Wigan 2 Shrewsbury 0 - Report
A Chey Dunkley red card four minutes in made it a tough afternoon's work for Shrewsbury Town and ultimately they were comfortably beaten by Wigan.
A sending-off is always likely to have a big impact on the outcome of a match, but when it happens so early in the game it gives you an even bigger mountain to climb.
And that happened to Shrewsbury in Greater Manchester as their skipper saw red in the opening five minutes after bringing down Thelo Aasgaard when he was the last man.
Town battled hard but looked but trailed at the break courtesy of former loanee Stephen Humphrys' effort from outside the box.
The hosts added a second after the break when another former Town player Callum Lang nodded in from close range.
There was a bright spell from Shrews just before the break, but unfortunately, they were unable to build any sustained pressure and they fell to a 2-0 that could have been more.
ANALYSIS
Town's away record coming into this game was something they would want to correct, having only taken four points on their travels so far this season.
Historically the DW was not a happy hunting ground for Shrews though having not won there this century - albeit in only five attempts.
And today did not look like the day that changed after disaster struck within the first five minutes.
Former Wigan man Dunkley hauled down Thelo Aasgaard when he was clean through leaving referee Daniel Middleton no other choice but to send the Town skipper off.
The game is hard enough with 11 men, but playing 85 minutes a man down looked like an uphill task.
The hosts had a few opportunities from Humphrys and Martial Godo, but Marko Marosi produced excellent saves.
The Town boss went to his bench with not even 20 minutes on the clock introducing the legs of Nohan Kenneh in place of Elliott Bennett - harsh on the experienced man but understandable given the circumstances.
The deadlock was broken in the 35th minute when Humphrys was given far too much space on the edge of the Town box, and he slotted it into the corner beyond the helpless Marosi.
Mal Benning was a lucky boy moments later when he diverted a ball onto his own post when clearing, but that was among a bright finish to the first half, which saw Town have a sustained spell of pressure.
It did not come to anything clear-cut in front of goal, but they played forward with confidence and looked to impose themselves on the hosts.
They were unable to keep up the momentum into the second half and Wigan should have added a second.
Humphrys could have got his second of the afternoon, but he missed a sitter from four yards out heading wide and Jordan Jones curled against the bar moments later.
The goal did come when substitutes Callum McManaman and Lang combined on Town's left.
McManaman getting the better of Benning and lofting a cross where Lang was completely unmarked to nod into an empty net.
It could have been more for Wigan as Marosi produced a wonderful stop to deny Aasgaard when he tried to curl one into the far corner.
All in all, it was a tough afternoon for Salop who have struggled on their travels this season.
Teams
Shrews: Marosi, Sraha (Anderson 45), Dunkley, Flanagan, Winchester, Benning, Bennett (Kenneh 20), Perry (Sobowale 64), Bayliss, Bowman (Mata 77), Udoh.
Subs: Burgoyne, Kenneh, Anderson, Pierre, Sobowale, Kirby-Moore, Mata.
Wigan: Tickle, Morrison, Sessegnon (Pearce 67), Hughes, Clare, Aasgaard, Humphrys (Lang 63), Jones (Stones 76), Shaw (Magennis 63), Godo (McManaman 63), Adeeko.
Subs: Amos, Watts, Pearce, Lang, McManamam, Stones, Magennis.
