Match Report: Wigan Athletic 2-1 Fleetwood Town

Changes had to be made and with the news ahead of kick off that that both Will Griggs and Craig Davies were out for the game meant our attacking options were massively limited. It meant that Jordy Hiwula was given the chance to start up front for the club and that Jordan Flores would also make the starting line up for his league debut.

Even in amongst all the changes Wigan Athletic looked like a side in motion. The ball was flowing around the team and some of the attacking interchanges was allowing our attacking due in Michael Jacob and Hiwula to find space and get shots off. None of which though were causing the Fleetwood keeper much problems though.

The momentum was building though and you felt that we needed to get a goal whilst we were on top in the game. We couldn’t allow the game to go to half time and Fleetwood come out and have a better second half.

With ten minutes of the first half to go, Wigan would get their goal and it would be from the young local lad Jordan Flores. The midfielder getting into the box was able to watch onto a looping ball, which had been blocked from a Jacobs’s effort. Flores though expertly volleyed the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0 and to send the ground it rapturous applause for, as the chants cried out, one of our own.

That took us to half time with Wigan deserving their lead. Could build on that going into the second period?

Within a few minutes of the restart the game would be at 2-0 with Micheal Jacob slotting the ball into the back of the net from the inside of the box. The goal came from some great attacking work down the Wigan left. Recce James working hard to beat his man and slip round the corner, leaving him in space to pick a pass to Jacobs.

Following going 2-0 Wigan took their foot of the gas peddle. Fleetwood substitutions changed the shape and nature of the game and allowed them to get more of a foothold going forward. The pressure that Fleetwood were building told and a daft free kick 20 yards out was given away to them.

The free kick was smashed at the wall and the ball bounced kindly to the feet of Fleetwood player Tyler Hornby-Forbes, who from eight yards out had the simplest of chances to beat our goalkeeper. That was the first goal conceded by Wigan Athletic at home this season.

At this point you were praying there wouldn’t be a second.

Yet Wigan held onto all three points and a 2-1 win. That was despite David Ball hitting the post late on, in the weird six extra minutes of play added on by the officials. Whilst Samni Odelusi and Jordi Hiwula could have scored at the other end of the pitch. Hiwula’s goal bound effort was blocked by our own Tim Chow, whilst Odelusi was through on goal only for his strike to go out for a throwing.

We got the win though, and Wigan Athletic remain in touch with the team around the top.