Wigan Athletic 4 Coventry City 1 - Saturday 23rd October 2004

Latics stroll past Coventry with convincing win

Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic continued their winning ways with a convincing win over Peter Reid's Coventry City at the JJB Stadium and while Paul Jewell's side stretched their unbeaten start to the season to 15 games and made it 4 wins on the trot the Sky Blues have now gone 9 games without a win in the Coca Cola Championship.

Latics welcomed back fit again Matt Jackson to the starting line up, just as well with the absence through injury of Emerson Thome, who'd limped off with a hamstring problem during the midweek win over Crewe.

Also returning to the squad was Paul Mitchell who'd been called back from his loan spell with Swindon Town due to Thome's injury, although his inclusion amongst the substitutes meant that Tony Dinning was left out following his rare appearance on the bench against Crewe.

While we are on the subject of players returning from loan, a certain Mike Flynn made his first appearance for the club since since the end of March, ironically against this afternoon's opponents.

His introduction to the action seven months ago came in the 80th minute as a replacement for the now departed Andy Liddell as Wigan led 2-1 thanks to a Jason Roberts brace.

His next run out onto the JJB turf saw him enter the fray with his side 3-1 to the better and with only one minute of normal time remaining but this time the former Barry Town midfielder left with an even bigger smile on his face after grabbing his third goal for the club in the dying seconds.

The victory was by then a forgone conclusion but nonetheless it was great to see Flynny on the scoresheet, rounding off Wigan's second 4-1 win in the space of 5 days.

Goals from Alan Mahon, David Graham, his first for the club, and Nathan Ellington after Manchester United trainee Eddie Johnson trainee had levelled for the visitors, saw Wigan cruise to an easy victory over a struggling Coventry side.

To be honest the first half was a pretty even affair with the two sides going into the break on level terms but shortly after the restart Wigan showed why they are hot favourites for the title and a place in next season's Premiership.

The visitors were the first to show their teeth when on loan midfielder Rohan Ricketts sent Eddie Johnson on his way to test John Filan in the 11th minute, the Australian keeper doing well to keep out the 20-year-old's left footed drive.

The action then moved upfield with Nathan Ellington going close from an unlikely position, the Wigan hot shot taking the ball to the byeline before firing over the bar from a tight angle.

Minutes later however Wigan took the lead and what a cracker of a goal it was.

A Jimmy Bullard free kick from the left side of the penalty area found Jason Roberts who nodded the ball further into the danger zone but Stern John's clearance landed perfectly for ALAN MAHON to volley home from 20 yards out.

Wigan pushed for a second but Coventry stood firm and were rewarded in the 32nd minute with an equaliser after Matt Jackson had impeded Ricketts in a dangerous position just outside of the area.

Michael Doyle swung over the resulting free kick and EDDIE JOHNSON popped up on the edge of the six yard box to head home his fourth goal since joining the club on loan during the summer.

City could have taken a lead into the break but Ricketts fired over the bar after combining well with Johnson in the final couple of minutes.

Latics extended their lead less than 8 minutes after the restart after a poor clearance by Coventry allowed David Wright the opportunity to launch the ball back into their penalty area.

The defence struggled under pressure to clear the danger with Jason Roberts waiting to pounce, his flick across the goalmouth finding DAVID GRAHAM who stabbed home from close range for his very first goal for the club.

The former Torquay United striker will be hoping that it was the first of many after waiting in the shadows of the Ellington-Roberts partnership.

Wigan dominated proceedings from then on and moments later Ellington headed a David Wright centre wide of the mark and just after the hour mark City keeper Luke Steele, also on loan from Old Trafford, pulled off a decent save from Alan Mahon, tipping over with the Wigan midfielder's shot threatening to creep into the top corner.

Bullard took the flag kick, swinging the ball into the centre, finding NATHAN ELLINGTON almost unchallenged to head home his 11th goal of the season from 6 yards out.

Latics should have made it four from the spot with little over 10 minutes remaining but Jason Roberts blazed his penalty over the bar after he had been brought down in the box by Coventry skipper Steve Staunton.

A goal kick from Filan was flicked on to Roberts by Ellington and the Grenadan international out muscled Richard Shaw to race clear on goal only to be upended by Staunton, the former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender dismissed for his sins.

However Roberts' chance of joining his pal at the top of the goalscoring charts were dashed when he missed the target and with it a fourth goal in as many games.

Just as the game appeared to be coming to a climax Latics did add a fourth and it came from a well worked corner which Bullard pushed back down the left flank, eventually landing at the feet of Leighton Baines who lobbed the ball into the six yard box for MIKE FLYNN to head past a devastated Steele.

The result means that, barring a record league victory for Reading next Saturday at Coventry, Paul Jewell takes his side to Elland Road for the televised game against Leeds United on Sunday as league leaders.