Report by SJG

FRIENDLY

CHESTER CITY vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

 6^th July 2019

WIGAN ARE IN SEVENTH HEAVEN.

Wigan Athletic kicked off their 2019-20 pre-season schedule with a comprehensive 7-1 victory at Chester FC.

A second-half hat-trick from Joe Garner followed first-half efforts from Josh Windass, Kal Naismith and Callum Lang, before Charlie Jolley rounded off the win with a late effort of his own.

A Chester trialist had got a goal back for the hosts before half-time but from the off Latics were dominant and treated the friendly with the utmost professionalism.

Paul Cook’s side got off to the perfect start as Lang fed WINDASS, with the forward finishing well past former Latics stopper Theo Roberts.

Just after the half hour mark, NAISMITH doubled Latics’ advantage as he chested down a Nathan Byrne cross and finished well.

A minute later and LANG got in on the act as he fired home Anthony Pilkington’s cross at the back post.

Chester’s ‘TRIALIST’ got a goal back for the hosts on the stroke of half-time with an excellent finish before both sides switched their line-ups for the second-half.

Half Time; Chester City 1-3 Wigan Athletic.

It was 4-1 early in the second half soon as GARNER got in behind Chester’s defence and fired in after just a matter of seconds on the pitch.

GARNER got his second 12 minutes later as he was fouled in the area by a Chester defender and he promptly picked himself up to fire home the resulting spot-kick.

GARNER grabbed his third and Latics’ sixth just after the hour mark as Michael Jacobs drove well from midfield before playing the striker in to chip past Chester’s substitute goalkeeper.

It took until the closing stages for Latics to add a seventh as Jensen Weir played in JOLLEY to power past Chester’s goalkeeper from inside the penalty area.

Latics head to National League AFC Fylde on Tuesday night as they continue their pre-season preparations, kick-off 7:45pm.

Full Time; Chester City 1-7 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Windass (3), Naismith (33), Lang (34), Garner (46), (58 pen), (63), Jolley (86); Trialist (44);

Attendance; 1,277

Wigan Athletic--- J. Jones, Byrne, Obi, Kipre, Naismith, L. Evans, Perry, Pilkington, Windass, G. Roberts, Lang.
Subs (All featured): O. Evans, Lopes, Dunkley, Fox, Golden, Morsy, Weir, Jolley, Gelhardt, Jacobs, Garner

Chester City FC ---T. Roberts, Morgan, Taylor, J. Jones, Livesey, Grand, G. Roberts, Burton, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C
Subs (All featured): McReady, Murray, Marsh-Hughes, Trialist D, Thomson, Waters, Jackson, Trialist E, Stopforth, Mahon, Dudley, Waring