Wigan Athletic vs Luton Town FC (21st Jan 2023)

Report | Wigan Athletic 0-2 Luton Town

The Hatters recorded a second success of the week at Wigan, and fourth win in their last five Sky Bet Championship matches, to move back up to seventh in the table with goals from in-form duo Harry Cornick and Elijah Adebayo.

Cornick opened the scoring with his second goal against the Latics in as many weeks, and was followed in the second half by Adebayo, who scored for the third successive match to move on to six for the season.

Manager Rob Edwards made three changes from last Saturday's league defeat against West Brom, with both Gabe Osho and Louie Watson keeping their places from Tuesday's FA Cup third round replay trip to the DW Stadium, with Alfie Doughty and Allan Campbell amongst the substitutes.

After an impressive cameo off the bench in the week, Cornick started up front alongside Adebayo, who had netted the 97th-minute winner in midweek after also registering against the Baggies.

Fred Onyedinma was in the matchday squad for the first time since October during the victory against Norwich City. The 26-year-old was amongst the seven substitutes, however as was the case on Tuesday, leading scorer Carlton Morris is absent due to injury, with Tuesday's opening goalscorer Cauley Woodrow joining him on the sidelines with a calf injury.

Town started brightly, and James Bree had already gone on a rampaging run down the right, cut short by a trip by James McClean that gave the right wing-back chance to whip a beautiful free-kick towards Adebayo at the far post, before Cornick opened the scoring on 11 minutes.

Attempting to play out from their own penalty area, Cornick pounced as Steven Caulker dwelt on the ball 18 yards out, then stood up to an attempted trip and fired past Amos with the aid of a deflection for his second goal of the season.

Then, on 21 minutes, a prolonged spell of Hatters possession ended with Mpanzu releasing Adebayo down the left, but the striker's effort from a tight angle as he drove into the Wigan six-yard box flashed across the face of Amos' goal.

Wigan had the ball in the back of the Town net in the 24th minute, but Ashley Fletcher's thumping header was ruled out by an offside flag, and although the hosts dominated possession for a 15-minute period, there was no threat to Horvath's goal until a volley from Fletcher that flew high over the bar two minutes before half-time.

Town came flying out of the traps again at the start of the second half, Cornick dispossessing McClean a minute in and pushing the overlapping Bree to the right byline, but Amos managed to claim his cross right off the head of Adebayo.

Horvath had to save a Fletcher shot low by his near post, but by the 52nd minute it two 2-0 with Cornick the provider this time, racing down the right and sliding Adebayo inside to finish with aplomb from the edge of the box.

Edwards made an immediate change, replacing Watson - who had turned in another impressive performance at the heart of the Town midfield - with Scotland international Campbell, and by the midway point in the half he had brought Burke on for Osho, and Doughty for Cornick as the Town boss refreshed the line-up.

Adebayo was booked by referee Andy Woolmer after a flare-up with McClean, who was also shown a yellow card and was soon being dispossessed by Clark, who teed Doughty up for a 20-yard shot that flew just the wrong side of the post.

Chances after that were few and far between, but after three meetings with Wigan in a fortnight, Town were happy to see out a second successive win at this stadium - and fifth in eight matches under Edwards - to send the 1,005 Hatters travelling happily back down the M6.

Goals:

Cornick 11, Adebayo 53

Att: 11,135 (1,005 Hatters)

Reaction | Rob Edwards on victory against Wigan!

Manager Rob Edwards praised his team for a ‘good response’ with two wins against Wigan Athletic in the space of four days.

The latest of which pushed the Hatters up into seventh in the Sky Bet Championship and outside of the play-off places on goal difference thanks to goals in either half from Harry Cornick and Elijah Adebayo.

“It has been very good, the boss reflected. “Really good response after losing a week ago today after being two-nil up. It did hurt us so it has been a really good response.

“The first goal in any game is really key. The second goal then if you get it makes it a little bit more comfortable. I never felt fully comfortable because Wigan put us under a lot of pressure, it was difficult to defend the long balls and up against a couple of big strikers. They’re a big threat but I was delighted with the timings of the goals, thought they were really well-worked goals as well.”

Cornick was one of many to impress at the DW Stadium, scoring his first league goal of the season and setting up the second for his strike partner Adebayo.

“Delighted for him. He’s been brilliant, a really good assist as well for the second goal so his performance was top today.

“Great counter-attack,” Edwards continued on the second goal. “We talked about speeding the game up and it’s hard to defend against that. it was the perfect weight of pass into his path and you just knew that because the pass was right from Corns, it made the finish easier and Eli took it really well.”

It was the fourth successive away win in all competitions and the 40-year-old was delighted he and the team could give over 1,000 Hatters something to shout about.

“We want to be as difficult to play against at home and I think we are. It’s terrific, it shows we can come to difficult places and not only compete but win. It’s great for over 1,000 travelling fans today to see us get the three points so they will be going home happy and we’re delighted they were here today supporting us.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eONtc_OJ-g – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3DUSp4AOQY – Full time scenes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv4p2VTgOH4 – Match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI2-d5SFPXs – Gabe Osho interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiG2EpsSl3w – Reverse angle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15FJr2Loic4 – Harry Cornick every touch

Cornick and Adebayo on target as Hatters beat Wigan again

Championship: Wigan Athletic 0 Luton Town 2

Strikers Harry Cornick and Elijah Adebayo were back on the scoresheet for the Hatters as Luton finally finished their long-running Wigan saga with another victory at the DW Stadium this afternoon.

