Team Andrea Murray, Amy Garratt, Kate Wilcock, Louise Darlington, Natalie Spendlove,

Rachael Taylor, Lisa Bostock, Shaz Entwistle, Kerryn Hill, Lindsey Winstanley, Emma Pilling, Sam Baldwin, Carly Gallagher , Kelly Gallagher, Anna Dempster, Jennie Goringe

Wigan secured promotion to the North West Women’s Regional Premier League with their 10th straight victory to finish an outstanding season as champions!

Wigan started the game knowing that only 3 points would do in their quest for promotion and the strain was evident early on as they tried to find a goal to settle the nerves.

Latics pushed forward and put the visitors under pressure within the first 20 minutes, and saw efforts from both Lisa Bostock and Lindsey Winstanley come back agonisingly off the crossbar. They were making good ground on both wings with Emma Pilling in particular looking dangerous and creating further opportunities but Wigan couldn’t find a finish.

The chance finally came when Wigan were awarded a penalty after Lindsey Winstanley was brought down in the box, and captain Shaz Entwistle showed a cool head to slot the ball into the bottom left hand corner to give Wigan the lead that they needed and one which they held on to going into half time.

The half time message was to look for more goals, knowing from experience that Brazil would be dangerous on the break.

The visitors had much more possession in the second half but couldn’t break down the solid Wigan defence and found themselves playing the long ball forward which was easily dealt with by Kate Wilcock and Lou Darlington at centre half. In attack, Wigan were continuing to find joy down the left with the outstanding Pilling, but she saw a couple of efforts fly just past the post.

With the clock ticking down Wigan finally found some breathing space when a long throw from Pilling fell to Natalie Spendlove who hammered the ball home for the second game in succession to send the crowd into raptures and secure the win to clinch promotion for the Latics Ladies.

Wigan have had to dig deep in the last 5 weeks, with a small squad and a back log of fixtures, and on behalf of everyone involved I would like to congratulate every member of the squad and the coaching staff on such a massive achievement for the club!

Team Andrea Murray, Amy Garratt, Rachel Taylor, Natalie Spendlove, Kate Wilcock, Louise Darlington, Lisa Bostock, Shaz Entwistle, Kerryn Hill,

Lindsey Winstanley, Emma Pilling, Sam Baldwin, Kelly Gallagher, Carly Gallagher, Anna Dempster

Wigan moved a step closer to fulfilling their dreams of promotion with a 3-0 victory over Warrington which moves them to the top of the league with one game remaining.

Wigan were showing signs of nerves early on but settled some of these with an early goal on her return to the side (following her ash extended holiday) from Natalie Spendlove. A long throw from Emma Pilling found Spendlove at the far post and she headed home to give Wigan a 1-0 lead. She almost doubled the lead soon after when a corner from Lindsey Winstanley confused the defence, but this time Spendlove’s header came back agonisingly off the crossbar.

Wigan’s next chance came when Kerryn Hill cleverly chipped the keeper from just inside the box but a Warrington defender cleared the ball off the line under pressure from Shaz Entwistle. After riding their luck, Warrington seemed to lift their game but despite an increased amount of possession didn’t really trouble the Wigan defence and the score remained at 1-0 until half time.

Latics knew they had to raise their game in the second half to secure victory and put in a much more assured display after the break. Players from both sides were closing down quickly and allowing very little time on the ball, and Warrington’s high defensive line caught the Wigan forwards offside on a number of occasions.

The breakthrough for the home side came when Emma Pilling carried the ball from half way, beating two defenders on the left before calmly cutting inside and finishing confidently to afford Wigan some breathing space.

The third and final goal came when Winstanley made a similar run down the left and laid a perfect ball across the front of goal to allow Pilling to score her second of the night. Wigan held out to keep another clean sheet and record a familiar 3-0 victory going into the final game of the season on Sunday.

Latics face Brazil in a top of the table clash, knowing 3 points will secure their promotion. One more game girls!!!!

Team: Andrea Murray (gk), Amy Garratt, Louise Darlington, Carly Gallagher, Kate Wilcock, Rachael Taylor, Lisa Bostock, Shaz Entwistle, Kerryn Hill, Lindsey Winstanley, Emma Pilling, subs: Sam Baldwin, Natalie Spendlove.

Wigan claimed another 3 points in their promotion chase with a resounding victory over fellow challengers Morcambe. Latics gained revenge for their opening day defeat in the reverse fixture and moved above their opponents in the league table with 2 games remaining.

1st Half

Wigan began nervously in this important game and allowed the visitors to take control of the early exchanges. Morcambe took full advantage when they grabbed the lead with a volleyed finish by their centre forward after a good cross from the right.

Wigan responded in the best possible manner, upping their game immediately and finding an equaliser moments later when Kerryn Hill forced the ball home from a corner.

Latics pushed on after the goal and started to assert themselves on the visitors. Emma Pilling was proving a great threat again on the left wing, outpacing the defence on a number of occasions and creating opportunities for Hill and Winstanley in the middle.

Hill almost gave Wigan the lead when she struck the post and Shaz Entwistle narrowly missed the rebound before Carly Gallgher added the second when she followed up on a mistake by the goalkeeper to hammer home into an empty net. Wigan were barely finished celebrating when they found the net again. The ball fell to Winstanley on the edge of the box and she picked her spot brilliantly to roll the ball into the bottom right hand corner.

Latics maintained their momentum with another goal to give themselves a 3 goal lead at half time. Another surging run and cross from Pilling saw the ball delivered perfectly onto the head of Winstanley who squeezed the ball past the keeper at the near post to send Wigan into the break 4-1 up.

