Youth team win at Scunthorpe
Latics under-18's completed their pre-season preparations with an emphatic 3-0 victory at Scunthorpe United.Academy Manager Tony Philliskirk wanted to measure his side against opponents who beat them 3-0 in the Youth Alliance Cup last season.
"I wanted to see where we are compared to last year against a side which in pre-season defeated Sheffield Wednesday 5-0," he explained.
Philliskirk was pleased with the latest workout, especially as he was without a number of injured players.
Playing into a blustery wind in the opening half, Latics founded themselves having to defend for long periods which they did well.
And they managed to snatched the lead late in the opening period when Jack Truelove and Danny Byrnes linked well down the left to release Jordan Bove who cut inside and smashed home a shot from 20 yards.
Latics, with the wind behind them in the second period, suddenly found themselves in the ascendancy.
They doubled their advantage on the hour when Byrne cut in from the left and fired an angled shot into the far corner with the help of a deflection.
And they found the net again with 20 minutes left when John Pritchard (pictured) scored direct from an inswinging corner.
Latics, who were without all three youth-team keepers, had to borrow a shot stopper from the Iron. And he excelled making a couple of very good saves."