Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

BRADFORD CITY vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

 26^th December 2025

CONTROVERSIAL DOUBLE RED CARD DOOMS LATICS TO DEFEAT

Wigan Athletic began their busy festive period with a heartbreaking late defeat against Bradford City on Boxing Day as a series of controversial decisions gifted the Bantams a victory and denied Latics the point that was possibly the least they deserved.

 Latics, who ended the Sky Bet League One encounter with nine men, were forced to leave the University of Bradford Stadium empty-handed.                                                              

Callum Wright's fourth goal of the campaign had cancelled out Stephen Humphrys' strike on the stroke of half-time, but Joe Wright struck in the 90th minute to hand the hosts all three points.                                                                                                                                    

Wigan stepped into Christmas action at Bradford, looking to give their supporters a belated Boxing Day present. It was the Club's first trip to the University of Bradford Stadium since 2018, when Michael Jacobs struck deep in injury time in the 2017/18 League One season.                  

The game marked the start of the Club's busy festive programme, which sees Latics compete in four games in just nine days. Latics headed into the Boxing Day fixture, looking to bounce back from their first defeat against Blackpool.                                                                          

Lowe opted to make one change from their last league outing with Harrison Bettoni coming in for his first Latics league start, replacing former Bantams man Dara Costelloe. In a welcome boost, Joe Hungbo and Asamoah Jr both returned to the matchday squad after recovering from their respective injuries. Bradford City named a starting XI that included former Latics title-winners Max Power and Humphrys. Over 1,800 fans joined Lowe’s men in South Yorkshire and the team immediately settled into the League One encounter, pressing high when the opportunity presented itself, and looking to hit the hosts on the counter.                                              

Bradford had an early half-chance when Humphrys was allowed space down Latics' left-hand side, and his low cross almost found the boot of Bradford's leading scorer, Bobby Pointon. However, in a scrappy first half it was Latics who looked the most likely to open the scoring with Bettoni looked sharp and with Murray delivering several decent balls into the City box that had their defence scrambling to clear. One such cross saw the keeper fumbling the ball and it fell kindly for Wright who looked a likely scorer, but he was outmuscled by the Bradford defence (with one defender clearly grabbing the Wigan man around the neck to ensure he did not progress). The referee declined to award a penalty and thus avoided having to issue the red card that would surely have followed. The match was now at full boil and five minutes before the break Latics almost made the breakthrough. Raphael Borges Rodrigues lifting his volley over both Walker and the crossbar, following some outstanding work down the right from Carragher.                                                                                                                                   

Sam Tickle then made an outstanding save to push Jenson Metcalfe's travelling strike wide, before Metcalfe's deflected strike was almost bundled into the back of the net by Joe Wright. The home side opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time through ex-Latics man HUMPHRYS, who raced onto a flick-on down the right and calmly finished under the on-rushing Tickle.   

Half Time; Bradford City 1-0 Wigan Athletic.                                                                          

Both sides looked to make a positive start to the second half. Latics looked to get back into the game, and Bradford tried hard to get the second goal that would give them some security. it Both sides committed bodies forward and every ball was contested. A nice piece of play almost led to the equaliser, as only a last-ditch clearance stopped a Murray cross being turned home by Bettoni's left foot.                                                                                                               

Having been vocal behind the Latics for the first hour, the fancy dress-filled away end had something to cheer about in the 64th minute. Saydee improvised to hook an aerial ball over his head and into the penalty area, and there was Callum WRIGHT to emphatically finish beyond Sam Walker, sending the travelling supporters into a frenzy. Wigan had momentum and were now very much on top but all that changed on 70 minutes when Weir, who had been harshly booked in the first half for after winning a challenge with Pointon, was harshly shown a second yellow for a foul on Touray. The decision changed the flow of the match, and from this point on, Latics had to dig deep to try, and it return home with any share of the points.              

 Incredibly, four minutes from time, Latics were down to nine, as Matt Smith was shown a straight red card for a weak challenge on the halfway line. Wigan tried to reorganise, but the mounting pressure was to prove too much as Joe WRIGHT's 90th minute near post header, from a Max Power delivery, looped into the far corner of Tickle’s net to give Bradford the victory.                                                                                                                                             

Full Time; Bradford City 2-1 Wigan Athletic.                                                                            

Scorers; C. Wright (64); Humphrys (45), J. Wright (90+1).

Attendance; 22,698

Wigan Athletic (3-5-2) --- Tickle; Aimson, Carragher, Fox; Murray, Weir, Smith, Wright, Raphael; Saydee, Bettoni; Subs--- Savin (G), McManaman, Francois (for Bettoni), Costelloe (for Saydee), Asamoah (for Wright), Hungbo, Sessegnon.

Bradford City (3-4-2-1) ---- Walker; Kelly, Baldwin, J. Wright; Touray, Metcalfe, Power, Halliday; Pointon, Srcevic; Humphrys; Subs--- Hilton (G), Kavanagh, McIntrye, T. Wright (for Pointon), Neufville (for Halliday), Swan (for Kelly), Tilt (for Touray).

Referee; Mr. Sebastian Stockbridge (Sunderland)

Wigan suddenly find themselves just two points above the relegation zone and with some tricky fixtures on the horizon. The game at Burton (who won 5-1 at home last time out) now looks like a ‘must win’ as Wigan try and fire-up their season.