Report by John Patrick Heeley

Third Division Wigan Athletic reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history and they reached it in style after a goal from 22 year old Paul Jewell disposed of high flyers Norwich City, a side sitting in seventh place in Division One.

A gutsy, solid performance from Ray Mathias' lads saw them make it difficult for the East Anglians as the visitors were also finding it hard going on a rock hard Springfield Park surface.

Wigan were well deserving of their victory, it was no fluke, they played and battled like troopers and you could have been forgiven for thinking that Wigan were the higher league side.

Paul Jewell's winner came twelve minutes from time after the young striker struck a thunderous goalbound shot which took a deflection off Norwich defender Ian Butterworth to spiral into the back of the net.

There was no way anyone was going to take the goal away from the young Liverpudlian with Jewell himself saying after the game: "It wasn't an own goal, it was mine. I'm claiming it and that's that!"

Wigan manager Ray Mathias was full of praise for his match winner after the game and even went as far as to compare him to Kenny Dalglish, "If he'd only score more goals he'd be in the First Division by now."

"He plays like Dalglish. He can turn people, use either foot and is strong and quick. I'm always perched on his shoulder yelling at him to shoot more. This might be the one thing that convinces him."

However despite Mathias' praise for Jewell he was full of praise for the rest of the side and said that all eleven had played like 'heroes' and were 'absolutely magnificent'

It took Jewell's solitary strike to separate the two sides but it could have been a much different story with Bobby Campbell missing two golden chances early on, one a shot over the bar, and David Lowe headed wide of the mark after finding himself in space.

Wigan believed they had a perfectly decent penalty appeal turned down by referee Mike Reed on 24 minutes when Steve Bruce appeared to punch away a David Hamilton cross, denying Bobby Campbell in the area.

The Wigan players and fans alike screamed at the Birmingham official but to no avail as he waved play on.

It turned out however that Mr. Reed had made the correct decision, a first for a referee, after Wigan's Bobby Campbell owned up after the game to handling the ball himself after losing his balance, and cleared Steve Bruce of any blame.

But it didn't all go Wigan's way as Norwich did hit a purple patch early in the second half when they put the home side under the cosh and Latics keeper Roy Tunks had to be in exceptional form to deny the Carrow Road side.

The winning goal came on 78 minutes when Hamilton a cross which was nodded down by Campbell for Jewell to hammer in first time leaving Brian Gunn no chance in the Norwich goal, sending the home fans into a frenzy.

Paul Jewell celebrated his match winning goal by proposing to his girlfriend of five years, Anne-Marie Westhoff, during a candlelight dinner to celebrate her 24th birthday.

Anne-Marie duly accepted and topped of a perfect weekend for the former Liverpool apprentice.

Wigan chairman Bill Kenyon summed up the game saying: "This is our finest hour."

However, Wigan's finest hour came extremely close to being called off as twelve of the first team squad had gone down with Singapore flu in the week leading up to the game.

The virus was believed to have spread from groundsman Philip Lowe and had forced the postponement of Wigan's Freight Rover Trophy clash at Prenton Park with Tranmere Rovers at the beginning of the week.