The Hatters undertook their second trip on the road within four days, albeit this time with considerably less travelling involved, as they quickly got back to winning ways – as well as extending their unbeaten run to seven games – with a two-goal triumph at near-ish neighbours Wigan.
For the second successive match, too, following their midweek draw at Bristol Rovers’ Memorial Stadium, they were visiting a ground – on this occasion, what, since the start of the current season, has gone by the Brick Community Stadium name – from which they had never before returned home victorious. But strikes late on from the returning Lewis Bate and from Will Collar broke that particular duck, and secured a first league win against the ‘Latics’ in 32 years.
The Hatters took to the field on a cold, damp mid-February afternoon, and showing just a single change from their midweek starting line-up in Bristol. Kyle Knoyle – one of two County starters (the other being Callum Connolly) to have previously enjoyed spells on loan with the hosts – was brought back in to replace Brad Hills, while both Bate and Callum Camps were named alongside Hills among the substitutes following recovery from their respective short-term injuries.
With only 30 seconds on the clock, Ibby Touray struck the inaugural shot of the contest. His attempt from distance stung the hands of home goalkeeper Sam Tickle, before skipper Jason Kerr beat his opposite-number captain Kyle Wootton to the ball on the rebound, and turned it away from danger around the left post.
The hosts, lying just below halfway in the table, fashioned their first chance around the five-minute mark, when Jensen Weir, from just inside the box, blasted an effort beyond the left upright. A 20-minute lull in proceedings then followed, before the next shot of note, from Jonny Smith, was parried beyond the right post by Ben Hinchliffe.
Just after the half-hour, County went close, as Ethan Pye rushed in to meet Ollie Norwood’s out-swinging free-kick – only to see his shot tipped over by Tickle. And a couple of minutes before the break, Owen Moxon cleared the home crossbar from the edge of the area.
There was still time for Hinchliffe to keep out a James Carragher shot with his legs, but County’s Number One went to ground in the wake of the save, and, following treatment, had to be replaced in the first half’s final stages by Corey Addai – making a first League One appearance since early November.
HALF-TIME: Wigan 0, County 0.
Addai was called into action soon after the resumption, when, with a minute of the new half played, he had to dive and smother a low drive from Dale Taylor. And at the other end, eight minutes later, Moxon’s corner from the left found Connolly – whose shot from beyond the far post was kept out by Tickle in front of the stand housing almost 3,500 travelling Hatters.
But chances remained for a while at a relative premium for both sides, as efforts from distance became the order of the afternoon – with one from Collar being comfortably gathered up by Tickle, and Kerr curling another well wide of the left post. The Hatters’ defence played its part, too, as Knoyle and Pye put in excellent challenges respectively to deny substitutes Owen Dale and Ronan Darcy.
Another newly-introduced Latic, the lively Joe Hungbo, then played Darcy through on goal – but Addai was equal to the threat, and used his outstretched right leg to deflect the ball past the left post.
But, with 11 minutes remaining, County’s outfield replacements were to make their presence well and truly felt, as Camps fed the ball into the Wigan box from the left, and, following a Wootton touch, Bate fired home to break the deadlock.
Three minutes later, the Hatters’ tally was doubled – with Camps again on the left to deliver, and Collar running on to convert for his seventh goal of the campaign in all competitions.
As the hosts pressed to reduce their sudden two-goal arrears, Kerr headed towards goal – but Addai dived superbly to tip the effort past the left post. The Hatters then proceeded safely to see out four minutes of added time to make sure of the three points, and a first such haul in Wigan since their 1992/93 opening-day victory – in similarly-speckled yellow and blue shirts to those worn today – at the former Springfield Park ground.
FULL-TIME: Wigan 0, County 2 (Bate, 79; Collar, 82).
Team (3-5-2): Hinchliffe (Addai, 45 + 2); Knoyle, Connolly, Pye; Diamond (Bate, 69), Collar (Hills, 83), Norwood, Moxon (Camps, 69), Touray; Wootton (Capt.), Olaofe.
Unused Subs: Andrésson, Cosgrove, Hamilton.
Booked: Touray, Hills.
Attendance: 12,347 (3,497 away).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
