U18’s taste narrow defeat away at Wigan
Town Started the game on the front foot and looked to take the lead through Tyrone Ofori in the fourth minute, only for the goal to be disallowed. Town looked the better team in the first but it was Wigan who took the lead. Charlie Jolley heading home for the Latics, who took the lead into half time. In the 54th Town had a second goal disallowed despite minimal contact. The U18’s showed class to create multiple chance for the remainder of the game but it wasn’t to be, the home side winning 1-0.
Teams
Town: 1 Cam Gregory, 2 Josh Agbozo, 3 Rhys Davies (Harri Lovett 70), 4 Jack Leask, 5 Rory Huntbach, 6 Christos Shelis, 7 Aaron Gilpin (Reiss Corfield 70, 8 Kian Taylor, 9 Tyrone Ofori (Charley Higgs 57), 10 Ryan Barnett (C), 11 Lifumpa Mwandwe.
Wigan: Jordan Perrin, Anthony Plant, Tylor Golden, Emeko Obi, Will McGuffie, James Cotter, Joe Downey (C), Mitch Culshaw, Dlvin Baningime, Victor Maffeo, Charlie Jolley.
Subs: Tom Hilton, Tomas Berry, Bradley Roberts, Mwiya Malumo, Neil Monaghan.
Kick Off:
Town started the game on the front foot, an early ball forward from Davies down the left-hand side to Ofori opened the space to cross. Ofori put a dangerous ball across the box forcing a scrappy clearance from the Wigan defence.
Moments later, Town looked to take an early lead only for the goal to be disallowed. Gilpin picked up the ball outside the box before driving forward whilst holding off the challenge. He did well to slide Ofori through on goal who took his shot first time, bending it to the keepers right. The foul was given against Gilpin in the build-up.
Wigan created their first chance in the 9th minute. A well-placed cross into the middle was greeted by an equally placed header, Agbozo did well to head the ball off the line.
Town hit back instantly pressing Wigan high up the field. Jack Leask did exceptionally well to win the ball in Wigan’s half before driving to the edge. His low shot looked on target but was blocked and cleared.
Wigan created multiple chances around the 20-minute mark. A soft free kick was curled into a dangerous position forcing a strong headed clearance form Agbozo. Minutes after, Victor Maffeo broke free in the box to get onto a low cross. His shot towards the bottom corner was held by Gregory who’d reacted quickly.
In the 28th, Wigan broke down the rights with numbers in the box. Rhys Davies tracked back well though, preventing the cross in expense of a corner. Gregory did exceptional to hold the corner under heavy pressure from Emeko Obi. The centre back seemed to kick out at Cam who pushed him away after collecting the ball. Both players received a yellow card.
Wigan took the lead through Charlie Jolley in the 40th minute. A clever cross into the middle was headed past Gregory from close range at the near post.
In the final moments of the half an unfortunate slip from Agbozo lead to Wigan breaking down the left. Christos Shelis showed the experience to cover and clear the ball for a corner. Town cleared the corner with ease and looked to spring on the counter through Gilpin, who was brought down by a heavy challenge.
Half Time: Wigan 1 Town 0
Town pressed early to create the first chance of the second. Mwandwe used his pace to expose Wigan down the right before his cross into the box was cleared for a corner. Agbozo rose highest in the box to meet the corner, but couldn’t steer his header goal wards and Wigan cleared.
In the 54th minute, Town thought they had equalised only for the goal to be disallowed for a second time. Mwandwe did well to get onto a cross and find the back of the net, only for the ref to give a soft foul in the build-up.
Wigan’s Jamie Cotter did well to wriggle his way into space inside the box in the 56th minute. His low shot was deflected wide by an aware Huntbach. The resulting corner was cleared with ease again with Town looking solid at the back.
Substitute: Charley Higgs came on to replace Ofori up top in the 57th minute.
Rhys Davies picked up a yellow for stopping the counter in the 64th minute. The resulting free kick looked dangerous heading for the far post but Agbozo rose tallest again to clear the danger.
Town came close in the 66th minute. Higgs did well to hold up the ball inside the box before dinking it back to Barnett on the edge of the box. The captain looked to hit it first with his left, the curling effort straying just wide of the top left corner.
Substitutes: Rhys Davies and Aaron Gilpin made way for Harri Lovett and Reiss Corfield in the 70th minute with Corfield slotting into left back and Harri Lovett into the middle.
Barnett did well to launch Taylor on the run into space down the left. Taylor looked to cross but his ball was deflected to Lovett on the right. He looked to bend it back towards Taylor who’d moved into the box but couldn’t control on the stretch.
Town fought hard for the equaliser in the final ten minutes. Barnett used his skill to break forward down the right before cutting back and teeing up Lovett for a deep cross. The ball towards the far post found Mwandwe, but his header was over the bar.
In the 88th Leask worked space on the right before thumping a dangerous ball towards Mwandwe at the near post. Perrin got a hand on the cross, parrying the ball across an open goal. Nobody was there to capitalise though and Wigan cleared.
Kian Taylor did exceptional to control a strong pass out wide from Shelis. Finding space on the left flank Taylor looked to slip Barnett in-behind Wigan’s defence, his ball cut out by the last man.
Barnett then charged down the right-hand side as Town looked to counter moments later.
Beating his man for pace he curled an inviting ball across goal, resolute defending saw it cleared for a corner, which Wigan cleared.
Full Time: Wigan Athletic 1 Shrewsbury Town 0