2nd Half

In the second half, Morcambe threw everything at Wigan in an attempt to resurrect the game. Latics stood firm at the back though under intense pressure from the visitors, with the back four working overtime to repel attack after attack, helped out by Entwistle and Lisa Bostock dropping in from midfield.

Rachel Taylor was working hard to keep the Morcambe centre forward under wraps, and with Louise Darlington and Kate Wilcock sweeping up well, the visitors continued to be frustrated. Morcambe’s best chances were coming from set pieces but despite forcing a number of free kicks and corners around the box they still couldn’t find a way through.

With just over 5 minutes remaining Morcambe were awarded a dubious penalty when Sam Baldwin was adjudged to have tackled late in the box, but the spot kick was saved by Andrea Murray to maintain Wigan’s lead.

Moments later, the visitors did find the back of the net when a deflected shot found the bottom corner, but Wigan had the last word on the score sheet. Emma Pilling, who had again worked tirelessly on the wing, carried the ball into the box, leaving two Morcambe defenders on the floor, before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner to leave Wigan celebrating a 5-2 victory.

Wigan’s final two home games, on Wednesday against WarringtonTown, and next Sunday against Brazil, will decide the destination of the title.  

Team: Andrea Murray (gk), Amy Garratt,

Rachel Taylor, Carly Gallagher, Kate Wilcock, Louise Darlington, Lisa Bostock, Shaz Entwistle, Kerryn Hill, Lindsey Winstanley, Emma Pilling,

Sub: Sam Baldwin.

Wigan maintained their push for promotion with

a 3-0 victory at relegation haunted Burnley Borrowdale. Wigan made hard work of their task in the first half, struggling to break down the home side and wasting a number of good chances to take the lead. However they remained solid in defence and restricted their hosts to playing most of their football within their own half.

Wigan’s best early chance came when they mounted a counter attack and caught Burnley short in defence, but Lindsey Winstanley couldn’t find the back of the net on this occasion. Lisa Bostock went close from distance but saw her goal-bound effort pushed around the post by the outstretched hand of the Burnley keeper.

Further chances were created by good link play between Emma Pilling and Kerryn Hill down the left hand side but Wigan continued to be frustrated as a number of efforts flew narrowly wide.

The breakthrough finally came when Winstanley controlled well under pressure on the edge of the box and fired her shot just inside the right hand upright to give Wigan a 1-0 half time lead. 

Wigan knew that they had been below par in front of goal in the first half, but set about the second period in much more determined fashion and again forced the home side to defend deep in their own half.

Winstanley and Hill were both caught narrowly offside when clean through on goal, and Amy Garratt had the keeper worried with a long range effort which just cleared the bar. It was substitute Sam Baldwin who finally made the game safe with a goal all of her own making. She received the ball on the right wing from Bostock before cutting into the box and beating 2 defenders before unleashing an unstoppable effort past the keeper at her near post to double Wigan’s advantage.

To their credit, Burnley continued to work hard in defence and the scoreline remained the same until the final minute of the game when Winstanley fired a powerful shot across the keeper and inside the far post to give Wigan their 4th consecutive 3-0 victory. 

Wigan’s next test comes at Burscough on Wednesday evening, before next weekend’s top of the table clash against Morcambe.

Team: Andrea Murray, Amy Garratt, Rachel Taylor Carly Gallagher, Kate Wilcock, Louise Darlington, Lisa Bostock, Shaz Entwistle, Kerryn Hill,

Lindsey Winstanley, Emma Pilling, Sam Baldwin

Wigan caught up more ground on the teams above them with another mid-week win and another clean sheet with a 3-0 win at home to Bolton.

It was the second time the teams had faced each other in two weeks and the visitors came looking for revenge following Latics’ 2-0 victory in the previous fixture.

Bolton started the quicker of the two teams as they put pressure on Wigan when they were in possession and forced some early mistakes. Wigan soon settled into their rhythm though and started to play the game how they went out to. A period of pressure on the visitors goal forced a number of corners and also a number of fine saves from the Bolton keeper to keep the game scoreless.

That was until Lisa Bostock split the defence with a perfect ball to Lindsey Winstanley who kept her cool and finished superbly under pressure to give Wigan the lead. They should have gone further in front but good chances from both Carly Gallagher and Kerryn Hill failed to hit the target.

Moments before half time Winstanley added her second after a typical weaving run from Emma Pilling, operating on the right wing tonight. She received the ball inside her own half and beat four Bolton defenders before delivering a perfect cross onto the head of Winstanley who flicked the ball into the goal with assistance from the post on the far side to give the hosts a 2-0 cushion at half time.

Early in the second half, Wigan were awarded a penalty for a late challenge on Hill, but the same player saw her effort saved by the goalkeeper and the score remained the same until midway through the second half.

Latics continued to pressure the visitors and were rewarded with a third goal when Bostock tried her luck from 25 yards out and beat the keeper inside her near post. The goal seemed to spur on the visitors and they had a couple of chances of their own as they held possession for longer periods within the Wigan half, but they couldn’t take advantage of their good play and despite further chances for both teams, the game finished without further score.

Wigan have now secured at least a fourth place finish in the league, but will continue their quest for promotion when they travel to Burnley Borrowdale away on Sunday.

Team: Andrea Murray (gk), Amy Garratt, Rachel Taylor, Carly Gallagher, Kate Wilcock,

Sam Baldwin, Lisa Bostock, Shaz Entwistle,

Kerryn Hill, Lindsey Winstanley, Emma Pilling

Wigan kept their third clean sheet in a row and sent Blackpool to defeat with a comfortable 3-0 victory at the Soccer Dome.

