Wigan Res 0 Liverpool Res 2 (Oct 18 2005)

[TLW]

Wigan Res 0 LIVERPOOL RES 2

Report by Peter Schulz at Robins Park

Scorer(s) - Zak Whitbread, Ramon Calliste Half Time - 1-0 Venue - Robin Park, Wigan Date - Tue 18 Oct 2005 Star Man - Godwin Antwi

 

 

 

 

 

Jerzy Dudek made his comeback for the reserves and was key to a solid 2-0 success against a very strong and experienced Wigan side at Robin Park on Wednesday night. Zak Whitbread and Ramon Calliste got the goals either side of half time but it was the performances of Jerzy Dudek and defenders Godwin Antwi and David Raven that caught the eye on a freezing night in Wigan.

Herrera and MacAuley’s young reserve side fought admirably and ended up worthy winners. The Wigan side included Irish internationals David Connolly and Alan Mahon, as well as Matt Jackson, Emerson Thome and Josip Skoko but the reds defence stood firm.

The management team had made three changes from the team that lost to Leeds United the other week. Dudek, Antwi and Potter came in for Willis, Roque and Hammill.

After a quiet start, the reds had the first chance of the game even though the experience of the Wigan side was clearly showing. Austrian forward Besian Idrizaj played a neat through ball to strike partner Calliste but he delayed his shot and was tackled before he could get in a strike at goal.

Paco Herrera was getting very animated and you could both see and hear him from the dugout on the other side of Robin Park doing his best Pako Ayestaran imitation, though not in the direction of the Wigan bench. He was trying to lift his side and it seemed to work as the reds got more and more into the game. Wigan were looking to play balls to Connolly and partner Litchfield inside the fullbacks but the defence was very concentrated, most of the time.

Danny O’Donnell managed to give it away once, but his partner, the brilliant Godwin Antwi made a very strong challenge on the Wigan forward to win back the ball. The African is a big lad and you could hear the tackle on the back row of the main stand.

David Mannix had the next Liverpool shooting opportunity on 27 minutes but his low shot was well saved by the keeper who dived to his right and smothered the shot. Just before the half hour mark, David Raven and Danny Guthrie combined well on the right and Raven found Guthrie with a forward pass. The winger was fouled and needed treatment. The resulting freekick was whipped in by David Mannix and met majestically by Zak Whitbread who powered an unstoppable header into the top corner of the Wigan net.

It clearly inspired the reds to lift their performance and the reds got better as the half went on. On 38 minutes, another foul on Guthrie gave Mannix another shooting chance, but his 35 yard shot went just over the bar. Unfortunately, Guthrie was injured and had to be substituted. When walking towards the dressing room, he was clutching his groin (or maybe just scratching his balls, I don’t know).

On in his place came promising winger Adam Hammill, who everyone has been raving about recently. Let’s just say he didn’t have one of his better games. He was still looking to go past players but it just didn’t seem to come off for him this time. He played 90 minutes on Saturday and surely wasn’t supposed to have played nearly an hour for the reserves so maybe he was just tired.

A couple of minutes later, the reds had the ball in the back of the net again, following Adam Hammill’s (I know) ball through to Besian Idrizaj, but the Austrian was clearly off side. The Austrian was, again, very disappointing. He’s clearly struggling to adapt, or maybe he’s just not all that good. Only time will tell.

When the whistle went for the first half, Jerzy Dudek had had no saves to make and was still looking immaculate in that bright yellow kit Reebok insists on forcing upon our goalkeepers.

Herrera and MacAuley made no changes at half time and Wigan started the half off looking for an early equaliser. First, a dangerous low cross from the right was met by no one and only a few moments later, Dudek had to make his first save following a decent effort from around the edge of the box.

Wigan were piling on the pressure at this stage and Dudek again had to pull off a truly wonderful save as winger Gary Teale fired in a shot side following a corner from the Wigan left. Dudek tipped it over at full stretch. It would have been a great goal with the ball otherwise destined for the top corner. The following corner lead to brief panic in the reds defence but the header was inadvertently saved almost off the line by David Connolly.

On 56 minutes, Herrera and MacAuley clearly decided to try and shut up shop as Besian Idrizaj was replaced by Lee Peltier who tucked into a central midfield role. Jack Hobbs, who played well, moved a further 5-10 yards back and the reds now looked to be in some kind of 4-1-4-1 formation. Captain David Raven wasn’t having any of that though as he was having plenty of joy getting forward from his right back position.

On the hour mark he burst through the Wigan defence getting on the end of Calliste’s ball inside the full back and he drove a fierce right footed shot low towards the far corner. Unfortunately, the keeper was equal to it.

3 minutes later, Jerzy Dudek again had to come up with the goods as he made a save not too dissimilar to the one from Shevchenko’s initial header in Istanbul. This one was a bit further out and Dudek palmed it away making sure he wouldn’t have to make another miracle save.

With 16 minutes remaining the reds sealed the game as Potter’s attempted through ball was somehow allowed to find its way to Calliste in an onside position and the forward raced through, rounding the keeper before putting the ball in an empty net with his right foot.

The reds were now suddenly looking very comfortable and from here on in seemed content to merely soak up pressure and hit Wigan on the break. The crowd witnessed a strong defensive performance by Antwi, Hobbs and Raven especially.

7 minutes from time, however, Josip Skoko got the ball from the left and he hit a dipping half volley towards goal. With Dudek beaten he was disappointed to see the ball crash off the Pole’s right hand post. Immediately afterwards, Liverpool brought on striker Michael Nardiello as goalscorer Ramon Calliste was given the rest of the night off.

Wigan’s last opening came with a minute remaining of normal time as Connolly, who had been kept very quiet, was sent through. Godwin Antwi launched a well timed tackle, got the ball and then hit both the Irishman and the onrushing goalkeeper. It was typical of the no nonsense approach of the Ghanaian, who picked up the prestigious TLW match report star man award. He was extremely solid at the back and the club seems to be spoilt for centre back choice at reserve level.

Overall it was a very determined performance by a young Liverpool side and they will be confident going into the coming games. Several of the players will no doubt get a chance next Wednesday in the Carling Cup and it will be more valuable experience.

The next reserve game was originally scheduled for next Wednesday at home against Blackburn but with the Carling Cup game on the same night it may well be postponed.


Team: Dudek; Raven, Antwi, O'Donnell, Whitbread; Potter, Hobbs, Mannix, Guthrie (Hammill); Idrizaj (Peltier), Calliste (Nardiello):