Report by SJG

FRIENDLY

OLDHAM ATHLETIC vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

17^th July 2021

EDWARDS AND LANG GET NEW ERA OFF TO WINNING START.

Wigan Athletic kicked off their pre-season preparations for the 2021-22 League One campaign with a well-contested 2-1 victory against Oldham Athletic. 

First-half goals from Gwion Edwards and Callum Lang were enough to help Leam Richardson's side make a winning start to their pre-season campaign at Boundary Park, with Latics impressing and showing glimpses of real quality throughout the 90 minutes. 

New signings Ben Amos, Jack Whatmough, Max Power, Jordan Cousins, Stephen Humphrys, and Gwion Edwards all started in the clash against the Sky Bet League Two side, alongside Luke Robinson, Thelo Aasgaard, and Callum Lang. 

It was Latics who opened the scoring at Boundary Park with an exceptional team goal in the eighth minute. 

After finding a pocket of space on the right channel, Aasgaard sent Lang in behind, who then back-heeled the ball into Humphrys with his back turned to goal. The forward kept his composure inside the area and squared his pass across the face of the goal to EDWARDS, who made no mistake with a thunderous finish from close-range.   

Leam Richardson’s side gained confidence from their assertive start and doubled their advantage in the 14th minute when LANG was the quickest to react and fired home after the Oldham goalkeeper could only parry Humphrys’ long-range free-kick from 30-yards out. 

After falling two goals behind, the hosts had their first chance of the afternoon when Davis Keillor-Dunn was the first to meet Robinson’s defensive clearance, but he was only able to roll his effort wide of the post. 

Oldham began to gain the ascendancy after the first-half drinks break, and their period of pressure paid dividends when Hallam HOPE headed Nicky Adams’ right-sided cross into the top corner in the 31st minute. 

Enthused by his goal, Hope then tried his luck from distance four minutes later, but Amos was able to deny the forward with a strong save at full stretch. 

Half Time; Oldham Athletic 1-2 Wigan Athletic.

Latics made eight changes at the break in order to allow each squad member to gain valuable minutes, with summer additions Tom Naylor and Charlie Wyke entering the fray alongside Jamie Jones, Tom Pearce, Adam Long, James Carragher, Tendayi Darikwa, and a trialist. 

As both sides made a quiet start to the second half as they reacted to the number of changes, Latics looked comfortable in possession and earned their first chance of the second half when Lang was able to race onto Wyke’s flick-on, but the forward was dragged back when he looked to bear down on goal. Pearce stepped up to take the resulting free-kick, but his dangerous effort flew just wide of the mark. 

The away side then made a triple substitution in the 63rd minute, Scott Smith, Dean Pinnington, and Tom Costello replacing Power, Aasgaard, and Lang.

Leam Richardson's side gave a strong account of themselves towards the final stages, with Pearce coming close once again in the 81st minute after the left-back excellently won the ball back in the final third, and curled a right-footed effort just over the crossbar. 

Costello almost added Latics third in the 87th minute after he was found in the penalty area by fellow substitute Pinnington, but he saw his effort cannon off the crossbar with the goalkeeper stranded. 

It was a good run-out for the players ahead of the new season, with Latics next in action this Tuesday coming, in an encounter with National League North side AFC Fylde. 

Full Time; Oldham Athletic 1-2 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Edwards (8), Lang (14); Hope (31);

Attendance; COVID restrictions in place.

Team; WIGAN---Amos, Trialist, Whatmough, Trialist, Robinson, Power, Cousins, Edwards, Aasgaard, Humphrys, Lang; SUBS---Jones (for Amos), Darikwa (for Trialist), Long (for Whatmough), Carragher (for Trialist), Pearce (for Robinson), Smith (for Power), Naylor (for Cousins), Trialist (for Edwards), Pinnington (for Aasgaard), Wyke (for Humphrys), Costello (for Lang), McHugh, McGee, Lloyd;

OLDHAM ATHLETIC---Trialist; McGahey, Piergianni, Jameson, Trialist, Whelan, Adams, Hart, Bahamboula, Keillor-Dunn, Hope; SUBS---Fage (for Mcgahey), Sutton (for Piergianni), Luamba (for Trialist), Da Silva (for Keillor-Dunn), Dearnley (for Hope); Trialists (for Whelan, Adams, Hart, Bahamboula);

Referee; Not Known