The visitors were high on confidence following an excellent result against second placed Brazil in their previous match, but despite their much improved showing they struggled to cope with the passing and movement of the home side and had to defend for long periods of the match.

They were put under pressure almost immediately with Kerryn Hill and Emma Pilling working well to find space down the left. With Latics growing in confidence, they moved the ball excellently across the back line and were finding lots of room in the midfield which Lisa Bostock was using to great effect. It was Bostock’s pass which split the defence for the opening goal allowing Hill to run onto a great through ball and finish with assurance to give Wigan the lead.

This lead was doubled by the same player shortly before half time after Bostock and Carly Gallagher had combined well deep in their own half before playing the ball forward to Hill to add her second of the game and give Wigan a 2-0 half time lead.

Wigan pushed more players into attack in the second half in search of more goals. Shaz Entwistle moved up to support the strikers while regular centre half Kate Wilcock was given a role in centre midfield.

The attacking formation created lots of opportunities for the home side with both Lindsey Winstanley and Bostock hitting the cross bar, the latter with a stunning 30 yard strike. Winstanley also found herself clean through on goal but pulled her strike narrowly wide.

Latics were very comfortable in possession and were making use of all the pitch and playing some lovely football. Blackpool pushed 3 up front in a bid to find an opening but the back line of Amy Garratt, Rachel Taylor and Carly Gallagher were more than up to the task.

Wigan’s third and final goal came from an unlikely source when Wilcock’s effort from 30 yards out beat the keeper and dropped in under the cross bar to give Wigan a 3-0 victory.

Wigan face Bolton Lads and Girls at home on Wednesday and Burnley Borrowdale away next Sunday as they look to continue their promotion challenge.

Wigan continued their good run with a second victory and clean sheet in the space of  3 days in this early evening match.

 Holidays, injuries and work commitments left Wigan with a squad of just 11 but they brushed aside their opponents with a confident display to keep the pressure on the teams above them. Due to their early season F.A. Cup exploits, Latics face a run of midweek matches to catch up their games in hand, and will be hoping that they can continue in the vein that they began last night.

They controlled the majority of the game, allowing Burscough very little in terms of attacking threat, and were deserving of the 3 points.  Kerryn Hill continued her recent good form as she opened the scoring after 10 minutes.

Hill had seen two earlier efforts saved but hit the back of the net on the third attempt with the help of a deflection to give Wigan the lead. Birthday girl Sam Baldwin celebrated her 18th with a goal midway through the first half when she followed in a Lisa Bostock effort and beat the keeper to the bouncing ball to guide a firm header into the goal and give Latics a 2-0 lead at half time. 

Wigan continued to attack in the second half and had many attempts on the visitors goal, while being rarely troubled in defence. Lindsey Winstanley grabbed the third Wigan goal after winning the ball in the box and forcing the ball home despite the attentions of a couple of Burscough defenders.

Winstanley and Hill could both have added more goals before the end of the game but while the home team couldn’t take further advantage of their dominance, they did play some good football in the build up which will stand them in good stead for their busy month ahead.

The game finished in near darkness but Latics were happy to claim a 3-0 victory going into Sunday’s match at home against Blackpool Wren Rovers Reserves.

Wigan finally captured fourth place after beating the team lying in that position in a scrappy affair on Easter Sunday.

 On a difficult surface, Wigan found it hard to get into their passing routine and play their wingers into space, whilst also struggling to beat the offside trap set by the home team. They had very little to do defensively though as the ball was played around the midfield at the start of the game.

Lindsey Winstanley had the first real chance when she found herself clean through on goal only to be undone by the playing surface as she lost her footing with no defenders around. Moments later Winstanley turned provider as her pass broke the defence and found Kerryn Hill in space at the edge of the box and she duly fired the opening goal for the Latics.

Although the opening had been scrappy, Wigan deserved to go one up, and almost scored again shortly after when Shaz Entwistle tried to capitalise on a handling error from the keeper, but she recovered just in time to smother the shot. Wigan’s second goal came with an assist from long throw specialist Emma Pilling. Her throw was flicked goal bound by the head of Entwistle only to be blocked courageously by the keeper. Hill reacted first to the rebound though and calmly headed the ball into the empty net to claim her second of the match and give Wigan a 2-0 lead at the break. 

With a two goal cushion at half-time, Wigan were sent out in the second half to attack the home team and find more goals. They were continuously frustrated by the offside trap though and a fine performance by the Bolton centre back who made a number of covering tackles to save her team from going further behind. Winstanley, Entwistle and Sam Baldwin were all denied by her heroics with only the keeper left to beat.

Wigan’s only defensive scare in the second half came following a deft turn from the centre forward who smashed the ball onto the cross bar from a tight angle, but the Latics held on comfortably despite failing to add any further goals to their own tally to complete a 2-0 win on their travels.

Wigan start a run of midweek fixtures at home to Burscough on Wednesday night at the Soccer Dome, followed by another home fixture on Sunday against Blackpool Wren Rovers. 

Wigan secured 3 points from their visit to Warrington as Kerryn Hill struck a hat-trick to return Latics to winning ways.

 Wigan deserved the victory after playing the better football throughout the game and took the lead within the first 10 minutes. Emma Pilling made a trademark burst down the left wing and delivered a perfect ball onto the foot of Hill who made no mistake to open the scoring.

