Wigan Athletic gave their Lancashire rivals Preston North End a good old fashioned lesson in football on Tuesday evening but it was former Preston midfielder Simon Whaley who nipped in with less than a quarter of a hour of this friendly tie remaining to win the bragging rights for Norwich City.

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY – CARROW ROAD – Saturday 1st August 2009
 
NORWICH CITY
Martin 37, 57
Whaley 77
3-2
WIGAN ATHLETIC
N’Zogbia 9
Cho 49

Simon Whaley, who only joined Bryan Gunn’s side just over a week ago, added to his match winning goal against Crystal Palace on on Tuesday and sent Roberto Martinez’s team on their long journey home empty handed after twice taking the lead.

The conditions at Carrow Road were in stark contrast to those witnessed at Deepdale with the sun beating down on a beautifully prepared playing surface.

Sunglasses were definitely the order of the day but not just because of the weather as the near 9,000 fans who were present for the afternoon’s proceedings discovered when the two teams took to the pitch.

The home side trotted out in their usual yellow shirts with green shorts and trim to be joined by a Wigan side sporting their new bright orange kit first modelled at Preston.

Latics deservedly took the lead with 8 minutes on the clock with a beautifully struck low drive from Charles N’Zogbia the former Newcastle United player collecting the ball from fellow midfielder Ben Watson before waltzing past two defenders to line up his shot on goal.

Jason Koumas, making his first appearance in a Wigan shirt since coming on as a substitute for Watson in the last five minutes of the 4-1 defeat against Arsenal at the beginning of April, looked lively down the left and it was his corner on 14 minutes that picked out captain Mario Melchiot but the Dutch international headed wide of the upright.

The Welshman went close himself just before the half hour mark when he raced down the left flank, cut inside and fired a fierce shot across the front of goal from just outside of the area but unfortunately saw his effort sail narrowly over the bar.

Norwich showed a sign of what was to come a couple of minute earlier when former Wes Hoolahan sent Chris Martin racing into the area but the striker, just back from a season long loan at Luton Town, couldn’t finish off the move and his attempt on goal fizzled well wide of the mark.

However his finishing was somewhat better six minutes later as the 20-year-old striker fired home from five yards after Simon Whaley had charged down the right before whipping the ball from the bye-line to find Martin racing in down the middle.

Hugo Rodallega had a fair shout at retaking the lead for Wigan just before half time but the Colombian striker’s 30 yarder was comfortably collected by Norwich’s Australian keeper Michael Theoklitos, another new arrival at Carrow Road.

Martinez yet again made wholesale changes during the break and that, yet again, almost immediately proved fruitful with three of his substitutes combining to put Wigan back in front.

Jason Scotland played a first time ball from a Michael Brown pass into the path of Won-Hee Cho who blasted the ball into the roof of the net from just inside of the area.

Wigan pressed hard for a third but chances for Scotland and Gomez went begging before Mike Pollitt was called into action at the other end of the park as the Wigan keeper was forced into pushing a Simon Whaley effort over the bar.

However Bryan Gunn’s side did manage to pull themselves level moments later when a lapse in concentration in the Wigan defence allowed Chris Martin to collect a loose ball in the area before firing under Pollitt.

Jordi Gomez was then unfortunate, his attempt just wide but with 14 minutes of the game remaining Norwich took the lead with what proved to be the match winner as the hosts hit Wigan on the break.

Matthew Gill and Wes Hoolahan teamed up down the left and Irish midfielder Hoolahan sent a cross field pass to find Simon Whaley sprinting down the opposite wing.

Whaley cut inside and fired home off the inside of the post to secure victory for Norwich and ensure they finished their pre-season campaign unbeaten as they prepare for next weekend’s opening League One tie at home to Paul Lambert’s Colchester United.

Latics will take on St. Mirren next Saturday at the DW Stadium ahead of the trip to Villa Park for the season’s opener a week later.

Referee: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire)
Attendance: 8,927
LINE UP
NORWICH CITY WIGAN ATHLETIC
1 Michael Theoklitos 13 Mike Pollitt
2 Jon Otsemobor 2 Mario Melchiot
3 Adam Drury 3 Maynor Figueora
4 Owain Tudur Jones 4 Lee Cattermole
5 Gary Doherty 5 Titus Bramble
6 Michael Spillane 6 Hendry Thomas
7 Simon Whaley 7 Paul Scharner
8 Stephen Hughes 8 Ben Watson
9 Grant Holt 9 Hugo Rodallega
10 Chris Martin 10 Jason Koumas
11 Wesley Hoolahan 11 Charles N’Zogbia
SUBS
13 Ben Alnwick 21 Lee Nicholls
12 Matthew Gill 12 Erik Edman
14 Simon Lappin 14 Emmerson Boyce
15 Jamie Cureton 15 Michael Brown
16 Cody McDonald 16 Won-Hee Cho
17 Tom Adeyemi 17 Jordi Gomez
18 Paul McVeigh 18 Daniel de Ridder
    19 Tomasz Kupisz
    20 Jason Scotland
    22 Rachid Bouaouzan
TIMELINE
9′     Goal Charles N’Zogbia
37′ Goal Chris Martin    
46′     Player Off Mario Melchiot
Player On Emmerson Boyce
46′     Player Off Maynor Figueora
Player On Erik Edman
46′     Player Off Charles N’Zogbia
Player On Daniel de Ridder
46′     Player Off Lee Cattermole
Player On Michael Brown
46′     Player Off Hendry Thomas
Player On Jordi Gomez
46′     Player Off Ben Watson
Player On Won-Hee Cho
46′     Player Off Jason Koumas
Player On Rachid Bouaouzan
46′     Player Off Hugo Rodallega
Player On Jason Scotland
49′     Goal Won-Hee Cho
57′ Goal Chris Martin    
58′ Player Off Stephen Hughes
Player On Tom Adeyemi
   
58′ Player Off Owain Tudur Jones
Player On Matthew Gill
   
69′ Player Off Chris Martin
Player On Cody McDonald
   
76′ Player Off Grant Holt
Player On Jamie Cureton
   
77′ Goal Simon Whaley