- Match Report | Wigan Athletic 2-1 Stoke City
- Latics run out winners against Sky Bet Championship side
- Goals from Callum Lang and Stephen Humphrys earn victory for Latics
Wigan Athletic earned an impressive 2-1 victory in their latest pre-season friendly against Stoke City as preparations towards the 2021-22 Sky Bet League One season continued.
Callum Lang’s 35th-minute opener was cancelled out by Tom Ince on the stroke of half-time before Stephen Humphrys tapped home the winner in the 80th minute.
Leam Richardson’s side welcomed supporters back to the DW Stadium for the first time in 507 days, as they looked to build on their victories against Oldham Athletic, AFC Fylde, and Bootle FC.
New signings Jack Whatmough, Max Power, Tom Naylor, Gwion Edwards & Charlie Wyke all started, alongside Jamie Jones, Tendayi Darikwa, Adam Long, Tom Pearce, Thelo Aasgaard and Callum Lang.
Nick Powell captained Stoke City on his first return to Latics, with Michael O’Neill naming a strong side including James Chester, Tom Ince, and Sam Clucas.
It was the visitors who flexed their muscles early in the pre-season encounter, with Will Goodwin being able to take advantage of a stumble from Whatmough, but the forward scuffed his shot safely into the hands of Jones.
Latics responded well to their early scare and had their first chance of the evening in the seventh minute but Lang could only guide his header wide from Power’s right-sided corner.
The home side began to gain the ascendancy midway through the first half, with Wyke often using his aerial dominance to bring others into play.
Jones was called in action in the 23rd minute as he punched Ince’s deep free-kick away from danger with a number of players lurking, before Power tried an audacious effort from the half way line in an attempt to catch goalkeeper Joe Bursik off his line.
Latics continued to apply pressure as the first half continued, with Bursik making three strong saves in the space of two minutes.
First, Lang picked up the ball on the turn and saw his low drive denied from outside the area, before Bursik acrobatically tipped Aasgaard’s effort wide after the Latics midfielder did superbly to beat his man and fire an effort on goal. From the resulting corner, Whatmough forced Bursik into another save down to his right.
At the other end, Richardson’s men had to remain alert, as Jones produced a brilliant save onto the crossbar to deny Powell after Ince slid him through on goal.
The hosts made their pressure count in the 36th minute after Lang turned towards goal and unleashed a low strike into the far bottom corner.
Lang had a chance to score his and Latics' second after showing great endeavor to dispossess Ben Wilmot and bear down on goal, but the visitors got bodies back in time to recover and prevent the danger.
The Potters got themselves level in the 43rd minute as Powell sent Ince through on goal, and the winger finished low past Jones.
Stoke started the second half in the same manner that they finished the first, but Eddy Jones could only slice his effort over the crossbar after he was found on the edge of the area by Ince’s cross from the right channel.
With a number of substitions made at the start of the second half, the game produced little in terms of openings for either side, with both adjusting to their new line-ups.
Latics had Whatmough to thank in the 69th minute after the central defender produced a superb block to thwart Clucas from a tight angle after the former Swansea City man had drove into the area.
After surviving long spells in the second half without the ball, and soaking up Stoke pressure, Latics hit their opponents with the winning goal.
Will Keane's pressing from the front allowed him to intercept a short back pass to the goalkeeper, and unselfishly squared it to Humphrys to tap home into an empty net in the 80th minute.
Humphrys almost had a quick-fire double on his first outing at the DW Stadium, with the forward’s deflected effort from outside of the area rolling past the near post.
It was another excellent run-out for Leam Richardson's men against a side in the division above, with Latics next facing Preston North End on Friday evening on home soil.
Latics: Jones, Darikwa(Trialist 76’), Whatmough(Carragher 76’), Long, Pearce(Robinson 76’); Power(McHugh 85’), Naylor(Smith 76’); Aasgaard(Massey 67’), Lang(Keane 45’), Edwards(Trialist 76’), Wyke(Humphrys 71’).
Subs: Amos, Lloyd, McGee, Costello,
Stoke: Bursik(Bonham 45’), Chester(Fox 59’), Clucas(Vrancic 69’), Tymon, Thompson, Wilmot(Batth 45’), Ince(Norton 69’), Powell(Porter 59’), Macari(Smith 59’), Jones, Goodwin(Brown 45’).
Subs: Vrancic, Fletcher, Sparrow, Norton.