Despite taking the lead, Wigan struggled to find space in the Warrington half as the home side set their back 4 almost on the half way line and caught Wigan offside on a number of occasions.

The home side then equalised against the run of play when the ball broke on half way and their centre forward outpaced the cover defence and finished at the far post to level the scores. With just moments remaining in the first half, Natalie Spendlove made a great run and cross down the right wing onto the head of Hill who found the back of the net for the second time to give Wigan a 2-1 half time lead.

 The second half began in the same manner with Wigan putting the Warrington defence under lots of pressure. This eventually told when a Warrington defender put the ball into her own net to give Wigan a 2 goal cushion. Shortly after, Kerryn Hill completed her hat-trick to put Wigan 4-1 up and seemingly in control.

Warrington gave themselves a glimmer of hope when they added a second from the penalty spot after a clumsy challenge from Andrea Murray in the Wigan goal at the second attempt. The first spot kick blazed over the bar but the referee ordered a retake after encroachment from the Latics defenders.

Undeterred, Wigan continued to play their flowing football, passing the ball around on a difficult pitch, and this paid off when Winstanley found herself clear on goal and made no mistake with a confident finish to give Wigan a 5-2 lead.

The Latics saved the best for last with player of the match Emma Pilling’s fantastic finish, beating the keeper at her near post after an excellent counter attack to complete the scoring and secure a 6-2 victory for Wigan.

Wigan found their scoring touch in tough conditions on the coast as stand out players Natalie Spendlove, Kerryn Hill and Emma Pilling all found the net as Latics put 6 past the hosts.

 Wigan chose to play into the strong wind in the first half, but this proved to be a good decision as their ability to keep the ball on the floor and play the ball around the home defence produced an early goal for Emma Pilling after her strike was deflected into the goal.

Despite the quality of football on show from Wigan, it was Blackpool who scored next from the penalty spot after Louise Darlington was harshly adjudged to have brought down their striker in the box.

Undeterred Wigan continued to play their own brand of football and this reaped rewards when Sam Baldwin restored the lead after finishing off a great move down the right from Kerryn Hill with a tap in at the far post.

It was Hill who got on the scoresheet next when she finished from a similar position after sterling work from Natalie Spendlove, and Spendlove herself added the next from a tight angle; the ball striking cross bar and post before bouncing over the line, to give Wigan a healthy 4-1 lead at the break. 

Despite having the wind at their backs in the second half, Wigan found goals more difficult to come by, but continued to stretch the Blackpool defence with their switches of play and attacking from the back.

The 5th goal eventually came after Spendlove carried the ball down the right wing and pulled back a perfect ball into the path of Hill who had a simple finish to add her second of the game.

Captain Shaz Entwistle added the final goal of the day when she curled a great effort over the keeper from 25 yards to round of the scoring and give Wigan a 6-1 victory.

Wigan returned to winning ways in this home fixture against Springfields from Preston. Latics dominated the game from start to finish but had to settle for a 1-0 victory after finding the visitors keeper in outstanding form.

 Wigan started strongly after last week’s setback and could have been 3 goals to the good in the first 10 minutes. New strike pairing Emma Pilling and Kerryn Hill were working well together and both forced great saves from the keeper early on. Wigan were playing excellent flowing football, moving the ball from right to left and creating lots of space for wingers Sam Baldwin and Rachel Taylor.

Latics continued to put pressure on the Springfields defence and Taylor struck the crossbar from a corner. More and more chances came and went and the metalwork saved the visitors for a second time when Emma Pilling hit the post from close range. Wigan’s pressure finally told though when Louise Darlington followed in her own header, which had been initially saved by the keeper, to force the rebound home moments before half time to give the home side the lead at the break. 

The second half progressed in a very similar manner to the first. Wigan continued to attack but saw more good efforts saved by the keeper or narrowly miss the target. They maintained their approach of good passing football though and rarely looked under pressure in defence.

The game was tainted by an injury to one of the Springfields substitutes as she suffered a suspected broken ankle midway through the second half when she collapsed after turning to chase a through ball.

Everyone at the club would like to wish her all the best for a speedy recovery.

The game resumed with 20 minutes to play, and despite efforts on goal from a number of Wigan players including Lindsey Winstanley, Emma Pilling, Shaz Entwistle and Lisa Bostock, the visitors held firm and the score remained at 1-0 to the final whistle.

Wigan suffered their first league defeat since the opening day of the season at league leaders Brazil. In an even sided encounter, Wigan failed to take their chances in front of goal and were punished when Brazil converted a corner early in the second half.

 Wigan’s weather-enforced 3 week break was evident at the start of the game as Brazil started much the brighter and forced a corner in the first minute of the game.

Wigan found their way back into the game though and with the strong wind at their backs put continuous pressure on the hosts. Wigan were frustrated by strong defending and safe goal keeping and at half time the score remained at 0-0. 

The second half started much more evenly with both sides putting pressure on their opponents, Emma Pilling was working hard as always to carry the ball forward, while Rachael Taylor put in another fine performance both in attack and defence, but it was Brazil who found the breakthrough when they headed home from a corner midway through the half.

Wigan kept their heads and continued to pass the ball around but despite their best efforts couldn’t find a way through the defence, having two efforts cleared off the line. Wigan finished the game with 10 players when Lindsey Winstanley was harshly dismissed late on.  

Wigan will be looking to bounce straight back when they meet Springfields of Preston at home in the league next week. Despite dropping points today, the league is still the main focus and is far from over.

Wigan claimed a hard fought victory over St Domingo’s in a tight game which could have gone either way. A single goal was only ever going to separate the teams such was the strength of both defences on show, and luckily for Wigan it was the home side that claimed it.

