St James Park: Exeter City v Wigan Athletic (Saturday 21st October 2023)

Down the M5 into Devon as Exeter City took on Wigan Athletic on match day 14 in EFL League One.
After what was an incredible start to the season which saw the Grecians in the automatic promotion places, it has been a sobering period since with 5 losses in their last 6 league matches. On top of that, they have had an adventurous time in cup competitions losing 9-0 to Reading and 5-0 to Arsenal’s Under 21s in the EFL Trophy. But defying the odds last month to knockout Premier League side Luton Town in the EFL Cup.
Meanwhile for the Latics, it is a similar story. After a promising August, the wheels have came off the side with 6 losses in their last 7 league matches, losing the last 4. Something had to give with two out of form sides and within the opening 10 minutes, Stephen Humphrys bravely won a crucial duel against Pierce Sweeney on the halfway line to bring the ball out on the left wing and Wigan had a 2-on-2 counter attack. Humphrys remained calm and slotted the ball into the middle for Martial Godo to slot home.
An early sucker punch for Exeter who attempted to move the ball around and make chances but lacking a large chunk of effective creativity there wasn’t a whole lot of clear cut chances for the remainder of the half.
Into the second half and Exeter were firmly on top of the game, the creativity started to creep into the match but the further issue was finishing off the chances. It seemed to me that Exeter didn’t have a reliable goalscorer which stood out like a sore thumb as Exeter attempted to score with little to no avail. If it was going to happen for Exeter it looked like it would come from Demetri Mitchell on the left wing, he looked the biggest threat. A lot of balls going into the box but no big character to bury the chances.
It was interesting to see a different aspect to Wigan compared to their match against Northampton Town in August. Here, the were practically holding on for bare life to this one goal lead. Their attempts to pacify Exeter worked and they got a extra treat in stoppage time as some brilliant work by Jordan Jones on the left wing came to fruition as he wriggled in and out of two Exeter defenders and then a fortunate deflection took it past Sinisalo. As Wigan ran out victors at full time.
These sides meet again in 2 weeks for an FA Cup First Round tie