Report by SJG

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

CAMBRIDGE UNITED vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

15^th August 2026

THE MOUNTAIN PROVES TOO MUCH TO CLIMB.

Despite threatening a second-half comeback, Wigan Athletic were beaten 3-2 on the opening weekend of the League One season by Cambridge United.                   

Gary Caldwell’s side found themselves three goals down at the Abbey Stadium seven minutes into the second half; however, goals from Sonny Perkins and Akeel Higgins in the second period offered a glimpse of taking something from the game but ultimately the team had left themselves with too big of a mountain to climb.    

The manager made just one change to the starting line-up, and it was an enforced one.  Carragher was ruled out of the fixture with a knock and was replaced by Chapman, who made a welcome return after a recent injury.                                                     

Cambridge made the perfect start on their return to League One, taking the lead inside three minutes. A corner was headed back into the danger area, and ex- Latics loan player, Kell WATTS made no mistake volleying in from close range.                                                                                                

 Latics went looking for an immediate response, and when a corner was recycled back out to Morgan Fox to clip into the area, Sonny Perkins met it nicely with a header, but it had too much on it and flew over Jake Eastwood’s crossbar.                                                              

Cambridge were finding joy from set-pieces and a long Zak Bradshaw throw caused havoc inside the penalty area before Dom Ball fired straight at Joe Walsh from the edge of the area. Wigan struggled to find any real rhythm but still offered glimpses and a Mellish cross found the head of Costelloe, but he could not direct the effort onto the goal. Max Power tried his luck from distance, and a free kick brought a good save from the Eastwood in the home goal.                                                                                                                        

Chances were starting to fall Latics’ way, and Perkins was presented with an opportunity as he stabbed an effort goalwards after Costelloe’s threaded pass was perfectly weighted for him to charge onto, but Eastwood was quick off his line to deny him. But with opportunities spurned at one end, Cambridge doubled their lead as Isaac Heath broke quickly to capitalise on a loose pass to set up Louis APPERE and his deflected effort was enough to beat Joe Walsh. 

Half Time; Cambridge United 2-0 Wigan Athletic.

Half-time saw a personnel change for Latics as the struggling Chapman was replaced by Archie Harris, with the substitute moving in alongside Power in midfield and Jensen Weir moving to central defence. However, the home side’s dominance was re-asserted within seven minutes of the restart as a deflected McLoughlin effort ricocheted about before eventually finding a suspiciously offside looking HEATH at the far post who stabbed home. Akeel Higgins and K’Marni Miller were introduced into the action following the goal, and the latter did nicely to control a Harris pass and break into the area, but he rushed his shot, which flew high over the bar.   The changes were having an effect, and it was Higgins who played a huge part in helping to pull a goal back for Latics as his effort from the edge of the area cannoned off the post and into the path of PERKINS who eventually applied the simple finish.                                                                                                       

Higgins then went from goal creator to goalscorer in a quick-fire double for Latics as Costelloe’s header back across goal was inch-perfect, and HIGGINS was on-hand to tap in from close range to reduce the deficit to just one. It was all Latics at this point and they brought on Callum McManaman late in the game as they looked to claim what would have been an unlikely, but very welcome, point. But despite throwing everything at their opponents in the closing stages and a couple of claims for handball inside a crowded penalty area, the home side stood firm and took all three points.

Full Time; Cambridge United 3-2 Wigan Athletic.

Scorers; Perkins (69), Higgins (73); Watts (3), Appere (34), Heath (52).

Attendance; 7,506

WIGAN (3-4-2-1) – Walsh (G); Chapman, Fox, Mellish; Murray, Weir, Power, Barrett; Sze, Costelloe, Perkins. Subs; Watson (G), Chilokoa-Mullin, Harris (for Chapman), Higgins (for Sze), Marni-Miller (for Barrett), McManaman (for Costelloe), Rimmer.

CAMBRIDGE UNITED (3-4-2-1) – Eastwood (G); Perry, Watts, Jobe; Bradshaw, McLoughlin, Ball, Bennett; Heath, Knight; Appere; Subs; Hughes (G), Efobi, McConnell, Mpenzu (for Heath), Kaikai (for Knight), Lavery (for Appere), Bauer (for Bradshaw).

Referee; Mr Alex Chilowicz (USA).