St Domingo’s started the game stronger, taking the game to Wigan and playing some neat football which troubled the home side at the start of the game. Wigan soon got into their stride though and both teams were finding space in their opposition’s half. Emma Pilling was making her usual trademark runs down the wing but was finding her progress halted by some strong St Domingo’s defence. The visitors had a couple of chances from the edge of the box but neither keeper had any serious work to do in the first half which ended scoreless.

Dave Maclean’s half time team talk seemed to spur his players on as they took the game to the visitors in the second half. They started with much more purpose and Pilling was linking well with Lindsey Winstanley out on the left as Wigan piled the pressure on, pinning St Domingo’s into their own half. After a string of corners and efforts from around the box, Wigan should have taken the lead when Pilling pulled a ball back across the goal for Amy Garratt, but she missed the chance as the ball flew over the crossbar, and the game remained scoreless. As the time wore on, it was becoming more inevitable that one goal would settle the match one way or the other.

St Domingo’s were still posing a threat in attack, even more so from set pieces and corners, but Wigan’s back four were solid as always, Rachel Taylor in particular putting in some excellent challenges. Inside the final 10 minutes of the game, Wigan continued to push forward and pressure the St Domingo’s defence, and it paid off when Winstanley found time inside the box to turn the last defender, commit the goalkeeper, and slot the ball home to give Wigan a well deserved lead. Latics knew they just had to control possession in the final moments of the game and see out the time to claim another vital 3 points, which they did successfully to record a 1-0 victory.

With all teams above them winning today Wigan remain in 5th place. They still have games in hand on all teams above them in the league, and can only keep taking the three points on offer week by week to stay in contention. Next week’s fixture is a trip to Burnley Borrowdale in their next league game.

Wigan took all 3 points in their first match since mid November following a run of postponements due to the weather. Latics never looked in trouble and eased back into their stride with a 6-1 win which keeps up their push for promotion. The ladies face a hectic schedule to catch up with fixtures between now and the end of the season and every win is vital.

 Wigan were dealt an early blow when Anna Dempster was forced off early on her return from injury after a bad knock on the ankle, but the home team recovered from the setback and put immediate pressure on the visitors. Amy Garratt, starting the game as striker rather than her usual defensive position, opened the scoring when she flicked on a cross from Emma Pilling which looped over the keeper.

Bolton had much to thank their keeper for, as she made a string of good saves to keep them in the game. She could do nothing when Sam Baldwin burst into the box and finished brilliantly to give Wigan a 2-0 half time lead.  Wigan started the second half slowly which allowed Bolton to advance into their half more than they had previously managed, but the defence rarely looked troubled and as Latics settled back into the game they began to dominate once again.

The next goal came from the ever-energetic Emma Pilling as she drove into the box, rounded the keeper, and slotted home confidently with her left foot. Shortly after Bolton pulled one back when Wigan keeper Andrea Murray could only push a corner into her own net. Lindsey Winstanley replied straight from the kick off to restore Wigan’s 3 goal cushion. The final 2 goals came in quick succession from Amy Garratt’s confident strike past the keeper, and Carly Hutchinson’s far post finish gave the Latics a comfortable 6-1 win. 

The win maintains Wigan’s hopes of challenging for honours at the end of the season. They currently lie in 5th place but have games in hand over all the teams above them and can catch the leaders if results continue to go well.

Wigan took 3 points and improved their goal difference greatly against a weakened Burnley side, with Lindsey Winstanley and Amy Garratt sharing the majority of the goals between them in a straightforward victory.

Wigan took 5 minutes to settle into the pace of the game after a week off, but won an early penalty when Carly Hutchinson was brought down late in the box. Shaz Entwistle saw her penalty saved though before Emma Pilling opened the scoring, rounding the keeper to give Latics the lead. Wigan almost surrendered their lead when an errant back pass came back off the post, but this only served to spur Latics on as they peppered the visitors goal. Burnley, who were short on players from the start of the game, battled bravely but by half time Winstanley had already claimed her hat trick and Wigan lead 6-0.

Wigan’s half time message was to push forward and take advantage of the tiring opposition, and they continued to add to their goal tally. A positional shake up saw usual left back Amy Garratt pushed up front, and this proved to be a great move as she bagged herself 4 goals within a 20 minute period of the second half. Lisa Bostock also added her first of the season on her comeback from a broken arm, as Wigan added a further 7 second half goals to run out 13-0 winners, their biggest win of the season so far.

Wigan claimed a morale boosting win in very difficult conditions thanks to a strong wind blowing off the River Mersey. Thankfully Latics secured a big enough lead in the first half with the wind at their backs to fight off a spirited comeback from the hosts in the second half and take the 3 points with, in the end, a comfortable 4-1 victory.

The wind was always destined to play a part in the game such was its strength and Wigan chose to take the advantage in the first half. The decision seemed to have paid dividends when Wigan took the lead half way through the first half through a Hayley Turner effort which caught the breeze and bounced wickedly over the keeper and into the back of the net. Wigan doubled their lead moments later when Alicia Cain latched on to a through ball and clinically controlled and finished into the far corner.

Brazil had a few chances of their own in the first half which Wigan’s defence dealt with successfully, and Latics continued to use the strong wind at their backs to pile the pressure on the home side. A couple more efforts went agonisingly close before a stroke of genius from Cain put Wigan 3 ahead. A cross field pass from Winstanley was met crisply by the lone striker on the half volley and it flew into the roof of the net. Apparently the home side had drawn straws for the goalie gloves at the start of the game after finding themselves without a goalkeeper, but even a first choice keeper would have struggled to get anything on it such was the ferocity of the shot by Cain.

