Vale go through to the next round of the competition after hitting six goals
Wigan Athletic 3 (1) v Port Vale 6 (1)
Tuesday 22 September 2015
League Cup – Northern Group C
Reserves Blitz Wigan with 6 Goal Blast
WIGAN ATHLETIC:Owen Evans, Tim Chow, Alex Lingard, Adrian Purzycki (Sam Stubbs61), Arnold Baxendale, Luke Burke, Don Cowie (Danny O’Brien 61), Sean Murray (Matty Hamilton 46), Grant Holt, Louis Robles, Ryan Jennings (Sam Cosgrove 78).SUBS NOT USED:Kelland Absalom.
PORT VALE:Ryan Boot, Chekaine Steele, James Gibbons, Ryan Lloyd, Billy Reeves, Ryan McGivern, Chris Birchall, Michael Brown, Colin Daniel, JJ Hooper, Sam Kelly.
SUBS NOT USED:Calum Ferrie,Aziz Deen-Conteh, Mackenzie Faulkner, Dan Turner, Brad Ede.
half performance. ndSix days after a 2-2 draw in Burslem the teams met again on Wigan’s training ground at Christopher Park in the first Group game of the League Cup in what was the third game between the two teams in all competitions in 11 days and 18 goals in the 3 games. Vale began the mew cup campaign just 7 weeks after losing last season’s final on penalties to Middlesbrough against the team they defeated in the semi-finals and this time with a devastating 2
on the edge of the area and his low drive took a minor deflection as it beat Evans all ends up. Vale almost extended their lead as Birchall just failed to reach a McGivern free-kick as he stretched out a boot, however, the Latics equalised after 19 minutes as a quick break saw Lingard break into the penalty area from the left and Brown got in a tackle that seemed to have taken the ball that Lingard then fell over. The referee had other thoughts and Holt drove home the penalty giving Boot little chance to save. Brown was still arguing with referee 2 minutes later before exhausting his patience and seeing a yellow card brandished.ReevesThe game began with Boot making a point blank save from Roubles after Holt had headed a cross down to his feet just 3 yards out nut Vale responded with a goal after 11 minutes. Brown had a goal bound shot deflected for a corner and from this the ball reached Hooper and his powerful shot was blocked, but the ball came out to
The game began to get a little spicy after this and a tackle from Gibbons on Jennings brought him a long talking too with skipper Lloyd being requested to keep him cool. 5 minutes later Gibbons made a tackle that seemed to have put the ball cleanly out of play but the referee again decided it was a foul and the yellow card appeared again. Vale were continuing to offer the most potent threat and Hooper, Daniel and Birchall combining well to threaten the home teams goal. A mix-up between Boot and Reeves for a high cross saw Jennings have a shooting chance but he put his shot wide and then Lloyd set-up Birchall and his 20 yard shot went just the wrong side of the far post. The half ended level after Hooper and Kelly both had opportunities to put Vale ahead again.
who drove it back into the net from just inside the area.Birchall minute it was 3-1 to the Vale as Hooper collected the ball on the left, cut in, shimmied his defender and then shot low at the ‘keeper; Evans could only parry the ball and it came out to rd glided in the slot home inside the far post. Jennings was then booked for getting in his revenge against Gibbons for the earlier tackles and the in the 53HooperIt took Vale 20 seconds from kick-off to take the lead in the second half as the ball was fed to Kelly out on the left and his floated his cross into the 6 yard area and
who cut in, with a defender in attendance, and coolly put it inside the far post.Birchall who slotted it home. 66 minutes and it was 6-1 as Hooper played the ball out wide to Daniel to race on and slip it past Evans. 2 minutes on saw what was probably the best goal of the lot as Gibbons threw the ball to Hooper on the halfway line; he headed on to Daniel who flicked it forward into Hoper’s run. He surged up the wing and cut a low cross into the path of LloydJust after the hour mark Wigan made a couple of substitutions and the goal frenzy began with a goal every 2 minutes for the 8 minutes. On 62 Vale made it 4-1 when Daniel played a nice through ball for
minute saw the fifth goal in 8 minutes as Grant and Roubles combined well to allow Roubles to convert Grant’s low cross at the near post.thIt was now Wigan’s turn to get into the action with Holt playing a major part. The first saw Grant collect a forward ball, bringing it under control with his first touch and the half-volleying it past Boot into the top corner with his second. Baxendale was booked for clattering Kelly before the 70
That was the end of the scoring but not the action as a Kelly cross was, maybe, kept out at the second attempt by Evans and then McGivern made a saving tackle on Roubles to avert further worries after Holt had created the opportunity. Boot made another good save before Kelly put the last chance of the game well over the bar. Apart from the 9 goals the most interesting thing about the game were the attempts by Grant and Brown, who obviously know each other, as to how much influence they could exert on the referee.
Lindon Roberts – Port Vale Volunteers Group