee Robinson, Cheyenne Dunkley, Cedric Kipre, Sam Morsy, Gavin Massey (Callum McManaman), Darren Gibson (Max Power), Nick Powell (James Vaughan), Will Grigg
Unused Subs: Jamie Jones, Alex Bruce, Kai Naismith, Gary Roberts
Sheffield Wednesday: Cameron Dawson, Liam Palmer, Tom Lees, Joost van Aken (Lucas Joao), Daniel Pudil, Adam Reach, Sam Hutchinson, Joey Pelupessy (Steven Fletcher), Barry Bannan, Fernando Forestieri, Atdhe Nuhiu s/o 90’
Unused Subs: Joe Wildsmith, Morgan Fox, Jack Lee, Marco Matias
No comments:
Post a Comment