Wigan Athletic

 Wigan Athletic v Reading

Sky Bet Championship
DW Stadium
Saturday 30th November 2019

3pm

Journey Time to the ground: 5 hours 30 minutes.  We left home just before 7:45am for the 8am coach pick-up in town and were parked up outside the DW Stadium just before 1:15pm after having a 45-minute stop to grab some lunch at KFC at Keele Services.

Ticket Price: £23

Programme Price: £3

Attendance: 8,965 with 573 Reading fans.

This was my second visit to DW Stadium having previously made the trip up for the Division Two play-off semi-final back in May 2001.  As we had arrived early at the ground, we had a look at the DW Gym and Ninja Warrier course close to where the coach was parked before taking in the club shop.  We then headed to the nearby Robins Retail Park and did some early Christmas shopping at Smyth's Toy Superstore, Boots and TK Maxx.  We ended up with a couple of full shopping bags which came into the ground with us!  We had tickets in the away end which is North Stand behind the goal at one end.  This is a single-tiered all-seater stand with a good view from our seats and comfortable leg room.

To the left of the North Stand is the East Stand.  This is a single-tiered all-seater stand and is when the most vociferous Wigan support tended to congregate.  Opposite the North Stand is the South Stand.  This is another single-tiered all-seater stand and is identical to the away end.  To the right of the North Stand is the West Stand.  This is another single-tiered all-seater stand but is the main stand at the DW Stadium and has the team dug-outs at its front.

The first-half belonged to Wigan and the home side deservedly took the lead ten minutes before half-time when Joe Garner smashed home from one-yard after Chey Dunkley's header had been parried by Rafael Cabral in the Reading goal.  The Latics pushed for a second but were unable to extend their lead.

Into the second-half and Reading were pushing for an equaliser that looked like it wasn't going to come until a crazy five-minute period at the end of the game.  Lucas Boye was bundled over in the box by Dunkley and the ref pointed to the spot.  Up stepped much maligned striker George Puscas who fired his spot-kick straight down the middle to draw the Royals level.  Almost straight from the kick-off Lucas Joao played the ball through to Puscas on the edge of the penalty area who wriggled past two defenders before slotting the ball home from eight yards.  The game had been turned on its head in the space of two minutes but Puscas wasn't finished there, bagging a five-minute hat-trick by slotting home a half-volley from ten yards after Garath McCleary had intercepted the ball close to the Wigan penalty area.  The whole ground was stunned by what had happened and it will mostly probably be the best thing ever to happen to Puscas in a Reading shirt. 

Atmosphere:  The atmosphere wasn't great.  The Wigan fans didn't really make much noise despite being in front for most of the game and although the small away following tried to make some noise, it was difficult in a stadium which was less than half full.

Journey Time home: 4 hours 30 minutes.  The coach left not long after 5pm and dropped us off in town just after 9:15pm after a short stop at Norton Canes services on the M6 toll.  We grabbed some dinner at German Doner Kebab and were home around 9:30pm.

I really enjoyed my trip to Wigan.  It's always good fun picking up an away win but witnessing a five-minute hat-trick was something special and possibly something I'll never get the opportunity to witness again.  It's such a shame that Wigan aren't the best supported team as the lack of atmosphere does temper the away day experience somewhat.