Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

LINCOLN CITY vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

 6^th September 2025

POINTS SHARED IN A GAME THAT HAD JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

Wigan Athletic battled to earn another hard-fought point on the road, this time at Lincoln City. Latics took an early lead through Paul Mullin but found themselves trailing at the break following a quick-fire James Collins double. The visitors stuck to the task and equalised at the start of the second half, with Callum Wright finishing off a Christian Saydee cross for his first goal for the Football Club. The final 30 minutes saw Saydee and Rob Street see red for either side, and both sides had opportunities to steal the spoils in a game full of excitement and controversy. Substitute Dara Costelloe was only a whisker away from winning it for Latics when his strike bounced clear off the crossbar, while Will Aimson heroically cleared a Lincoln City effort off the line at the other end in injury time.

Wigan made the 250-mile round trip to the LNER Stadium looking to record their first away victory of the 2025/26 season. Following his game-changing appearance against Stockport County midfield pass master, Matt Smith, replaced Tyrese Francois. Paul Mullin came in for fellow striker Dara Costelloe and all three of Latics' Deadline Day signings - Toby Savin, Ollie Cooper and Raphael Bogues Rodrigues were included in the matchday squad for the first time.

Latics were the stronger side in the early stages, controlling play across the field and forcing Lincoln City to rely on long balls with an effective pressing game. The tactic had already offered the visitors a number of early half chances before a superb long driven clearance by Tickle, on his 100^th consecutive game, found MULLIN who had got the wrong side of his defender and the Wrexham-loanee took the ball around George Wickens and calmly placed his shot into the net. The move was excellent from start to finish. Tickle was quick to move after denying the Imps, breaking through the sea of red shirts to execute a perfect goal kick routine. Mullin timed his run perfectly to beat ex-Tics captain Tendayi Darikwa and successfully convert.

Lincoln suddenly looked all at sea as Mullin nearly grabbed a second when he harried the defence into an error and only a good save by Wickens avoided a second goal. Saydee then went close to getting on the end of Morgan Fox's long ball, but, at full stretch he was unable to direct his lobbed effort onto the target.

The Imps were gifted a way back into the game by a contentious, to say the least, decision from the referee. An in-swinging corner appeared to have been comfortably dealt with by the Wigan’ defenders but the referee pointed to the spot for holding, citing an incident well away from the action. COLLINS stepped up and drove the ball home as he gratefully accepted the gift.

Wigan were still trying to come to terms with the unwarranted concession when a long throw caused more problems in the box and COLLINS nipped in to put the home side ahead touching Ryley Towler's downwards header past the outstretched Tickle. The defence appealed in vain for a foul by the Lincoln man but the referee again sided with the home team.

Half Time; Lincoln City 2-1 Wigan Athletic.

The second half proved to be just as dramatic and controversial as the first.  Callum Wright picked up his first goal for the club five minutes after the restart. Saydee did well to hold up the ball on the edge of the box despite defensive efforts. The number nine dragged the ball backwards with his heel before setting himself and dinking the ball into the box, allowing WRIGHT to find space and head home from close-range

Wigan were pushing for another goal but Lincoln were now coping better with the press and an exciting end-to-end climax seemed likely.

Then in the 68^th minute a clumsy challenge by Saydee on Bayliss was harshly adjudged to have been worthy of a red card and Latics were down to ten men for the final quarter of the game. A blow to the face saw Aimson needing treatment and suddenly it was 11 v 9. Kerr marshalled his defence and they stood firm with Aimson finally returning to the field. Minutes later, Street was shown a second yellow for a high boot that just missed the head of Baba Adeeko. This decision levelled the playing field once more, with each side fielding ten men.

Both sides threw caution to the wind and pushed to find the all-important winner. Latics experienced all the emotions in stoppage time - Costelloe thought he'd won it when his strike came back off the crossbar, before at the other end, Aimson swept a Lincoln effort off the line with virtually the last kick. The points were shared on an eventful afternoon, and Latics will hope to get back to winning ways when Doncaster Rovers visit next week.

Full Time: Lincoln City 2-2 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Mullin (9), Wright (50); Collins (32, pen), (34).

Attendance; 8,208

Wigan Athletic (3-5-2) --- Tickle; Fox, Kerr, Aimson; Murray, M. Smith, Trevitt, Wright, Hungbo; Mullin, Saydee; Subs--- Savin (G), Cooper (for Murray), Borges Rodrigues (for Trevitt), Adeeko (for Wright), Costelloe (for Mullin), Sessegnon, McManaman.

Lincoln City (4-2-3-1) ---- Wickens; Darikwa, Hamer, Jackson, Towler; McGrandles, Bayliss; Hackett-Fairchild, Draper, Street; Collins; Subs--- Jeacock (G), Thorn (for Bayliss), Reach (for Draper), Okoronkwo (for Hackett-Fairchild), House (for Collins), Montsma, Ring.

Referee; Mr. Alan Young (Swindon)