Wigan Athletic Kick Off Wembley Campaign with a Win | Sam Bolland

Wigan Athletic Secure Opening Win in Vertu Trophy

Wigan Athletic started brightly in their opening group game in the Vertu Trophy, with a Max Power corner being headed goalwards by Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, forcing a decent save out of Blade Earley.

Latics Take the Lead

But Latics weren't to be denied on 27 minutes, when Connor Barrett's cross from the right was just too high for Adam Moseley, only for K'Marni Miller to volley home at the far post.

Villa's Late Rally

Villa came close to an equaliser, but Latics were indebted to Joe Walsh for making a smart save initially, before Sam Bolland got back to head the follow-up off the line.

Latics Double Their Lead

And Latics doubled their lead five minutes before the interval when great work down the right from Barrett led to him finding Moseley, whose shot hit the bar and bounced down before being finished off by a defender.

Late Drama

However, with Latics understandably looking a different side, having made five substitutions, the visitors turned the game on its head with two goals in the space of five minutes deep into the final quarter, with Tommi O'Reilly and Kane Taylor finding the mark.

Costelloe's Late Winner

With Latics wondering how the game hadn't already been put to bed, Dara Costelloe restored the lead inside 60 seconds to make it 3-2 with nine minutes to go, to the relief of all inside the Brick Community Stadium.

Wigan Athletic's Vertu Trophy Campaign Off to a Strong Start

Wigan Athletic's win over Aston Villa Under-21s in the Vertu Trophy is a promising start to their campaign, and they will look to build on this momentum in their next game.

Wigan Athletic's Squad Depth

The win also highlights the squad depth of Wigan Athletic, with several players making their mark in the game.

What's Next for Wigan Athletic?

Wigan Athletic will look to continue their winning form in their next game, and fans will be eager to see how the team performs.

Wigan Athletic's Wembley Campaign

Wigan Athletic's Wembley campaign is off to a strong start, and they will look to build on this momentum in their next game.

Wigan Athletic's Squad

Wigan Athletic's squad has shown great resilience and determination in their win over Aston Villa Under-21s, and they will look to continue this form in their next game.