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Season 2005-06
Wigan Athletic (h) Premier Reserve League North
 
 
 
Date: Wednesday 19th April 2006, 7pm

Venue: Kingston Park

Conditions: 
repetitive


 

Newcastle United

2 - 1 Wigan
  Teams

Goals

21mins Taylor rocket 1-0

Half time: Newcastle 0 Latics 1


54mins Finnigan shot 1-1

74mins Finnigan shot 2-1

Full time: Newcastle
2 Latics 1 

We said


Tommy Craig commented:

"Our thoughts are more with Ryan Taylor because it takes everything away from winning on the night. We missed a couple of chances and then they scored a wonder goal.

"We struggled to get our game going and the lively pitch did not do anybody any favours.

"I said at half-time that we are going to have to make this happen. Rather than allow things to happen, we had to make it happen.

"We were not pretty to watch but we had bags of endeavour and honesty. There was craft and grit, too, and I said to them in their careers they will need that.

"They will need it in FA Cup games against non-league teams because you have to adjust to certain conditions.

"We grafted in a very untypical style and we ended up using long balls more than we have all season mainly because of Carl Finnigan's presence up front.

"Carl Finnigan made it work for us and got the two goals for us. He deserved the two goals on the night.

"Carl has come on a lot this season and I am expecting more progress from him next year.

"He likes the work that goes with the position and that is something you have to have.

"He has shown the right style - he has a long way to go but he is on the right track."

Waffle


The reserves preserved their unbeaten season-long run at Kingston Park on Wednesday night, coming from behind to overcome Wigan's second string.

And now only Bolton and Birmingham (next Monday and Thursday week, respectively) stand in the way of a notable achievement for Tommy Craig and the lads.

Things didn't look too promising however after a first half, in which we twice struck the woodwork in the opening minutes but went in trailing to Ryan Taylor's dipping 30- yard effort.

Normal service was soon restored after the break though - thanks in part to the Latics 'keeper Gary Walsh, who you may recall did us a favour a decade ago, when conceding a soft winner to Les Ferdinand at the smoggies.

A long punt out from Caig on 54 minutes was seized on by Carl Finnigan, who held off substitute Lewis Field before hooking the ball beyond the static Walsh.

Further generosity from the visiting goalie on 74 minutes then saw Finnigan complete our comeback.

The striker gambled on Walsh fumbling an easy catch and was rewarded when the ball duly appeared at his feet, allowing him to score his fifteenth reserve goal of the campaign.

Walsh did partly atone for his error with an unorthodox stop to deny Pattison in the closing stages, while Finnigan spurned the chance to complete his hat trick from close range.

However a demoralised Wigan side never had a sniff of an equaliser - striker David Connolly earning a yellow card and then a final warning from referee Birkett as he allowed frustration to get the better of him.

And to complete their misery, the Wigan injury curse that dogged the first team's recent visit to Tyneside was evident again.

With defender Andrew Pearson limping off within the opening ten minutes, the second half saw full back Joey Waterhouse led from the field after a heavy collision, before  goalscorer Taylor departed on a stretcher with what was later confirmed as a leg break above the ankle.

Biffa 

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Page last updated 19 April, 2012