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Whalley brace not enough for Stanley against Wigan

Whalley brace not enough for Stanley against Wigan

Yahoo20-07-2025
Shaun Whalley scored twice but Accrington Stanley lost 4-2 to League One side Wigan Athletic in their latest friendly on Saturday.
Whalley fired home from the edge of the area and then from the penalty spot as Stanley held a 2-0 lead over Ryan Lowe's side.
But the Latics came back in the second half as both sides prepare for their respective campaigns, starting in a fortnight.
Wigan's Paul Mullin has the first chance on 15 minutes, firing across the goal and narrowly wide.
It was an even battle with limited goalmouth action before Whalley opened the scoring on 34 minutes.
He got the ball on the edge of the area and drilled it low into the corner of the net beyond Sam Tickle.
The Latics had a good chance to equalise on 43 minutes when a free-kick into the box fell to Jon Mellish six yards out, but Michael Kelly did well to keep out his effort with his legs.
Just before half time, Charlie Caton rushed on to the ball in the area and swept it goalwards but it was straight into Tickle's arms.
John Doolan made three changes at half time with Ollie Wright, Josh Woods and Tyler Walton coming on for the second period.
Striker Caton had two good chances after the restart, turning and shooting in the area but it was off-target and then a header from close range could not test Tickle.
The Reds pressed for a second and were awarded a penalty on 54 minutes for a foul on Whalley.
Whalley took the spot-kick and celebrated his second goal of the game.
Josh Woods almost made it three on 60 minutes with a superb strike from 20 yards which Tickle pushed away.
Soon after, Doolan made wholesale changes, giving the majority of his squad the run out including Seamus Conneely, who is coming back from an injury sustained last season.
Wigan got one back on 65 minutes when Callum McManaman's cross found former Red loanee Dara Costelloe in the area and he fired into the net.
They levelled on 76 minutes when Maleace Asamoah got the ball in the area and finished well.
Wigan were awarded a penalty on 78 minutes when Josh Woods fouled Jason Kerr and, although Wright guessed the right way, Costelloe squeezed the ball into the bottom corner.
Stanley came close to levelling on 83 minutes when Walton hit the corner of bar and post with a looping effort.
The fourth arrived for Wigan on 89 minutes when Asamoah got the ball in the area and stroked the ball home.
Stanley: Kelly, Sass, Grant, Rawson, Coyle, Whalley, B Woods, Sinclair, Matthews, Caton, Brown. Subs: Wright, Mooney, Henderson, Trialist A, Popoola, Martin, Walton, Smith, Conneely, Tunstall, J Woods.
Attendance: 1,141 (676 away).
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