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.