PREVIEW: WIGAN ATHLETIC (A)

9 February 2023

All you need to know ahead of our next Sky Bet Championship fixture

- Wigan Athletic vs Huddersfield Town
- 3pm Kick-Off at the DW Stadium
- Available to listen on iFollow HTAFC

The Terriers will continue their 2022/23 Sky Bet Championship campaign on Saturday 11 February at the DW Stadium where they will take on Wigan; 3pm Kick-Off.

Town faced a 2-1 home defeat against Wigan Athletic at the beginning of the season, the Terriers took an early lead but conceded two goals soon after.

THE OPPOSITION

Last Season, Wigan Athletic won the League One title following their 3-0 victory against Shrewsbury Town, earning their promotion back into the Championship after narrowly avoiding relegation to League Two the previous season.

However, despite their climb back to the Championship, the Greater Manchester team currently reside in the relegation zone.

Former Latic player Shaun Maloney was appointed manager on 28 January 2023 after the dismissal of Kolo Touré, he has managed his side during one game so far, which resulted in a 0-0 draw against Blackburn Rovers.

ONES TO WATCH

Will Keane

This season, the forward has made 27 appearances for the club and has scored 10 goals and two assists: making him the top goal scorer for the lactics in their 2022/23 campaign. Keane has taken 38 shots at goal and has made approximately 19 key passes so far this season. In the two penalties the 30-year-old has taken he has scored. Keane was a standout performer for the lactics last season and enjoyed the most prolific campaign in his career to date to help fire Wigan to safety in League One against all odds. During the end of last season, he scored five times in the final seven games which saw him earning the PFA Fan’s Player of the award in April.

Will Keane 1920 - PHOTOS_.jpg

Max Power

The midfielder returned to Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2021 after ending a three-year spell with Sunderland. Power has won three League One titles with the Lactics and was made vice-captain of the team in the summer. The 29-year-old made 150 appearances with the club in a 2-1 victory against Doncaster Rovers last season. The midfielder went to complete an unprecedented hat-trick of League One titles in Lactics colours last term, becoming a vital cog over the course of the season. Power is a box-to-box midfielder and has a noticeable presence on the pitch.

Max Power 1920 - PHOTOS_.jpg

Ryan Nyambe

The defender has become a key component of the lactics back-line. Nyambe arrived at the DW Stadium in the summer of 2022 having spent 11 years with fellow Sky Bet championship side Blackburn rovers. The 25-year-old has a notable career in the EFL, with most of it being spent in the second tier of English football. Nyambe had established himself as a regular fixture in the team at Blackburn – amassing more than 200 appearances since he broke through in 2016/17. The right-back has been called a ‘consistent and reliable’ performer and could pose as a threat to Towns attackers.

Ryan Nyambe 1920 - PHOTOS_.jpg

TEAM NEWS

Interim Head Coach Narcís Pèlach will provide full team news during his press conference on Friday 10 February.

KIT

Town will be wearing their third pink kit against Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon.

CLICK HERE to get your 2022/23 third kit!

TICKETS

Tickets are on sale online now – CLICK HERE – and are available to purchase from the ticket office.

Adult – £25
Over 65s – £17
18-21 year olds - £17
Under-18s - £10
Under-12s - £5

Disabled supporters should pay their relevant price class, with a companion ticket free of charge.

TRAVEL

Official coach travel is available for this fixture, costing £17 per person.

Coaches will depart from the St Andrew’s Road car park at 11.45am on match day, Saturday 11 February.

CLICK HERE to book.

iFOLLOW HTAFC

If you’re unable to attend the game, you’ll be able to listen along via iFollow HTAFC!

Town fans will be able to listen to Saturday’s game through our live audio commentary by purchasing either a Monthly or Audio Match Pass to tune in live. You can purchase a Monthly Pass for £4.49 and an Audio Match Pass for £2.50.

CLICK HERE to sign up to iFollow HTAFC!

Match Reports

REPORT: WIGAN 1-0 TOWN

11 February 2023

Defeat on the road at the DW Stadium

A second half goal from Jack Whatmough condemned Town to a disappointing defeat at Wigan Athletic in the latest Sky Bet Championship game of the season.

In a game of few real chances, the centre back’s late header – following Wigan’s best spell of territorial pressure inside the 90 minutes – settled the game.

Interim Head Coach Narcís Pèlach made three changes for his first selection back in charge, reintroducing Etienne Camara and Josh Ruffels into the side and handing a first Town start to Anthony Knockaert.

In a few short days, he had made a few changes to the approach. Town defended in a back four but built in a three, with the right back coming narrow. Up the pitch, there was a clear focus on the high press, with Joe Hungbo in particular putting left back Ryan Nyambe under tremendous pressure whenever he got the ball.

It was an uneventful opening 45 minutes of football at the DW Stadium, but Town did edge it and create the only openings worthy of mention.

Watford loanee Hungbo was the obvious danger man, with his direct style causing Nyambe concerns, and he was responsible for the best two chances in open play. The first came in minute 21 when he barged the defender off the ball to latch onto Tom Lees’ ball forward before charging down the dead ball line; his shot, from the narrowest of angles, was saved by Ben Amos before the Wigan defence managed to scramble the rebound clear.

The second chance came in the 34th minute when the winger won a corner, which was worked short to the edge of the box for Knockaert. He collected the ball on his favoured left before unleashing a 25-yard shot that whistled just wide of the near post.

The former Leicester City winger deserved lots of credit for his work off the ball too – he was relentless in his pressing and tracking back on our left.

Hungbo sent a 25-yard free kick goalwards in the final minutes of the half, but it was easily saved by the custodian low to his left.

Wigan, under new boss Shaun Maloney, tried to switch the ball left to winger James McClean at every opportunity. Town’s right side was forced into a change early in the half when Ollie Turton had to be withdrawn with a worrying-looking knee injury, but Matty Pearson did an admirable job against the Republic of Ireland international in his stead.

The beginnings of the second half echoed the first, with neither team besting the other. Knockaert was still lively, and his penalty box entry just before the hour mark drew a challenge that had him asking for a penalty – but referee Gavin Ward wasn’t interested.

Town were dealt another injury blow when goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík went down soon after – he was replaced by Nick Bilokapic in a triple substitution alongside Jordan Rhodes and Connor Mahoney.

That preceded Wigan’s best spell, as they managed to pen Town into their own half. Despite that, there were no saves for the young Australian to make until the 82nd minute corner that Whatmough headed in at the back post from close range.

The best Town could muster in response was three wide set pieces that were put into the box, but goalkeeper Amos claimed Jack Rudoni’s two deliveries before Mahoney’s late corner was halted by a foul on the ‘keeper from Rhodes.

Town’s team (4-5-1)
Tomáš Vaclík (Nicholas Bilokapic, 61’); Ollie Turton (Will Boyle, 14’), Tom Lees, Matty Pearson, Josh Ruffels (Jaheim Headley, 86’); Joseph Hungbo, Jack Rudoni, Jonathan Hogg (c), Etienne Camara, Anthony Knockaert (Connor Mahoney, 62’); Martyn Waghorn (Jordan Rhodes, 62’)

Unused substitutes
Josh Koroma, David Kasumu

Town booking
Martyn Waghorn (22’)

Gate
12,268

Town fans
2,097