Wigan Athletic 0-5 Blackpool: Perfect night for depleted Seasiders as they record first win of 2021 in emphatic style

Goals from Marvin Ekpiteta, Jerry Yates, Matty Virtue and an Ellis Simms brace on his first league start saw Neil Critchley’s side win their first League One game since December 15.

With the squad ravaged by injuries and Covid-19, Blackpool just needed a win anyway it came to help reduce the gap to the play-offs.

But they produced some clinical finishing to put the relegation-threatened Latics to the sword, scoring three or more goals for only the second time in the league this season.

With Blackpool missing 10 first-team players, Critchley had little option but to name a similar side that took to the field in the FA Cup against Brighton on Saturday.

In fact, the Seasiders made just one change, with Bez Lubala returning to the side in place of Luke Garbutt, who was missing from Blackpool’s 18-man squad altogether.

This saw Pool revert back to the 4-4-2 system they’ve used so often in league affairs in recent weeks, having trialled three at the back at the weekend.

Daniel Gretarsson, Keshi Anderson and CJ Hamilton continue to be sidelined by injury, while a further six players continue to self-isolate after testing positive for coronavirus.

Demetri Mitchell is one of them, having returned a positive test at the start of last week.

A further five tested positive prior to Blackpool’s cup tie against Brighton, and while the individuals affected haven’t been named, Jack Sims, Ollie Turton, Dan Ballard, Cameron Antwi, Kenny Dougall and Grant Ward are all missing.

This game was in some doubt over the weekend following the positive tests, but another round of mandatory tests took place on Monday, which all returned negative.

Wigan, who started the evening inside League One’s bottom four, made one change from the side that played out a goalless draw against Fleetwood Town at the weekend.

Despite the quagmire of a pitch, the home side looked to get the ball down and play early on as they controlled the lion’s share of possession during the opening stages.

The first sight of goal came the way of the Seasiders, as Jerry Yates saw his shot deflect wide after Matty Virtue had nodded down a deep cross into the forward’s path.

Yates’ strike partner Gary Madine then saw an audacious overhead kick well blocked by a Wigan man after the ball had looped up invitingly for the striker.

After a quiet start, Ethan Robson squandered an inviting chance to give Blackpool the breakthrough.

It followed a well-worked move that saw MJ Williams slip in Jordan Gabriel down the right. The full-back showed the awareness to pull the ball back into the path of Madine, who also showed the presence of mind to dummy and leave the ball for the onrushing Robson, who drilled wide.

The Seasiders were given a let-off just before the half-hour mark when Kyle Joseph, who was recently linked with a move to Bloomfield Road, headed over unmarked from a Tom Pearce cross.

The game wasn’t particularly a pleasant watch, but it soon sparked into life at the end of the opening half.

The encounter swung strongly in the favour of Blackpool, as they scored twice in two minutes to take control of proceedings.

The first came via the unlikely source of Marvin Ekpiteta, the defender stabbing home from close range for his first goal for the club.

It came after both Madine and Virtue had been denied from close-range following a dangerous corner swung into the Wigan box.

Barely 120 seconds later, the Seasiders had doubled their lead following another scrappy, close-range effort.

Pool certainly weren’t complaining though, as Yates capitalised on some hesitant Wigan defending to steer home for his ninth goal of the campaign.

Wigan keeper Jamie Jones got a touch to Yates’ effort but it wasn’t enough to stop it from nestling in the back of the net.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between for the hosts, although they ought to have pulled a goal back at the start of the second half.

Blackpool failed to deal with a low ball in across the face of their goal which went all the way to Joseph at the back post, who sliced wastefully wide into the side netting.

The Latics were made to pay for that miss just two minutes later when Blackpool added their third of the game.

It followed some sublime football, too, as Bez Lubala played in James Husband down the left, the full-back pulling the ball back into the path of Virtue who slammed home emphatically for his first goal of the campaign.

Blackpool got a little sloppy and complacent midway through the second-half, as Wigan began to grow into the game despite the one-sided scoreline.

Husband was required to make an important block at the back post to deny Callum Lang, while the same man was then thwarted by Chris Maxwell a moment later after the Wigan forward had been allowed to embark on a mazy run towards goal.

With the game as good as over, Critchley opted to hand a debut to new signing Kevin Stewart with 20 minutes remaining. Ellis Simms also came off the bench to make his first league appearance for the Seasiders.

The Everton loanee almost made an instant impact, with the striker being played through on goal by Jordan Thorniley only to be denied by a smart save from Jones.

Blackpool saw out the remainder of the game with ease, even finding time to add a fourth two minutes from time.

Simms was the man to net his first Pool goal, tapping home from virtually on the goalline after beating Jones to an aerial challenge.

The Everton man still had time to add a second to make it 5-0, heading home from as close as four yards unopposed from a stoppage-time corner.

The Seasiders, meanwhile, also handed a first league appearance to youngster Rob Apter late on to cap off a perfect night.

TEAMS

Wigan: Jones, Darikwa, Johnston, Whelan, Pearce, Perry, Merrie, Clough (Gardner), Lang, Keane (Aasgaard), Joseph (Crankshaw)

Subs not used: Evans, Robinson

Blackpool: Maxwell, Gabriel, Ekpiteta, Thorniley, Husband, Williams (Apter), Robson (Stewart), Virtue (Sarkic), Lubala (Kaikai), Yates (Simms), Madine

Subs not used: Fojticek, Mariette

Referee: Darren Drysdale

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