Report by Dave Seddon - Wigan Evening Post

WHY is the JJB Stadium always engulfed by a monsoon when Latics host a non-league side?

The game against Morecambe back in August was played against the backdrop of a spectacular electric storm, while we got another soaking on Saturday when Cambridge City rode into town attempting to produce an FA Cup upset.

It was one particularly heavy deluge though which shook Latics into life after an uninspiring early display against the Dr. Marten's League side.

As the rain came down by the bucketful, Stuart Barlow swept in his 13th goal of the season from close range to settle the nerves.

And his tally went up to 14 on the stroke of half time to put paid to any chance of a cup shock.

But the game was not all plain-sailing for Latics, as they were rarely able to find top gear against top gear against Cambridge.

And twice they had the woodwork to thank for preventing the non-leaguers from finding the back of the net.

The visitors' player manager Chris Tovey saw a spectacular 40 yard free kick bounce back off the bar with the game still goalless, while Ian Cambridge smacked a shot against the post late in the game as they attempted to reduce the arrears.

But Latics eventually came through unscathed, and while a trip to either Wycombe or Ryman League side Oxford City isn't the most mouthwatering reward, there's a good chance of them progressing further and perhaps a Premiership side in the third round.

Wearing their all-gold away strip as this was technically Cambridge's home game, Latics almost went behind with 80 seconds on the clock.

Winger Adam Locke scampered clear of the defence, dodged past the challenge of Ian Kilford who had raced back to cover, and hit a shot from 20 yards which was only just too high.

The lively opening continued with Barlow forcing Martin Davies into a diving save with an angled shot, while at the other end, Derek Stillie saved Ian Stringfellow's effort comfortably.

The woodwork came to Latics' rescue in the 12th minute when Tovey swung in a 40 yard free kick from the left wing, the ball caught in the wind - totally deceiving Stillie - and bounced against the bar.

That signalled the start of Latics' best spell of the game, and other the next quarter of an hour or so, they created six good with the visitor's pinned back for long periods in their own half.

A shot from Andy Liddell caught a deflection off a defender's boot and looped onto the top of the net while Darren Sheridan curled a 25 yard free kick wide of the target.

Arjan de Zeeuw almost gave them the lead when he met Michael O'Neill's cross with a downward header at the far post, but Dave Thompson kicked off the line.

Barlow and Kilford both sent efforts wide, before Latics finally took the lead after 30 minutes with the rain hammering down.

Liddell powered his way past Steve Wenlock on the right wing, crossed low into the middle, and BARLOW swept a shot past Davies form six yards.

The second goal arrived a minute before the interval, Roberto Martinez's pass picking out BARLOW 10 yards out, and he clipped a shot over Davies and into the net despite the best efforts of Steve Holden on the line.

We sat back in the second half and waited for the floodgates to open, but the scoreline didn't change.

Martinez should have got a third after 50 minutes when a Barlow pass put him through on goal in the area, but Davies whipped the ball from his toes as he tried to take it round the keeper.

Kilford fired a 20 yard shot inches wide, while a flowing move across the face of the Cambridge box involving Martinez and Kilford finished with Barlow chipping just over.

The visitors briefly rallied, with Stringfellow looping a header over the bar from Neil Coburn's cross, while their first corner of the game in the 66th minute saw substitute Mark Reeder head wide from just six yards.

Barlow was denied his hat-trick in the 69th minute when his right foot shot from 14 yards was palmed around the post at full strength by Davies.

Cambridge hit the woodwork a second time with 12 minutes remaining.

Stringfellow's pass found Ian Cambridge in space on the right hand side of the box, and the striker's shot beat Stillie but came back off the near post.

His follow up effort was blocked, he squared the ball to Tovey, but the player-boss delayed his shot and the ball was cleared to safety.

With three minutes left, a 20 yard shot from O'Neill was pushed past the post by Davies, while Martinez was denied a goal a minute into injury time.

He shot into the net from 15 yards, but referee Steve Tomlin blew his whistle for the end of the game just before it crossed the line - shades of Clive Thomas refereeing the Brazil v Sweden international in the 1970's.

No cup shock here, but a plucky performance from the non-leaguers proving that the best traditions of the FA Cup are still with us despite the best efforts of Manchester United.

Just a quick word about the man of the match awards - the gentlemen (and two ladies) of the press were kindly asked to choose a player from each side.

Martinez was the recipient for Latics on the casting vote of the club's programme editor democracy went out of the window - but from my point of view, Barlow deserved it for his two match winning goals and general hard work.