Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR

TORQUAY UNITED vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

18^th October 1980

AWAY DAY BLUES AS URQUHART SEES RED.

After another week of transfer rumour and speculation the Wigan squad would no doubt have been happy to get back onto the pitch and put the issues behind them. Tommy Gore was mulling over a move to Bury, while Tony Quinn was being watched by scouts from Spurs, Wolves and Norwich. Oliver was finalising his move back to Scotland and Whittle had completed his free transfer to Barrow.                                                      

Torquay United came into the game sitting just above the bottom four and low on confidence but it did not show as Wigan simply never ‘got off the coach’. Latics seemed completely devoid of attacking ideas and the 400 fans who had made the long trip South were left very frustrated and a number were heard calling for the manager to be sacked.  The team was slack in defence, lacked conviction in midfield and when they reached the oppositions penalty area their finishing was simply woeful. They fell behind on 21 minutes when BOWKER, the smallest man on the field, outjumped everyone to direct a cross by Fell beyond Ward and into the Wigan goal. Minutes later and Jimmy Weston went close for the Gulls when his rising shot cannoned to safety off the Wigan crossbar. Wigan were clearly rattled and were fortunate to go in at the break only trailing by one. They had offered little in attack with only a tame Hutchinson shot, that rolled wide of the post worthy of comment.

Half Time; Torquay United 1-0 Wigan Athletic.                                                                        

The game was becoming fractious and niggly fouls were becoming common place, so it was no surprise when the referee decided to step in and use his yellow card and in the 49^th minute Urquhart was booked for a rash challenge. The Scotsman was now treading a thin line but seemed unwilling to curb his enthusiasm for a tackle and it was no surprise when he transgressed again in the 84^th minute and saw red. Wigan had been struggling to contain Torquay with a full quota of players on the field, and the loss only exacerbated the problems. The home side had been wasteful in front of goal, and it was only this profligacy and the excellence of Bob ward that had kept the scoreline down. However, with reduced numbers Weston broke free on the flank and his precise cross was headed home by the unmarked COOPER from six yards. Earlier Cooper had been guilty of a glaring miss when he took advantage of a quickly taken free kick to get in behind the Wigan defensive line before skying his shot.                                                                          

Bowker and Cooper should both have added to their tally’s as they spurned further chances to punish a ragged looking Latics defence and Wigan, who threw men forward in these later stages also wasted chances with Quinn and Hutchinson particularly culpable.                 

Deep in injury time Micky Quinn had a golden chance, but he miscued badly from 15 yards and O’Keefe saved with ease.                                                                                       

The result and performance were both real sickeners for the loyal band of around 600 fans who had journeyed down to the Cornish Riviera and Wigan clearly need to find solutions and quickly if they are not to be consigned to another season in Division Four.

Full Time; Torquay United 2-0 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Bowker (21), Cooper (84).

Attendance; 1.920

Team; WIGAN—Ward (G); Curtis, Kettle, Methven, Davids; Urquhart, Wright, Corrigan, McMullan; Hutchinson, M. Quinn; SUBS; Tierney (for McMullan).

TORQUAY UNITED ---O’ Keefe (G); Pethard, Cochrane, Jones, Bourne; Sermanni, Fell, Twitchin, Weston; Bowker, Cooper SUBS; Coffill

Referee; Mr. Howard King (Merthyr).