Cheshire League

Division 2

Saturday 27th April 2024

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.04

Wigan Town 1 Mersey Valley 0, attendance 39

60’ 1-0

@ Ince Rose Bridge Sports & Community Club (Ince Rose Bridge A.R.L.F.C.)

Pinfold Street

Higher Ince

WN2 2DZ

No Admission or Programme.

The early kick off here gave the perfect opportunity for a double today, even though it meant an early start for the 232 mile drive north to Ince, just east of Wigan. Wigan Town play at the ground of Ince Rose Bridge rugby league club, which means I’ll return to see a game here again one day, as under my rules of ground hopping, I like to visit a ground to see each sport that’s played at a venue.

The pitch is fully railed, with plenty of advert board infills and has a couple of dugouts on one side, as well as being floodlit. The small car park is behind the entrance goal end, which also houses the clubhouse (great collection of well known RL player’s signed shirts on display inside), which was open for business well before kick off and a tea bar was in operation as well, serving from a hatch in view of the pitch. Hot and cold food/drinks were available.

Wigan Town are rock bottom of the league table, having lost all bar one of their 27 league games so far (4-3 away win at Sandbach Town Ramblers) and lost the reverse fixture with today’s opposition 12-0 back in September (one of six double digit defeats they’ve suffered this season) so it didn’t look too promising for them. However, they’ve only lost narrowly in their last couple of matches, so perhaps things are starting to turn in their favour now. A lot of clubs, certainly down here in the south east, would have thrown in the towel by now and would have certainly failed to ‘raise a team’ (can’t be bothered to raise a team in truth) on numerous occasions, but full credit to Wigan Town in completing their season today, having played all 28 league fixtures.

The game never set the world alight, but was competitive throughout and no one could begrudge the hosts their first home win of the season (apart from Mersey Valley of course, but they are safe in mid table, so probably not that bothered). The only goal came on the hour, when a corner was cleared to the edge of the 18 yard box and returned with a first time shot that looped into the top corner, despite the ‘keeper getting a hand to it.

The game was over by 13.50, which left me ample time to head off for my second game of the day.