Harbinger Of Glory

The free kick came to nothing, and Wigan barely let it breathe before they were back at United.

There were less than a quarter of an hour left to play, and Dawson’s men were looking more and more eager to make use of that time by the passing second, and eventually, they did!

After Carlo received the pass near the halfway line, he looked at the figure of Leo dropping right into the space he was facing!

And so he dragged the ball forward and shaped to lay it back.

Dalot, reading the movement, eased off his press, laxing a bit after chasing Carlo around for the better part of two minutes, but as he did, Carlo turned sharply and went straight past him.

At that, Ten Hag’s voice came from the touchline, sharp, immediate and almost frantic, but Carlo was already into the space.

He carried the ball forward before sending a cross into the box.

The ball left his foot, dipping right between the form of Maguire and Lindelof, but Wigan’s Jake met it with his head, directing the ball toward the far post.

Onana leaned forward, diving eagerly to his right in hopes of getting the ball, and he was glad when he saw the ball whisking just right by the post to his right!

”UUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH,” the Wigan fans groaned as their player came to a halt, slipping his hands over his head!

”Ohhhh, so close,” Drury said as Onana gathered the ball from the ball boy!

”Carlo makes Dalot look completely foolish, and then Jake can’t keep the header down.”

”That’s an escape by Manchester United, but Jake only has himself to blame here! He should be hitting the target from there,” Carragher said flatly.

”That’s a chance, and he’s got to do better.”

After the restart, United barely had time to settle before Reyes collected the ball on the edge of the box.

After winning the ball back, Wigan immediately streamlined another attack and Reyes found himself at the end of it!

He took the ball, and without any setup, he drew his left back and simply struck it.

The shot flew hard and low toward Onana’s near post, catching the goalkeeper off guard, but the former Inter Milan man got down quickly and pushed it away, sending the rebound wide.

It was a save, but not a convincing one.

Onana’s movement looked slightly awkward, his footing uncertain as he recovered.

He had kept the ball out, but there was little authority in the way he had done it.

”That wasn’t a very convincing save from Onana. He doesn’t look comfortable in this game,” Carragher said.

”He needs to get his head back in the game before Wigan sink him further!”

It wasn’t all sunshine for Wigan though as they were also forced to back off after United eventually found their opening through Rashford.

Bruno picked up the ball in midfield and waited for the run.

Rashford had already started moving, slipping between the Wigan defenders before Bruno threaded the pass through the gap.

It was perfectly weighted.

Just enough pace to take it beyond the back three, yet gentle enough for Rashford to collect without breaking stride.

”Bruno sees it...” Drury said as the ball rolled into the space behind the defence.

”And Rashford is away!”

Rashford reached it first and pushed the ball forward, suddenly running into open grass with only Ben Amos between him and the goal.

Amos came off his line immediately; he kept coming, narrowing the angle with every step, making himself as big as possible as Rashford entered the box.

”Amos is coming!” Drury raised his voice. ”Rashford has the chance!”

And he truly did as the goalkeeper threw himself toward Rashford’s feet and for a moment, the goal seemed open.

Rashford still had the finish available, but he couldn’t find it.

He tried to guide the ball across goal, only for the effort to roll beyond the far post and out of play, and suddenly, the chance was gone.

Rashford slowed to a stop, staring toward the space beside the goal as the United fans groaned, almost right in his ear!

”Oh, he’s missed it!” Drury said, almost unable to believe it.

”Marcus Rashford, with all his ability, with all that space in front of him, has dragged it wide!”

Carragher nodded on the gantry.

”Amos does brilliantly there. He doesn’t dive in, he stays big and forces Rashford to make the decision.”

He paused as the replay began.

”But Rashford has to do better. He gets himself into that position, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and at this level you have to punish teams.”

Rashford turned away from goal, hands briefly resting on his hips as Wigan’s defenders jogged back into position.

After that effort, the half burned through its final minutes like neither side had been told it was ending, both teams throwing themselves forward without much concern for what they were leaving behind them, and the football became reckless and brilliant in equal measure.

Ezra cut inside from the right and shaped one from outside the box that Onana tipped wide, a full-stretch save that bought United seconds, until Carlo came in ahead of Dalot to place it low into the bottom corner with his weaker left foot, but the post stopped it as the ball bounced back into play.

At that, the Wigan fans in the away end groaned with the physical pain of people watching something they needed to go agonisingly wrong.

United cleared it, and eventually, the referee’s whistle came, ending the half with both teams drawing blood!

”Half time,” Drury said on the broadcast right after the game halted!

”Manchester United one, Wigan Athletic one. And what a forty-five minutes of football this ground has witnessed.”

Applause came down from both ends, the away section giving it everything they had as down on the pitch the players slowed, stopped and turned toward the tunnel.

”Where do we even begin?” Carragher said.

”This has been an exciting game, and if the first half is anything to go by, I can’t wait for the start of the second half!”