Report by SJG

F. A. CUP

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TOWN

 1^st November 2025

BELATED HALLOWEEN SCARE FOR LATICS.

Wigan Athletic finally progressed in the Emirates FA Cup after a nerve wrenching penalty shoot-out against non-league minnows Hemel Hempstead Town.

Ryan Lowe made two changes after last weekend's 1-1 draw at Mansfield Town, James Carragher made his first start since the second week of August, replacing Will Aimson in the backline. The other change saw Paul Mullin back in from the start as a replacement for Matt Smith.

The opening quarter was quiet with little goalmouth action at either end, but it was the home side who controlled the tempo, with Joe Hungbo making thundering runs down the left flank and Saydee using his strength to hold up the ball in the middle of the park and link play.

Mullin had the first real chance of the game, nodding Morgan Fox's long-range ball straight into the hands of Michael Johnson in the visitor’s goal.

Wright then broke the deadlock after 25 minutes, Paul Mullin picked his way through a sea of defenders into the box before drilling a low ball across the face of goal where WRIGHT arrived to force the ball home.

The Hemel Hempstead fans had made the long journey up North to The Brick Community Stadium and were noisy and vocal throughout and their belief appeared to transfer to their team who normally plied their trade in the Conference South.

The Tudor Army came close to a leveller, with a mistake at the back resulting in a loose ball. A poor back pass from midfield left Fox reeling, sliding across the back line to clear the ball, but only into the feet of Jevani Brown. The forward ran into space down by the corner before whipping in a cross. Millar Matthews-Lewis cushioned the ball before his close-range shot was superbly saved by Sam Tickle.

George Williams then sent a curling free-kick around the wall and it was Tickle again who saved the day as he raced across his goal line to punch the effort clear.

Latics quickly counter attacked and Hungbo's pinpoint cross fell to Fraser Murray, whose far-post volley was well-covered by Johnson.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-0 Hemel Hempstead Town.

It was the underdogs who got the second half underway and who drew first blood.

Moments after Ryan Lowe made the decision to bring him into the fray, Matt Smith was penalised after a tackle inside the box. The referee adjudged that Smith was the last man and brandished his red card. The visitors were also awarded a penalty, which WHITE calmly converted. It was the first of two penalties that were to be awarded in the second half. The non-league side were now dominating possession and Tickle was by far the busier of the two keepers. Substitute McManaman was a handful for his marker after his introduction and when he was chopped down inside the box, Paul Mullin stepped up to take the penalty. However, the Wrexham Loanee sent his shot flying over the crossbar.

Williams was agonisingly close to clinching the victory for the visitors, his glancing header at the far post bouncing off the side netting. The final chance of the game was a blinding strike from Olatunbosun Adenola. The defender let fly from the halfway line and watched his shot scream through the air. Tickle made a great diving save to prevent what was surely going to be the winner, but the ball was still alive and bounced around inside the box, rolling almost in slow motion into the back of the net, before Aimson made a goal-saving clearance to keep Latics’ hopes alive.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 Hemel Hempstead Town.

The 30 minutes of extra time flew by without much noise from the home side who were clearly exhausted from their efforts with ten men. Darion Dorwich went the closest to settling the game in favour of the underdogs but his sliced effort saw the ball hit the side netting.

After Extra Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 Hemel Hempstead Town.

Then came penalties. McManaman, Kerr, Aimson, Saydee, and Fox successfully converted their spot-kicks, sending the home side through to the Second Round.

Scorers; Wright (25); White (61, pen).

Attendance; 4,020

Wigan Athletic (3-5-2) --- Tickle; Fox, Carragher, Kerr; Cooper, M. Smith, Murray, Wright Hungbo; Mullin, Saydee; Subs--- Savin (G), Robinson (for Mullin), McManaman (for Wright), Raphael (for Murray), Aimson (for Carragher), Brenan (for Hungbo), Smith (for Cooper), Bettoni, Sessegnon.

Hemel Hempstead Town (4-2-3-1) ---- Johnson; Stanley, Adenola, Ajayi, Dowrich; Wiltshire, White; Brown, Noel-Williams, Williams; Matthews-Lewis; Subs--- Azeez (for Wiltshire), Achuba (for Matthews-Lewis), Gray (for Williams), Cook, Rowan, Thompson, Vilhete, Wilkinson, Morrell (G)

Referee; Mr. Aaron Bannister (Featherstone).