Wigan Athletic secured a vital 3-2 victory over Bromley on Saturday to climb out of the League One relegation zone. The win, which featured a first senior goal from Bradley Burrowes, moves the Latics up to fourth-bottom in the league table, swapping places with their opponents. The result lifts them from 24th position, where they had been with just seven points from 12 games, having recorded only two wins and a draw all season.
Kamarl Grant gave Bromley an early lead inside six minutes, but Christian Saydee levelled the score on 18 minutes with his third goal of the campaign. K'Marni Miller then put Wigan ahead midway through the first half, capitalising after Reggie Walsh's shot was tipped onto the bar by goalkeeper Grant Smith. George Saville restored parity for Bromley just before half-time, but the decisive moment came in the 58th minute. Connor Barrett poked the ball into the path of Bradley Burrowes, who fired home the winner for his maiden goal at this level.
How the match unfolded
Wigan dominated possession with 61% of the ball and created the better chances, forcing Smith into several good saves, including a point-blank stop from a K'Marni Miller cross. The game was a physical affair, with the hosts receiving five yellow cards to Bromley's two. The three points are a massive boost for a side that had lost three of their last five league games and started the day 24th in the table with just seven points from 12 matches. Their recent form of two wins and three losses in the last five had included defeats to Leicester and Huddersfield, leaving them 18 points adrift of the league leaders.
Wigan's recent form had been a concern, with heavy defeats to Leicester and Huddersfield preceding this win, making the character shown in this comeback all the more important. The win narrows the gap to Barnsley, who sit 23rd, to just goal difference, setting up a key six-pointer in two weeks' time. Across the season, Wigan have now scored eight goals while conceding 20, giving them a goal difference of negative twelve.
Managerial changes saw Omar Sowunmi replace Adam Jackson in the 32nd minute, while Morgan Fox came on for goalscorer K'Marni Miller in stoppage time. Wigan now turn their attention to an FA Cup tie against Boreham Wood next Saturday, offering a brief respite before the critical league encounter with Barnsley.
