Report by SJG

LANCASHIRE JUNIOR CUP

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs SKELMERSDALE UNITED

 20^th January 1934

WIGAN PASS A TOUGH TEST TO PROGRESS IN CUP.

The Lancashire Junior Cup provided the locals with an intriguing match up with Latics being drawn to play against Lancashire Combination side Skelmersdale United.

Wigan went into the game as firm favourites but United had recorded some good results in recent weeks including an impressive draw against Everton ‘A’ and a number of their team were attracting the interest of scouts from League clubs, notably the young inside-right Stephenson who was being courted by Bury.

A decent crowd of just over 3,000 turned out on an icy, foggy day to watch the spectacle and the players, despite the testing conditions and rock-hard pitch, did not disappoint.

Wigan fashioned the first chance of the game but Felton fired wastefully over the crossbar, then United nearly contrived to concede an own goal when Wilson, under pressure from Jones, tried to play the ball back to his keeper, but his pass was over hit and Boardman had to be alert to make a good save.

United certainly put in plenty of effort as they searched for the opening score but it was Wigan who took the lead on ten minutes when O’Dell found Cowper and when he crossed into the danger area JONES was on hand to score with apparent ease.

Wigan briefly threatened to overrun their opponents as Bentham, Cowper jones and Felton all spurned decent chances to extend the lead and Wigan were made to regret their profligacy in front of goal as O’Donnell broke away and lobbed a high ball into the centre which was forced home by KERR to level the scores.

Wigan pushed forward as they tried to regain the lead but their build up play lacked urgency and a combination of enthusiastic defending by the visitors back line and fine goalkeeping by Boardman kept the scores level at the break.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 Skelmersdale United.

We will never know what the manager said to his charges at the break but the team talk clearly worked wonders as Latics quickly re-established their lead when Bentham fed a fine ball through for COWPER who exchanged passes with Jones before lashing a low drive beyond the diving Boardman.

Whilst there was only one goal between the sides it was clear that Wigan had no intention of easing down and allowing their visitors to regain parity. A Scott cross found the head of Jones who flashed a header just inches wide of the goal, then Bentham saw his goal-bound effort take a wicked deflection and pass over the crossbar.

The visitors were working hard to try and contain the home side but they simply could not sustain their work rate and gradually the succession of Wigan attacks bore fruit.  O’Dell picked a neat pass to free Felton who in turn found Jones and when the big striker squared the ball to the on-rushing SCOTT there was only ever going to be one end result.

Five minutes later and the game was all over as a contest as FELTON timed his forward run perfectly as he broke the offside trap and the Latics man, who had all the time in the world as the defenders appealed in vain for an offside decision, slid the ball calmly past Boardman and into the United goal.

The visitors kept pushing forwards and were rewarded by a goal in the 80^th minute. NEWELL was the scorer but the method of its scoring had more than an element of good fortune. A scuffle for possession on the wing saw the inside forward collecting a loose ball and he hastily lofted a speculative ball into the Wigan goal area that somehow eluded four or five players before finding its way into the corner of the home goal.

The goal was no more than a consolation goal and Wigan ended the game as they had spent most of the match, ‘on the attack’.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 4-2 Skelmersdale United.

Scorers; Jones (10), Cowper (46), Scott (65), Felton (70); Kerr (20), Newell (80);

Attendance; 3,000

Team; WIGAN---Caunce; Robinson, Talbot; Kavanagh, O’Dell, Robson; Cowper, Bentham, Jones, Felton, Scott;

SKELMERSDALE UNITED--- Boardman; Wilson, Abram; Birch, White, Allan; O’Donnell, Stephenson, Kerr, Newell, Garvey;

Referee; Mr. I. Caswell (Blackburn).

Wigan Athletic now progress to the next round when they will travel to Christie Park to play Morecambe of the Lancashire Combination.