Wigan Cosmos

    Report by Adam Pendlebury

  Well..............................................................what can I say about this one!

  This was The Cosmos heaviest defeat of the season on a shocker of a pitch.
 
  What makes it worse is the fact that the scores were level after the hour mark, it
  was certainly backs against the wall at times but with some superb individual
  performances that had kept Cosmos in the game.

  Pendlebury (Cosmos John O’Shea) returning to his favoured right back
  position made some last ditch tackles and clearances off the line to keep the scores goalless. His one blemish on a magnificent hour was an air-shot when trying to clear the ball. Kieran, Gaz E and Gaz W put their bodies on the line and were party to some rear-guard action. The biggest plus was Chris Needham making an overdue return to the side putting in one of his strongest performances as he battled the physicality of Standish and the elements.

The pitch was a throw back to the 1970’s but there were no Ronnie Radford’s and Ricky George's in the Cosmos side to help upset the league leaders. The midfield and forwards battled hard in the first half but up against Standish's playmaker they struggled to get a grip on the game.

I don’t want to talk about the last 30 minutes as it was gutless. A team who had battled for an hour fell to pieces. They collapsed like Pendlebury after the bleep test. There were a few surprise changes from the gaffer to try and change the game but ultimately the team have to take responsibility. In any case Pendlebury carrying most of the Ashfield Park turf could not have carried on and Needham the other withdrawn player had ran himself into the ground.

It was always going to be difficult for the players coming on to adapt to the swamp like conditions and it was up to the experienced personnel to help carry them through...................................it wasn’t to be.

Positives – 1) Debut of Gaz Weigh at the back, looks assured on the ball and will grow into a ball playing
  centre half when fitter.
 
  2) Bristow in goal was unlucky to be on a losing side. He kept the score under a cricket
  innings v Kenya.
 
  3) We didn’t wear a white kit!

Website MOM – Chris Needham

Man of Steel & Opposition MOM – Adam Pendlebury

Next game is Cosmos Vs Bryn Hall Sun 27th Feb @ Edge Green Street 2.30 KO

1. Bristow

2. A Pendlebury* MOM
3. Evans
4. Weigh
5. OLeary
6. Curran***
7. Jones
8. Gough
9. Eccles
10. Vandenberg
11. Needham** WMOM
 
Subs
12. Doherty
14. Thompson**
15. Miller*
16. Fishwick***
17. S Masterson

* Subs Used In Order