Wigan 3 Chesterfield 1: Spireites back down to earth
Three first half goals, the second and third within a minute of each other, swept Spireites away at a snowy DW Stadium and though half-time sub Ollie Banks pulled one back after solid work by Lee Novak with 11 minutes to go, a miraculous comeback didn't materialise though Chesterfield did dominate possession in the latter stages.
Max Power opened the scoring with a stunner from 30 yards just six minute in; Jay O’Shea had the best opportunity to level after Sylvan Ebanks-Blake fed him down the left but veteran keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen sped off his line to tackle on the box-edge and a blink or two later it was 3-0 as Reece James finished with style from 20 yards before Michael Jacobs slid home after some poor defending.
Wigan approached the second half with a no risk strategy that frustrated the home fans but Chesterfield were unable to create too many gilt-edged chances, the best fell to sub Rai Simons who saw his shot saved, until Banks squirmed the ball under 40-year-old Jaaskelainen.
That mad minute cost Chesterfield the game but Wigan seemed to be playing within themselves for long periods of the game, meaning it was a disappointing afternoon for the 1058 travelling fans who braved the snow and had precious little to warm them up until the final frantic minutes.
Wigan: Jaaskelainen, Wabara, James (Chow 85), Daniels, Pearce, Jacobs, Morgan, Perkins, Power, Vuckic (Davies 70), Hiwula (Wildschut 79). Subs (not used): Nicholls, Barnett, Hendry, Holt.
Goals: Power 6, James 38, Jacobs 39
Chesterfield: Lee, O’Neil, Raglan, Hird, Donohue, O’Shea, Herd (Talbot HT), Morsy, Gardner (Banks HT), Novak, Ebanks-Blake (Simons 65). Subs (not used): Chapman, Gnanduillet, Harrison, Maguire.
Goal: Banks 79
Ref: Ross Joyce (Teeside)
Booked: O’Neil, Herd (Chesterfield), Perkins, Jaaskelainen (Wigan)
Attendance: 9,091 (1,058 from Chesterfield)