With a 3 goal lead and confidence subsequently high, Wigan felt confident of pushing on in the second half and securing the victory early. Their thoughts changed though when they realised just how strong the wind was that was now blowing in their faces and making it increasingly difficult to clear their lines and play any sort of flowing football. Brazil did as Wigan had in the first half and laid siege the Latics goal. They had the Wigan defence working overtime from the start of the half but found resolute defending throughout the team. They came very close to scoring when an inswinging corner was headed brilliantly off the line by Anna Dempster to protect Wigan’s lead, but shortly after did get the goal which they probably deserved from an unstoppable free kick which Andrea Murray could only palm into the back of the net.

Undeterred, Wigan fought back again and Cain came within a whisker of her hat-trick when her shot flashed across the face of the goal following a clever chip over from substitute Kerryn Hill. Wigan’s deciding goal came from that very same player not long later though when Hill’s strong run and excellent finish restored Wigan’s 3 goal lead and almost guaranteed the visitors the points.

Brazil to their credit continued to push forward and look for more goals but some sterling work in defence by centre halves Nicol Meredith and Rebecca Owen, along with a late save one on one by Andrea Murray ensured that the hosts efforts would come to nothing and Wigan would indeed record the victory to keep alive their push for the top 2.

Wigan exited the Lancashire Cup at the quarter final stage despite a courageous effort against Premier League opponents. Wigan took the lead and held it for most of the first half, but were on the wrong end of some peculiar refereeing decisions which cost them dearly in the end.

Alicia Cain opened the scoring very early in the first half after a defence splitting pass from Lindsey Winstanley put her through on goal and she finished expertly past the outrushing goalkeeper. After sending shockwaves through the visitors so early, Wigan expected a spirited response from the Northern Premier League outfit, but it didn’t materialise. Wigan continued to find inroads into the Preston defence without being troubled too much at the other end.

Both teams were putting in some heavy tackles which only added to the tense atmosphere in which the game was being played.

The visitors finally found some attacking form, but the Wigan defence, helped out admirably by Lisa Bostock tracking back from midfield, held firm time after time, restricting them to mostly long range efforts. Wigan’s resolution was finally broken by two defensive mistakes, both from Preston set pieces. In a bizarre set of events, Wigan managed to head two own goals within the space of five minutes to gift the lead to Preston.

Despite the set back, Wigan held their heads up and set about restoring parity which they did at the end of the first half with the best ‘goal’ of the game. A flowing move involving Alicia Cain, Kerryn Hill and Natalie Dawber resulted in a fabulous strike from the left winger which left the keeper helpless and the Latics players and fans celebrating as the referee awarded the goal. This was subsequently and belatedly ruled out by the Preston assistant running the line for offside and despite already giving the goal and signalling both teams back to the half way line for the restart, the referee then disallowed the goal and awarded a free kick to the visitors, to leave the home side and their fans astonished.

So at half time, despite a heroic display, Wigan found themselves a goal down in the most bizarre circumstances of the season.

Still fuming from the decision to disallow the goal just before half time, Wigan set about trying to haul themselves back in the game in the second half but found their attacking options quelled by the visitors. With the sun setting in their eyes were finding it more and more difficult to get the ball through to the forwards to find the goal that they so desperately needed. Wigan were dealt a further blow midway through the second half when Preston scored their third goal as a result of a Wigan throw in which was inexplicably awarded to the away team by the Preston linesman and the referee.

Wigan were already feeling aggrieved by the decisions going against them and were dealt a further blow when from a corner, Wigan seemingly forced the ball over the Preston line to reduce the arrears to just 1 goal, only to see the referee again wave play on and give the benefit of the doubt to the visitors.

As Wigan tired both mentally and physically, Preston managed to add flattery to the score line by adding a further 2 goals in the last 5 minutes. The first was aided in a great way by the pitch; it seemed that even the divots were on their side, as a shot heading straight into Andrea Murray’s arms bounced horribly over the top of the committed keeper and into the net. And following the trend of the first half another error from the defence set up the Preston substitute to round off the scoring from close range.

It was a disappointing day for Wigan, but only in terms of the result. Every single player gave 110% for the team and that resulted in a fantastic performance full of pride and fight for each other. There are many positives to take from the game, and many things to be proud of. Each and every one of you played your hearts out and no one can ask for more than that.

Wigan moved comfortably into the next round of the Lancashire Cup after another cup victory. Wigan scored 4 goals in each half and were always in control, and despite striker Alicia Cain netting 4 more goals to add to her ever growing tally, the highlight of the day for players and fans alike was undoubtedly Lou Darlington’s debut goal for the club which sparked riotous celebrations!

