TABLE-TOPPING LATICS ON FIRE
WIGAN produced one of their performances of the season according to first-team coach Anthony Barry as they took advantage of Shrewsbury’s slip-up to go top of League One.
It was an eye-catching performance by the new leaders – who swept aside a dangerous Rotherham outfit with relative ease at the New York Stadium – with Millers boss Paul Warne tipping the Latics to go up.
First-half goals from Will Grigg and Alex Bruce were added to by Michael Jacobs after the break. David Ball’s brilliant first-half leveller for the hosts never looked like being enough with the Millers now six league games without a win.
“This has to be right up there with one of the performances of the season,” said Barry. “We are lucky to have a great changing room with a big team spirit. And we have confidence in them all.
“Our players were calm and relaxed and we played some excellent football. There we really good individual performances too. Alex Bruce was virtually immaculate and got a great goal. You can see why he’s played at the highest level.
“Will Grigg was excellent and we’re delighted for him to get that goal. He gets stick when he doesn’t score but we know what he is capable of.”
The Latics opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Grigg nodded home an inswinging Max Power free-kick but that was cancelled out three minutes later. Ball raced down the left before cutting inside and curling a fine strike into the top corner from 20 yards.
A brilliant double-save by Marek Rodak prevented the visitors regaining the lead midway through the half. Firstly the shot-stopper got down quickly to deny Ryan Colclough before seconds later he clawed away Chey Dunkley’s header.
It only delayed the inevitable though and Wigan were back in front on 28 minutes. With his back to goal, former Hull defender Bruce expertly flicked the ball in off the post from ten yards.
Paul Cook’s outfit extended their lead on the hour. Grigg was well-thwarted by Rodak as he strode through the home defence but Jacobs made no mistake with the rebound – drilling the ball low into the net.
Rotherham pushed forward deep into injury-time and went close through Lee Frecklington and Kieffer Moore.
Warne said: “First and foremost, Wigan were excellent and deserved the victory.
“They are the best team we have played and they will be one of the teams that go up this year.
“I knew it was going to be very tough because they annihilated Doncaster in midweek.
“When I analyse it we’ve played the two best teams in the league in the last two games and I think we were better than Shrewsbury. I can’t say the same about Wigan.”