AFTER an impressive win at Maine Road at the weekend, Colne travelled to newly promoted Wigan Robin Park on Tuesday and earned a welcome away point.
Manager Nigel Coates stuck largely to the same selection as Saturday, and Colne made a good start to the game.
After just two minutes they almost took the lead when Jason Hart beat his marker for pace down the right and pulled the ball back to Ashley Carter, who clipped it narrowly wide of the far post.
In the next quarter of an hour, Wigan had goalkeeper Jason Foulds to thank for keeping the scores level after a series of outstanding saves. The first was from Hart’s free kick, which, at full stretch, he managed to turn round the corner. Hart then hit a first-time volley which was destined for the top corner until Foulds’ fingertips diverted the ball over the crossbar. Then from the resulting corner, Tom Fowler rose above the defence but powered his header over the bar.
Foulds was eventually beaten when Ed O’Neil floated the ball into the area, but Anthony McLoughlin’s header rattled off the crossbar.
On 20 minutes Hart beat the defence for pace again and played in Carter, who pulled his shot just wide of the far post.
On 25 minutes Mark Coyne raced clear down the left but his cross was blocked by a last-ditch tackle with three players waiting unmarked in the area.
Minutes later Coyne’s cross to the far post was met by Hart whose powerful volley was brilliantly saved by Foulds.
Then on 35 minutes Colne deservedly took the lead when, from a short corner, Chris Bailey crossed to Carter at the far post, who rifled the ball past Foulds.
At half-time Colne could feel happy with their performance, but the scoreline should have been far greater than a one-goal margin. At the same time Wigan had looked largely ineffective, apart from a few speculative efforts which Chris Thompson dealt with comfortably.
Colne began the second half where they had finished the first. Ten minutes in O’Neil intercepted a pass and crossed to Hart, but his overhead kick flew over the bar. Hart then played in Dominic Craig, who unleashed a rocket of a shot which grazed the crossbar. On 65 minutes Craig cut inside from a short corner, but his shot hit the bar again. Hart had a further two chances after breaking clear but was denied by brave goalkeeping by Foulds.
In the final minutes of the game, as Colne pressed high up the field in search of a second goal, Connor Murphy chased a long clearance into the Colne area and Fowler was adjudged to have brought him down unfairly. Phil Howard stepped up to blast the resulting penalty into the bottom corner, leaving Colne to wonder at an incredible score line.
On Saturday, Colne bounced back from their FA Cup defeat in midweek with an excellent win in the North West Counties League against in-form Maine Road.
The home side were full of confidence and looked dangerous in the opening stages, but the Reds competed well and keeper Chris Thompson looked assured throughout the game.
Dominic Craig forced a corner after a good build-up on 21 minutes, and Thomas Fowler rose high in the goalmouth to head home Kieran Demaine’s well taken corner kick to give Colne the lead.
But Maine Road came back strongly, and a penetrating run by Tom Bentham set the alarm bells ringing in the Reds’ defence.
After 32 minutes Edward Moran made a great run on the right wing, and his low cross found Jerome Bryson, who equalised with a powerful low shot into the bottom corner from the narrowest of angles.
As the second half began, Maine Road came close when Neil Chappell’s diving header flashed just past the near post of the Colne goal, and nine minutes later, Thompson made a great diving save to keep out Tom Bailey’s shot as Maine Road pressed.
But on 55 minutes, Ed O’Neill won the ball and sent Craig away on the right wing. His cross found Paul Fildes, who restored Colne’s lead with a shot on the turn from the edge of the area.
Seven minutes later, O’Neill saw his shot blocked after a great run through the home defence and Bailey’s follow-up shot was parried by the keeper. But as the Reds kept up the pressure, the ball found Fildes wide on the left who fired home a well-driven low shot into the far corner of the net for Colne’s third goal.
The Reds enjoyed a period of dominance with striker Jason Hart looking to get on the score sheet as substitute Steve Pickup joined him in the attack.
In the closing stages, the home side made a late rally but Thompson denied them again with a brilliant save when he held on to Tom Bailey’s point blank header in the Colne goalmouth after 85 minutes.
Colne are at Runcorn Linnets on Saturday, and at home to Squires Gate on Tuesday night (7-45 p.m.).