 Wigan took control of the game in the early stages as they took advantage of the windy conditions to pin the visitors into their own half. Latics tested the defence and the keeper early on, with Kerryn Hill especially creating problems on her return to the starting 11. Following the frustrations of last Sunday’s F.A. cup struggle, it was a relief to see the deadlock broken early on by a first time effort from Cain who found the keeper wanting as the ball crept in just inside the right hand upright to put Wigan on the front foot.  Wigan took heart from this goal and pushed on for another, which duly arrived when Sophie Elliott danced her way through the defence and finished clinically from close range, giving the keeper no chance. Lytham showed a little more resistance after conceding the second and the score was kept down by a couple of good saves from the goalkeeper. They also managed to find their way into the Wigan penalty box but their best chance of the first half was blocked bravely by Anna Dempster.  Wigan responded by registering 2 more goals before half time as the visitors faded. Cain added her second of the game, followed by the most memorable goal and celebration of the season so far. Lou Darlington collected the ball on the left wing and pushed forward looking for a cross. As the defenders backed off, Darlington found her way into the box and weaved past three defenders before beating the keeper at her near post. The whole team ran over to celebrate and the supporters on the touchline were in raptures. Darlington was still smiling when the whistle blew for half time with Wigan leading 4-0. In contrast to the end of the first 45, the start of the second half was Wigan’s worst period of the game. As the wind picked up and blew in the faces of the Latics players, Lytham started to exploit the long ball and got immediate reward when the final bounce of the ball confused Andrea Murray in the Wigan goal and allowed the centre forward an easy finish despite the best efforts of Nicol Meredith tracking back on the line. It took Wigan 10 minutes to rearrange positions and get back on top but after regaining control of the midfield, it was inevitable that more goals would follow.  Cain bagged her hat-trick goal and followed it with a fourth after a deft touch with the outside of her foot cleverly lobbed the keeper to register the best goal of the day. Elliott also found the back of the net again with a brave finish, (especially as she was suffering from bad blisters after a bad choice of shoes on Friday night) as she slid in with defender and keeper beating them both to the ball and rifling home first time. The other goal of the half went to Kerryn Hill who had worked tirelessly on the left hand side and was deserving of the strike for her overall performance. It was another ball in from the left which bore fruit for the home side as Hill found the back of the net in similar fashion to Elliott. Wigan had a couple of final scares to contend with after confusion over the rulings regarding goal kicks and offsides. Taking advantage of the wind, the Lytham keeper managed to clear half way and all the Wigan defenders on a couple of occasions but after rounding the keeper on the first occasion the Lytham centre forward could only find the side netting, and on the second occasion excellent tracking back by Meredith again forced her into a near post shot that was easily collected by Murray.  

All in all it was a very steady performance which banished the frustrations of the previous week and injected some confidence back into the side. Wigan face their toughest game of the season next week against a strong Bury side in the final round of the FA cup qualifiers. Good Luck girls… I’ll be rooting for you from afar and I have every confidence that we can get a win if we play the football that we have done all year and have confidence in each other.

Wigan were almost left to rue a host of missed opportunities in their latest qualifying round of the FA Women’s Cup, but eventually broke the deadlock after 112 minutes to set up a tough tie against Bury in the 3rd and final qualifier, with the winners name going into the hat for the first round proper. Latics should have had the game wrapped up by half time after playing some excellent football in the first 45, but it took the width of the post to save them from defeat, and another goal from Alicia Cain to secure the win.

On an unusually warm day for mid-October, Wigan set about the task of finding an early goal with enthusiasm and both Lindsey Winstanley and Lisa Bostock in midfield were carving the Sefton defence open with some tremendous passing. The right side was again bearing fruit with Natalie Dawber and Anna Dempster combining well to create a number of openings, but Wigan were frustrated time and again by indecision in front of goal.

The Sefton keeper was called into action on at least 5 separate occasions, and each time was up to the test to deny both Cain and her strike partner Sophie Elliott. As chances came and went, Wigan began to get more frustrated in front of goal and this only led to more missed opportunities.

As the goalless first half drew to a close, Wigan were left to question how they weren’t in the lead, while Sefton must have been thanking their lucky stars that they were still in the game. They had a much greater input into the game in the second half as Wigan blew more chances to score and then let the home side have the best of the play in the final quarter of the game.

As desperation grew, Wigan started to look for the long ball over the top but this only returned the ball to the home side who were growing in confidence the longer they stayed in contention. They almost stole a win with 5 minutes of normal time remaining when they first hit the bar, and then shot just wide from close range. Wigan’s last chances to win it in normal time fell to Dempster and Elliott inside the box, but while Dempster hit the cross bar, Elliott could only blaze over the bar and the game went into extra-time.

The break came at the worst possible time for Sefton and the best for Wigan, and allowed the visitors to get themselves back on top in the game. Despite more missed chances, and a very dubious call against Cain for a shoulder charge when she was clean through on goal, Wigan finally found the back of the net with just 8 minutes of the game remaining and with the possibility of penalties looming. Inevitably it was top scorer Cain who finally managed to beat the keeper, with what she described herself as her hardest chance of the match. Ironic yes, but also fully deserved over the course of the 120 minutes. Wigan can learn much from this game, perhaps most importantly that football can be a frustrating game at times but if you stick to the task, believe in your team mates and work hard for each other, you will succeed in the end.

Wigan won through to the cup stages of the North West Women’s Regional League competition with a convincing victory over Burnley Borrowdale for the second time this season. Despite a terrible start and falling behind inside the first 5 minutes, Wigan had the game won by half time after Sophie Elliott found her scoring touch and completed her first hat trick for the first team within 18 minutes.

Wigan started the game cold after the kit arrived late (blame Google directions) and had no time to warm up before the referee called captain Dempster over for the start of the game. The importance of a good warm up became evident when Wigan were thinking themselves lucky not to be 3 down within the first 10 minutes. They did find themselves behind though, for the first time this season, when the sole Burnley striker burst clear on goal and finished at the second attempt.

Wigan were shaken and living dangerously as two further attempts from the same player were turned away by Andrea Murray in the Wigan goal. It was only then that the Latics awoke and started to play the football that has served them so well in their previous games. This soon resulted in the equaliser as Natalie Dawber put in a super cross from the right hand side which left Elliott with the simple task of tapping into an empty net.