Having won 2-1 in the FA Cup third round replay on Tuesday night, Town sealed an even more important triumph in what was their third game against the Latics in the space of a couple of weeks, as they claimed all three points with a confident display against the Championship strugglers, who were booed off at full time.

It was the first time the pair, who both reached double figures last term, had been on target in the same game for Town since March 19, 2022 when they netted in the 3-1 victory at Hull City.

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Boss Rob Edwards made four changes from the FA Cup tie in midweek, leading scorer Carlton Morris failing to recover from his calf injury.

With Cauley Woodrow also absent, it meant Harry Cornick came into the starting line-up, with Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu in, Reece Burke, Allan Campbell and Alfie Doughty dropping to the bench where they were joined for the first time since October by Fred Onyedinma.

The visitors forced the early play, James Bree winning a free kick and delivering another magnificent set-piece that saw Cornick's header fall wide.

However, the forward did hit the back of the net on just 11 minutes as with Wigan trying and failing to bring the ball out the back, he easily picked the pocket of recent addition Steven Caulker.

The experienced centre half was unable to bring Town's forward down as the attacker beat Amos via a fairly sizeable deflection to notch his second of the campaign.

The Latics almost stubbornly continued attempting their efforts to play out, Adebayo blocking Caulker again to win a throw-in high up the pitch, the home fans not shy in letting their players know what they thought of it.

Town almost had a wonderful team goal on 20 minutes as keeping the ball in defence for almost a minute, allowing their visiting fans to bring out the ole's, they then then attacked on the left, Mpanzu releasing Adebayo.

He beat Caulker and powered forward, before with the angle decreasing, only just missed the far post with his sidefooted attempt.

It looked like Wigan had levelled midway through the half when Ashley Fletcher thundered in a wonderful header from Charlie Hughes' cross but as the DW Stadium was about to erupt, a linesman’s flag meant those celebrations were cut shot.

The Latics' player and their fans did start to believe though, winning a corner via a desperate Town clearance.

However, their Achilles heel was their efforts in their own third, McClean giving it away as Town won a corner that Gabe Osho couldn't divert on target.

He was then called at the other end to cover round when Tom Lockyer was outjumped, Fletcher hooking another attempt over the top just before half time as Wigan kept the pressure on.

After the break, the Latics tried to maintain the ascendancy, Potts making a good block from Will Keane, as Horvath collected Fletcher's shot, before quick as a flash the Hatters led 2-0 with 53 on the clock.

Playing through the lines, Adebayo found Cornick and the attacker teed up his team-mate to loft over Amos and double the visitors advantage, as Luton demonstrated some ruthless efficiency in the final third to score with both their shots on target.

With Town still getting the better of their opponents in most areas of the pitch, they almost had a third on 76 minutes, a good move on the right seeing Clark’s pass dummied by Mpanzu for sub Alfie Doughty to flash a drive inches wide from the edge of the box.

The final stages saw Town's support turn their attentions to McClean as the Irish international tried to antagonise Adebayo after escaping with a clear foul on the scorer, plus also bursting out into another rendition of the catchy Yaya/Kolo Toure song for the already under-pressure home manager.

Clark, who was terrific in the second period, full of tricks and flicks, could and should have had a penalty when he was felled, but it didn't matter, Wigan never really threatening a consolation, due to Luton's aerial dominance whenever the ball was tossed in.

Even late sub Thelo Aasgaard was unable to test Horvath as he has done so often this term, with Luton now back up to seventh in the table, just goal difference away from the top six once more.

Latics: Ben Amos, Charlie Hughes (Thelo Aasgaard 59), Steven Caulker, Curtis Tilt, Ryan Nyambe, Christ Tiehi (Tom Naylor 81), Max Power (C), Miguel Azeez (Callum Lang 59), James McClean, Will Keane, Ashley Fletcher (Josh Magennis 81).

Subs not used: Jamie Jones, Tendayi Darikwa, Jack Whatmough.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, James Bree, Gabe Osho (Reece Burke 63), Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts (C), Amari'i Bell, Louie Watson (Allan Campbell 55), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark, Harry Cornick (Alfie Doughty 67) Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Luke Berry, Fred Onyedinma, Cameron Jerome.

Referee: Andy Woolmer.

Booked: Adebayo 73, McClean 73, Potts 77, Clark 85.

Attendance: 11,135 (1,005 Hatters).

Edwards lauds Luton's response to Baggies defeat as they earn quickfire Latics double

Hatters earn a second successive victory at the DW Stadium

Luton boss Rob Edwards lauded his players for the response they showed to last weekend’s 3-2 defeat against West Bromwich Albion by completing a quickfire double over Wigan Athletic this afternoon.

Having given away a 2-0 lead when being beaten by the Baggies, the Hatters bounced back in midweek with a 2-1 victory over the Latics to progress in the FA Cup and then picked up a fourth successive away victory when triumphing again at the DW Stadium, securing a 2-0 triumph with goals from Harry Cornick and Elijah Adebayo.

Edwards said: “It’s been very good, after losing a week ago today after being 2-0 up, it did hurt us so it’s been a really good response.

“The first goal in any game is really key, second goal if you get it in the end makes it a little bit more comfortable.

“I never felt fully comfortable today as Wigan put us under a lot of pressure.

"It was difficult to defend the long balls, up against a couple of big strikers, whatever way they did it, with (Josh) Magennis coming on as well, he was a big threat.

“But I’m delighted with the timings of the goals, I thought they were really well-worked goals as well.”