Report by SJG

FRIENDLY

RUNCORN vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

26^th July 1980

OLIVER HITS GROUND RUNNING, BUT INJURY JINX STRIKES AGAIN.

Wigan returned to action with a trip to Canal Street to play a Runcorn side that included ex-Latics men Ian Seddon and Alan Crompton in their matchday squad. Wigan were short on numbers and several regular first team players were forced to sit the game out. Methven was recovering from injury, Tommy Gore was still not back to full fitness after a routine knee operation, and George Urquhart, David McMullen and Kevin Smart had all picked up a slight strains in training. This gave opportunities to a few new faces to step up and make an impression.                                                                

New signing Jim Oliver was picked to lead the line and trialist Dave Tait came in for Tommy Gore, Tierney came in for Urquhart and on the bench four of the clubs promising youngsters got their chance, Paul Hendry, Micky Quinn, Mark Wignall and George Macallistair.                          

The game began well for Latics and on 21 minutes OLIVER beat the offside trap, rounded the keeper Eales and rolled the ball home for the opening goal.           

Disaster struck for Wigan on 32 minutes when a loose back pass from Whittle led to a hefty collision between keeper Brown and Fraser which saw the Wigan man knocked unconscious and after a short delay he was escorted from the field. Bob Ward took over as custodian and just before the break he was completely unsighted when Steve JOEL fired in a leveller.                                                                                      

Half Time; Runcorn 1-1 Wigan Athletic.                                                                              

The second half began with the Linnets applying pressure, but Latics withstood their attacks and on 70 minutes HOUGHTON broke past three defenders before letting fly with a fierce drive that Holbrook could only help into the Runcorn net.                                                            

Manager Ian McNeill took the chance to introduce a quartet of youngsters in the closing stages, and it was young striker Micky QUINN who grabbed the decisive third goal when he bustled his way past his marker before firing home from the tightest of angles. That goal arrived nine minutes from the end of normal time and Wigan were able to easily see out the remaining time.                                                                                                                                          

Full time; Runcorn 1-3 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Oliver (21), Houghton (70), M. Quinn (81); Joel (44).

Attendance; 500 (est).

Team; WIGAN—Brown; Tait, Fretwell, Davids, Whittle; Tierney, Corrigan, Wright, Houghton; Oliver, A. Quinn; SUBS; M. Quinn (for A. Quinn), Wignall (for Tierney), Hendry (for Whittle), Ward (for Brown), McCallistair (for Wright).

RUNCORN--- Eales, Lewis, Rutter, B. Seddon, Duff; Knowles, Smith, W. Quinn, Fraser; Joel, Wheeldon; SUBS; Holbrook (for Eales), Brookfield, Crompton, I. Seddon, Trialist.

Referee; Not known.