Thursday, 6 January 2022

Any Previous? - Latics v Blackburn Rovers

Latics are at home on Saturday for the first time since 11th December as local rivals Blackburn Rovers are in town for an FA Cup 3rd round tie, the two clubs have met on thirty occasions down the years, with the Rovers having the better of those meetings so far.

 


The first four encounters all came in cup competitions as the Latics settled into life as a Football League club, we didn’t meet in the league until December 2005, though the majority of our fixtures (14), have come in the top flight.

 

The first meeting was a 2 legged League Cup tie back in August 86, we lost both 1-3 at home & 2-0 away, Alex Cribley scoring for the Latics in our home leg.

 

We didn’t meet again until the 3rd January 1998 when we travelled to Ewood Park for an FA Cup 3rd round tie, we lost the game 4:2 but it was poor tactics from then manager John Deehan which had cost us dearly, making changes to both the personnel and shape of the team we looked awful in the first hour of the game and found ourselves four nil down.

 

With his hand forced, Deehan threw caution to the wind, changed our shape, brought on David Lowe and set about getting at Blackburn, two goals in six minutes, David Lee and David Lowe scoring, completely changed the emphasis of the game and if referee Neale Barry had shown some mettle in awarding, what was a stone wall penalty, then the result might have had a different outcome. A crowd of 22,402 with over 5,000 away fans, had seen an entertaining game.

 

Latics – Roy Carroll; Scott Green, Colin Greenall, Pat McGibbon, Steve Morgan; Paul Rogers, Roberto Martinez, Ian Kilford (David Lowe 58mins), Jorge Smeets, David Lee, Graeme Jones

Current Latics coach Jamie Beattie made a substitute appearance for Blackburn that day, both Stephane Henchoz and Jeff Kenna started for the Rovers

 

We didn’t play Blackburn in the league until we met on New Years Eve 2005, losing once again, this time 0-3 at the JJB. In fact we had a very poor record in our early encounters, of the first nine meetings we had seven losses, a draw and the only win coming in the 9th game (5-3 classic).

 

A bit of a change around in the last nine though, just two defeats, three wins and four draws, all those games coming in league meetings.

 

Stand Out Game

15th December 2007, what a game this was, two hat-tricks, a dodgy penalty award, red card, penalty miss, giving away a three goal lead, some cracking goals and a great atmosphere.

 

Highlights – Wigan Athletic 5:3 Blackburn Rovers

 

 

Full Record v Blackburn Rovers

Played – 30

Won – 8

Drawn – 7 

Lost – 15

 

Last Six Meetings

Date

Competition

Result

27 Jun 2020

Championship

Latics 2:0 Blackburn

23 Dec 2019

Championship

Blackburn 0:0 Latics

12 Mar 2019

Championship

Blackburn 3:0 Latics

28 Nov 2018

Championship

Latics 3:1 Blackburn

04 Mar 2018

League  One

Blackburn 2:2 Latics

28 Oct 2017

League One

Latics 0:0 Blackburn

 


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