'keeper the hero as Latics progress to Semi Finals
WIGAN ATHLETIC RESERVES 1
Langley 27
ROCHDALE RESERVES 1
Higginbotham 45
(Latics win 3-2 on penalties)
| How the Pens Went In |
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| Wigan |
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| Rochdale |
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Wigan Athletic reserves are through to the Lancashire FA Senior Cup Semi-Finals after defeating Rochdale reserves 3-2 on penalties.
Rochdale missed three of their five penalties with Lee Nicholls saving the first effort to give his side the advantage.
Conversions from Tomasz Cywka, Tomasz Kupisz and Jordan Mustoe meant that Laurence Bell had to score with Rochdale's fifth attempt.
His shot cannoned off the cross-bar and sailed over to give Graham Barrow's team the victory and a place in the Semi-Final where they will face either Bolton Wanderers, Manchester United or Liverpool at Robin Park Arena.
After 90 minutes the scores were level with Josh Langley putting the home side ahead and Kallum Higginbotham equalising on the stroke of half-time.
Langley gave an all-round impressive performance and took his goal well, heading into the top corner from a Daniel Redmond corner.
And although Higginbotham brought his side back into the game, Latics nearly found themselves ahead moments later, when Redmond's shot was hand-balled inside the area.
The winger showed a great attitude to grab hold of the ball and take the spot kick, but Rochdale 'keeper Daniel Taberner got down well to parry wide. A good save and a good performance from the nephew of Latics' own Mike Pollitt.
Thankfully the youngster did not live to regret the miss, and to be fair Latics could well have been several goals up already that point, were it not for a slight lack of conviction.
Barrow knows the areas that need slight adjustment but he will be very pleased with the style of football his side played and looking forward to a cup semi-final.
Latics: Nicholls; Meace (Rugg, 64), Langley, Amaya, Mustoe; Routledge, McCarthy (McManaman, 57), Cywka, Holt, Redmond; Kupisz
Subs: Williams, Chiocchi, Breeze
Rochdale: Taberner; Flynn, Byrne, Brown, Brizzell; Higginbotham, Benjamin, Bell, Hogan (Andre, 80); Spencer, Manga
Subs: Murray, Tinker, Gray
