Chris Forino was the unlikely derby hero as his first goal in a Wanderers’ shirt ended the Whites’ Wigan woe and propelled them into the play-off places, writes Pete Oliver.
Forino ended more than a decade of hurt as his injury-time winner gave Wanderers a first victory over the Latics for 10 years and a first at Wigan since 2011.
The big defender swivelled in the penalty area to steer home the goal that ended the Whites’ three-game losing run and got their top-six challenge back on course.
And they couldn’t have chosen a better place to do it as players and fans celebrated Forino’s 92nd-minute effort and then lifted the roof off again as Steven Schumacher’s men saw out the rest of stoppage time to claim a deserved three points and the result that means so much to their long-suffering fans.
Too many dark days against their local rivals were forgotten among joyous scenes which Wanderers – who showed all the fighting qualities needed to win a derby showdown – must now look to repeat over the closing weeks of the season to achieve their play-off goal.
Schumacher, who has quickly earned himself a footnote in Wanderers’ history, made two changes to his starting line-up and again tweaked the formation to take on his friend and former boss, Ryan Lowe, whose night ended with a red card and dismissal from the opposite dug-out.
Aaron Morley’s suspension brought Josh Sheehan back into the anchorman role, while Joel Randall got the chance to play in the middle of an attacking three behind frontman John McAtee.
And it was Randall who went close to opening the scoring after a full blooded first 25 minutes in which both sides gave as good as they got as the Wanderers’ man saw a shot deflected just wide after Wigan had failed to clear a throw-in.
It was frenetic and occasionally anxious stuff in which striking the first blow would be key and 10 minutes before the break the way briefly opened up for Sheehan to let fly with a long-range strike which whistled wide.
The best chance of the first half came Wigan’s way, though, as Jonny Smith broke down the left wing and crossed for Maleace Asomoah Jnr to head over the top from six yards out.
That came as a reminder to Wanderers to raise their game and Schumacher’s men started the second half on the front foot as Sheehan began to pull the strings and George Thomason saw a curling shot touched over the bar by Latics’ keeper Sam Tickle.
Spells on top were short-lived as neither side was able to dictate in an increasingly nervy contest but with a quarter of the game to go, the Whites nearly seized the initiative with the opening goal.
A superb cross-field pass from Josh Dacres-Cogley picked out Jordi Osei-Tutu and from his low cross, only the toe end of former Wanderers’ defender Will Aimson prevented Aaron Collins from finding the bottom corner.
It was Wanderers who looked the most likely to go on and get the winner as they forced the issue in the closing stages and Dacres-Cogley got forward to provide another telling delivery which George Johnston volleyed wide from beyond the far post.
And two minutes into stoppage time the breakthrough came as the Whites grabbed the points in dramatic style thanks to the persistence of Thomason – living up to his captain’s role – to win a final corner.
Forino had been a rock at the other end and when he went forward for a last-ditch delivered from substitute Szabi Schön remained calmest man in the place as he waited for the ball to finally drop following a bout of pinball in the Wigan penalty area before steering home what could be one of the biggest goals in Wanderers’ recent history.
Wanderers: Baxter; Dacres-Cogley, Forrester, Forino, Johnston; Sheehan, Thomason; Collins (Mendes Gomes 81), Randall (Matete 81), Osei-Tutu (Schön 88); McAtee (Jones 90+4). Substitutes: Southwood, Murphy, Etete.
Booked: None
Wigan: Tickle; Carragher, Kerr, Aimson; Dale (Robinson 84), McHugh, Norburn (Darcy 79), S Smith, J Smith (Hungbo 54); Asamoah Jr (McManaman 84), Taylor. Substitutes: Watson, Mellish, Weir.
Booked: McHugh, Dale, S Smith, Aimson, Asamoah Jr
Referee: Farai Hallam
Attendance: 15,445 (Wanderers 4,439)