Off Topic Friendlies 2021

Edozie 2-0

 

Ripley not had the best of games

 

Match Report: Manchester City 2-0 PNE
10 Hours ago

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@pnefc

Goals from Riyad Mahrez and Sam Edozie earned Manchester City a 2-0 victory over PNE at the Academy Stadium.

Mahrez opened the scoring for the hosts with a superb free-kick, while half-time substitute Edozie put the gloss on the scoreline in the second half.

The Premier League champions put out a strong team in what was their first game of pre-season, with the likes of Fernandinho and Joao Cancelo starting the tie.


PNE saw plenty of the ball in the opening stages of the match though, and created the first chance of the half, with Brad Potts feeding Tom Barkhuizen, who got the better of Premier League Player of the Season Ruben Dias, but he couldn’t keep his effort down.

City then had a chance to open the scoring themselves 15 minutes in, with Ben Knight sent one-on-one with Connor Ripley, and it was the goalkeeper who came out on top, saving his effort before collecting the ball at the forward’s feet.

The hosts did take the lead ten minutes later, though, as a free-kick from 20 yards, earned by Morgan Rogers, was superbly converted by Mahrez into the top corner.

After Ryan Ledson was denied by goalkeeper Zack Steffan, Barkhuizen had an even better chance to draw level, latching onto a ball over the top, but the City ‘keeper rushed out of his goal to get there just before he could take a shot on.

Just before the break, home forward Cole Palmer had arguably the best chance of the game, but hit his effort over from just six yards.

Pep Guardiola’s men came out with a completely different outfield in the second half, now a much more youthful-looking side, while Greg Cunningham replaced Josh Earl for PNE.

North End had the first meaningful effort of the second 45 and Brad Potts will perhaps be frustrated he didn’t draw his team level, as he headed over the bar on the end of Sepp van den Berg’s cross from the right.

Ripley did well to keep out Edozie soon after, but he was later beaten by the 18-year-old on 64 minutes as he slammed the ball home at the near post.

As the game progressed, Frankie McAvoy chose to make more changes to his side, and of those subs Tom Bayliss was involved in a nasty collision with City goalkeeper Ciaran Slicker, who as a result left the field on a stretcher.

North End had an opportunity to pull one back right at the death, with Joe Rafferty fizzing a great ball across the edge of the six-yard box, but Patrick Bauer was just ahead of it and couldn’t make contact.

PNE starting XI: Ripley, van den Berg, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Earl, Whiteman, Ledson, Potts, Maguire, Barkhuizen.

PNE full-time XI: Ripley, Rafferty, Storey, Bauer, Hughes, Cunningham, Bayliss, Harrop, Browne, Maguire, Riis.

 

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The DW Stadium is a stadium in Robin Park, near Wigan, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The ground is owned and managed by Wigan Football Company Limited, which is 85% owned by Wigan Athletic and 15% owned by Wigan local authority. It is used by Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club, the rugby league club having a 50 years lease on tenancy to play games at the stadium. Built and opened in 1999,[1] it is named after its main sponsor, DW Sports Fitness.[5] In UEFA matches, it is called Wigan Athletic Stadium due to UEFA regulations on sponsorship.[6]

The stadium architect was Alfred McAlpine.[7] Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors moved into it from their long-term homes of Springfield Park and Central Park respectively. International rugby league matches have also taken place at the venue.

Its current capacity is 25,138—seated in four single-tier stands—and its record attendance was on 11 May 2008 when 25,133 people watched Wigan Athletic play Manchester United in the final match of the 2007–08 Premier League season.[8]

MACS VIEW

Odd coincidence was on Springfield Park when they played their first ever home league game against I think it was Grimsby also at the JJB for their first ever Premier league game against Chelsea
Used to go on a regular basis when they were based at Springfield Park saw some memorable games on their, first time ever encountered the Pies was a Northern Premier League cup tie against Chorley at Victory Park, Chorley probably to this day one of thE best games I've ever seen Chorley won 5-4 after extra time in front of 6500.
Friday nights game although a friendly will mean the first time I have seen North End in action since March 2020
Squad wise suspects those who play will probably be the ones who will not be incontention against Hull when the real thing kicks off.
On the Saturday it's United be interesting to see if they sell the 16000 tickets will miss the Reds game but the pre season is almost at an end the season is just over a week off as I write this, been a long time.

