Wigan Athletic 0-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Saturday, 27th Mar 2021 16:00 Town’s game away against manager Paul Cook’s former club Wigan remains 0-0 at half-time. Kane Vincent-Young made his first start in 17 months as manager Cook made two changes to his Town side with Freddie Sears also returning to the team. Vincent-Young, a late sub at Portsmouth last week, was at right-back with skipper Luke Chambers moving into the middle for James Wilson, who missed out with a knee injury. Sears came into the XI for Keanan Bennetts, who dropped out of the 18 and played a left-sided attacking role with few defensive responsibilities. Alan Judge was on the left but tucked in with Gwion Edwards on the right and Alan Judge on the left. Oli Hawkins was on the bench for the first time having recovered after undergoing knee surgery in January. Jon Nolan, who is out with a knee injury, sat with the subs in the stand. Among the travelling staff for the first time and on the bench was U23s coach Kieron Dyer. Wigan made three changes with former Blue Will Keane, Viv Solomon-Otabor and Thelo Aasgaard coming into the line-up, while Scott Wootton and Jamie Proctor missed out due to knocks, while whilst Dan Gardner dropped to the bench. Prior to kick-off the two benches greeted one another warmly, Wigan boss Leam Richardson having been Cook’s assistant boss at Wigan, Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Accrington. Neither side threatened in a frantic opening 10 minutes but on 13, having made an important clearing header from Solomon-Otabor’s cross from the left, Chambers blocked Lee Evans’s shot from the edge of the box before Sears was sent away down the left with the Blues urged to get forward quickly by manager Cook from the sidelines. The former West Ham man played low into the box for Norwood, who tried to flick on to Edwards but the ball was bundled away from the Welshman with the difficult pitch playing a part. Moments later, Aasgaard was booked for a foul on Judge after the Irishman had taken the ball away from the Wigan midfielder as he looked to shoot from the edge of the box. In the 24th minute when Norwood chased a looping ball over the top and beat Wigan keeper Jamie Jones to it five yards outside the box. The Town striker hooked it towards goal but sent it wide before Jones, the home side’s skipper, clattered into him. Referee Ross Joyce immediately indicated a corner, however, Jones hadn’t appeared to get even close to the ball and was lucky not to have seen a card. Wigan were next to threaten in the 29th minute when Callum Lang played in Keane on the right and the former Town man struck a shot from a tight angle on the right, however, Nsiala slid in to block. Three minutes later, Lang blazed over from distance for the Latics before the Blues began to put the Lancastrians under a spell of pressure, winning a couple of free-kicks in dangerous areas which were sent into the box and defended by the home side. After a spell where Wigan were on top but without working a chance, in the final minute of the half, Edwards played in Vincent-Young on the right of the box from where the ex-Colchester man cut back to Sears, whose effort was deflected behind for a corner. Chambers flicked the flag-kick on at the near post and the ball flew dangerously across goal but without a Town player being able to get a touch. Wigan immediately broke and the Blues looked to be outnumbered, however, a potentially dangerous ball from the right was cut out by Vincent-Young and seconds later the half was brought to a close. Despite not having had too many out-and-out chances, the Blues, looking to get the ball forward quickly to their front pair, had had the better of what had been a scrappy half with Norwood having come closest to a goal with keeper Jones very fortunate to have avoided some sort of sanction for his challenge. In addition, the Blues won a number of corners and free-kicks in dangerous positions, which they ought to have made more of, while Sears’s late opportunity had been well worked down the right. Wigan’s best chance had been Keane’s shot which was blocked with Tomas Holy not forced into a save. Wigan: Jones (c), Darikwa, Johnston, Tilt, Robinson, Ojo, Evans, Aasgaard, Lang, Solomon-Otabor, Keane. Subs: Evans, Whelan, Clough, Gardner, Dodoo, Perry, Long. Town: Holy, Vincent-Young, Nsiala, Chambers (c), Ward, Dozzell, Bishop, Edwards, Judge, Sears, Norwood. Subs: Cornell, Woolfenden, Skuse, Dobra, Harrop, Hawkins, Jackson. Referee: Ross Joyce (Cleveland).
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