Wigan, and Elliott’s, second came shortly after. This time it was more her own work as she made a surging run down the left, cutting inside a couple of defenders, and beating the keeper easily with a great right foot strike. She completed her hat trick after more sterling work on the right hand side from Dawber and Dempster, with Dawber providing the final cross onto the head of Elliott who powered the ball back across the keeper into the corner of the net.

Wigan were in the ascendancy after stunning the hosts with 3 quickfire goals and were finding both the time and space to play some attractive football. With all the pressure they were creating, it was inevitable the scoreboard would be troubled again. This time it was top scorer Alicia Cain who reacted quickest to a mistake by the Burnley keeper to nod home Wigan’s fourth and send the Latics into half time with a comfortable lead.

As the second half started, Wigan were completely dominating the game and playing almost entirely within their opposition’s half of the field. With Lisa Bostock and Lindsey Winstanley controlling things in midfield, the Latics’ were attacking seemingly at will, with players supporting in all areas of the pitch. It was Winstanley who broke the second half deadlock when her attempt from the edge of the box fooled the keeper who could only push the ball into her own net to put the result beyond doubt. Wigan scored again shortly after as Natalie Dawber opened her account for the club, finishing clinically from the right of the box, driving the ball across the keeper and into the far corner.

With such a commanding lead, Wigan started to push more players forward and Dempster almost got her first of the season but could only find the angle of the post and cross bar after beating the last defender and the keeper. It was in fact Dawber who added her second of the season from a very similar position and finish as the first, and finally Cain who rounded off her hat trick with 2 late strikes, one a tremendous shot across the keeper from the right of the box, and one in the very next attack after rounding the keeper to leave herself an open goal to aim for. This gave the visitors a resounding victory and sent the supporters home happy once again. Wigan are back in F.A. Cup action next weekend as they face Sefton Peronni in the next qualifying round, hoping for more of the same.

Wigan progressed to the 2nd Qualifying round of the F.A. Women’s Cup with a resounding victory, and very assured performance, against higher league opponents Windscale. The Latics made a mockery of the difference in league positions as they had the hosts beaten by half time, to ensure the long journey back through the Lake District was a happy one.

 In the Autumn sunshine, and after the requisite exchanging of handshakes, Wigan set off about their task with great promise as they attacked and threatened from the off. The Windscale goal was tested very early in the piece by a couple of Wigan players before they opened the scoring inside 5 minutes. An attack from the left seemed to have been dealt with by the home defence, but Simone Walley epitomised the approach of the whole team as she spotted and seized upon a loose ball on the edge of the box and finished clinically with a first time effort which nestled in the bottom corner of the net. Windscale were rocked by the early blow, just as Wigan were buoyed by it, and the visitors took full advantage by doubling their advantage shortly after. It was in-form Alicia Cain who inevitably troubled the scorer next, as Wigan found more and more space in their opponents half, cutting through time after time with apparent ease.  Wigan had come into the game prepared for a tough battle, and to find themselves 2-0 to the good so early in the game seemed to give them a confidence boost. They were creating chances at will and both Sharon Entwistle and Lindsey Winstanley went close with long range efforts before Windscale almost got themselves back into the game; the bounce of a long ball into the box was misjudged by Wigan keeper Andrea Murray but Nicol Meredith was alert enough to clear the goal bound ball for a corner.   As the half went on, Wigan’s passing and movement got better with every piece of possession and the next goal was set up by Sophie Elliott from out on the left wing. She collected the ball from just inside her own half and took on the 3 defenders before intelligently squaring a pass for Cain who only had to find the empty net to put Wigan 3-0 up. She almost made it a first half hat trick when she cleverly lobbed her next chance over a stranded keeper, only to see the effort cleared off the line by the last defender. It was Elliott herself who finished the first half scoring when she popped up on the right hand side of the box and beat the keeper at the near post to put Wigan 4 goals clear at the break, a scoreline that no one would have predicted before the start of the game, but which they thoroughly deserved. The half time team talk was predictably more of the same, which is where the Latics have sometimes let themselves down so far this season, and the curse seemed to have struck again when Windscale’s centre forward broke clean through after a mix up between 2 Wigan defenders and finished clinically from the edge of the box. Their joy was short lived though as from the kick off Wigan fed the ball through to Cain who weaved through the defence and deposited the ball into the back of the net to restore the Latics’ 4 goal lead.  This setback so soon after their lift in spirits seemed to knock the last bit of wind out of the home team’s sails and Wigan were left to attack almost at will. Lisa Bostock was finding masses of space in the heart of midfield, Winstanley was troubling the defence at every opportunity, and substitute Natalie Dawber was making huge inroads down the right wing. Last ditch defending, good goalkeeping, and the woodwork on 3 occasions were the only things keeping the Wigan forwards at bay, until Winstanley finally added the Latics 6th goal with an effort from the edge of the box after twisting and turning her way past a couple of defenders, which deceived the keeper and crept inside the post.

Windscale had a couple more chances for a consolation goal but thanks to a second goal line clearance from Meredith, and the determination of the rest of the team to defend as if they were protecting just a single goal lead, it was Wigan that finished the game in the ascendancy. Both full backs, Lou Darlington and Anna Dempster, had good chances on goal saved and blocked respectively, Cain uncharacteristically shot wide when it would have been easier to score, and Winstanley rattled the woodwork once again before the referee signalled the end of the game to send the travelling supporters home happy, and give the team their 4th straight victory at the start of this very promising season. Sefton Peroni await the Latics in the next round.