 

United off Covid in OT

 

PNE are back in action on Friday evening as they make the short trip to the DW Stadium for a 7.30pm kick-off.

The friendly was due to be part of a double-header, with Manchester United set to follow at Deepdale on the Saturday, but the Premier League opposition unfortunately had to call off the friendly due to suspected positive Covid-19 cases.

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The Latics have had a successful pre-season so far, having won all of their fixtures to this point, including their last friendly against Stoke City.

Leam Richardson’s side, after making a remarkable turnaround to escape relegation last season, will be trying to push themselves into promotion contention during the upcoming campaign in League One.

They’ve had a busy summer so far, adding the likes of prolific goalscorer Charlie Wyke and midfielder Max Power, who has returned to the club.

In the PNE camp, Daniel Johnson has returned to training with the squad following Jamaica’s elimination from the Gold Cup, while Ched Evans and Alan Browne are available again after making their return from injuries over the last two games.

Head coach Frankie McAvoy has suggested he may be looking to try out a different formation when they come up against Wigan, giving him a good chance to take a look at his players in a new system before the Championship season begins next weekend.

 

United given all clear re Covid mmmmmmm interesting

 

Wigan Athletic 3 Keane, Humphreys, Lang Preston North End 2 Darikwa og Rodwell -Grant

Latics: Amos; Darikwa (Trialist 81), Robinson, Whatmough (Aasgaard 76), Long (Smith 86); Naylor (McHugh,86), Power (Costello 87); Trialist (Lang 55), Keane (Massey 65), Humphrys (Carragher 76); Wyke (Lloyd 87).
Subs: Jones.

Preston North End: Hudson; van den Berg, Earl, Bauer, Bayliss, Browne (Leigh 61), Harrop, Rafferty, Maguire, Sinclair, Thomas (Rodwell-Grant 73).
Subs: Ripley, O’Neill, Walker, Trialist, Seary, Nevin.

As pre season games go this was mildly entertainining for the couple of thousand who at times created a good atmosphere in the DW/JJB or whatever it is called stadium
A strongish Latics line up against what in the main will be a League Cup side for North End. We settled quicker and looked the more dangerous with Amos in teh home goal making a couple of good saves one from Thomas. Sinclair seemed to have the beating of the full back and was causing Latics problems but as ever our inability to score was to prove costly.
Against teh run of play Latics broke away and the ball ended up at the feet of Trialist on the right hand side of the box, he pulled the ball back and Keane slotted home with a first time shot which beat Hudson was a good finish. Keane's an odd one has plenty of ability but probably needs a club which will bring that out of him, could Latics be that club.
They could have had a second shortly afterwards but Hudson did well to parry a shot from Darikwa.

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Wigan dominated for a spell before North End took control again,and again Amos pulled off two good saves to protect the lead.
We were level just after the break, a corner was never really clearedand Sinclair put the ball back into the danger zone and Darikwa majestically hammered the ball past his own keeper fom close range. Amos then denied Van Den Berg from a corner before Latics re gained the lead, acres of space down our right hand side, ball into the box, apparently there was a hand ball but it really wasn't well defended and Humphrys scored from close range..
The substitutions started to come a plenty and one of them Lang made it 3-1.

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Bayliss foul on the edge of the box, a decent strike over the top of the wall and in, the home side dominated from then on in although two Harrop free kicks caused Amos problems.With about five to go Bayliss advanced down the pitch played a great ball into Joe Rodwell-Grant who controlled it and slotted home his first ever goal for the club. Earl probably should have done better from a corner heading wide but that was the last chance of the game and Wigan had an 100% record in friendlies.
We have a behind the doors friendly to play against an unknown club to go however hard to see many who played last night playing against Hull
It was god to see some old friends last night and get to remind yourself that the M6 at night can be a no go area add into the mix the one bridge across the River Wyre was shut last night so added 20 miles on to the journey wouldn't if they let you know before hand so you an at least make plans for it

 

Won 5-0 against unnamed opponents