Wigan bag narrow win over Cambridge!

Luke Robinson’s first professional goal proved decisive as Wigan Athletic claimed a crucial 1-0 home victory over Cambridge United, pushing them 10 points clear of the League One relegation zone.

It was a game that didn’t produce many clear-cut chances, but one moment of magic from Robinson in the second half ensured Latics grabbed a vital three points in their fight for survival. Under the guidance of interim manager Glenn Whelan, Wigan have now taken four points from their last two games, showing some signs of resilience.

Match Stats

• Wigan Athletic 1-0 Cambridge United
• Goal: Robinson 77’
• Attendance: 10,052 (320 away)

Pre-Match:

Wigan was graced with gorgeous sunshine this afternoon, and it’s a pity to say that the performance wasn’t quite as gorgeous as the weather. The lineups were announced at 2pm, and Wigan announced the return of Luke Chambers to the starting XI, a selection which certainly delighted many fans, having expected to be benchbound as he regained fitness, but the clearly the club wanted him involved from the get go. On top of this Wigan changed formation, going from the usual four at the back to five at the back, something we haven’t seen in nearly a year.

Wigan Lineup:

Formation: 4-2-3-1:

Goalkeeper: Sam Tickle

Defence: James Carragher, Will Aimson, Jason Kerr, Luke Chambers

Midfield: Baba Adeeko, Oliver Norburn

Attack: Jonny Smith, Jon Mellish, Ronan Darcy, Dale Taylor

Match & performance:

First half:

The score was 0-0 at the end of the first 45′, and the performance generally consisted of “passing back” & a lack of creativity going forward. In these sorts of games, it’s infuriating to see the Latic’s struggling against relegation battling teams and it’s really difficult to know who to hold accountable for these poor performances.

Second half:

The second 45′ sparked minimal improvement with the boys making a tactical shift after the introduction of Luke Robinson replacing Luke Chambers, and this proved pivotal after Robinson opened the scoring in the 77′ minute. Tapping home the rebound of Nathan’s Bishop’s poor save after spilling Baba Adeeko’s effort.

Full time reaction:

Fair to say the Latic’s were lucky to pick up the +3 and it was a performance fans weren’t the best pleased with. Moving into the coming week, the question now is, who takes over as manager? It’s fair to say Glenn Whelan knows this side well, but I don’t think the performances can be justified and I think within the incoming days a new manager will be appointed. The odds are currently most in favour of, Gary O’Neil, Ryan Lowe, & Paul Warne. However, it was later revealed that Gary was in Wigan to see Warriors rather than Athletic.

Whelan’s Reaction: “The Result Was The Most Important Thing”

Interim boss Glenn Whelan expressed his delight at his side’s resilience and determination following the final whistle. Speaking to Latics TV, Whelan said:

“The result was the most important thing today rather than the performance. It’s been a tough few weeks with the amount of games, and there’s loads we can improve on but the grit and determination from the lads was really pleasing.”

Whelan also paid tribute to the fans who turned out in large numbers despite recent struggles:

“Today it wasn’t about the performance and playing well, it was about giving these fans something to cheer about. They stayed in their numbers and we won the game. Hopefully, next time the fans come back home, we can be better again.”

The win now means Latics are 10 points clear of the relegation zone and have momentum heading into the final stages of the season.

Matchday Vlog

Catch all the action from The Brick Community Stadium, including Robinson’s winning goal, fan reactions, and post-match thoughts!

Man of the Match

Who was your Man of the Match from the 1-0 win against Cambridge United? Vote below and we’ll reveal the winner on the next episode of Wigan Weekly! 🏆

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