MCFC Reserves and Academy

Wigan Play Their Part

MCFC Reserves 3 - 2 WAFC Reserves

Wigan Athletic and City played out an entertaining game last night at the Athletics arena with City just edging the final result thanks to goals by Ashley Grimes, Greg Cunningham and Karl Moore.

Wigan took the lead on twenty minutes when Garry Breen had fouled a Wigan player about twenty five yards from goal. Matthew Hampson then struck a great direct free kick past a decent City wall that beat the dive of Richard Martin.

Just over the half hour mark City scored a deserved equalizer with a good multiple passing move that ended in good neat control from Moore and Mouritsen before slipping the ball into the path of Grimes who kept his shot down and past Neil Postlethwaite in the Wigan goal.

Seven minutes after the break, Cunningham could not finish a rebound of the bar from a Paul Marshall free kick; he was able to make amends however a minute later when good work by Sam Williamson and Moore down the left allowed Moore to cut back in and deliver a good cross that Cunningham headed inch perfect into the top corner of the goal.

Both teams attacked with regularity and Wigan were forced to scramble the ball off the line at one point and Martin pulled a fine save from Hampson again as it was heading for the far corner.

City doubled their lead half an hour into the second half when a quickly taken throw in was flicked on by Grimes into the path of Moore who surged forward and fired from just outside the area and although Postlethwaite got a hand to it he could not prevent it from going in.

Wigan made it a slightly nervy couple of minutes as they scored their second direct free kick from about twenty five yards after a Clayton McDonald foul. This time it was Tomasz Cywka who struck the fine effort directly into the City goal as Hampson had been substituted three minutes earlier.

This result leaves City with a realistic chance of finishing runners up in the league if they gain four points from their last three games and they do not lose to Sunderland. Which will not be too bad considering that the players they have played for the majority of the season are likely to sever their association with City at the end of the season.

City: Martin(GK), M Daly, Williamson(Capt.), Breen, McDonald, Mouritsen, Clayton, Grimes, Cunningham(Redshaw 64), Marshall, Moore.

Subs: Johansen(GK), Cieslewicz, Brown, Morris.


Wigan: Posthlethwaite(GK), Moore, Mustoe, Routledge, Meace, Kirkbride, Hampson(McManaman 87), Holt(Prince 67), McCaughtrie, Cywka, Kupisz.

Subs: Porter(GK), McArdle, King.


Att: 201.