Nick Powell scores twice as Wigan hammer Bury

Posted Wednesday, August 16, 2017 by PA

Former Manchester United forward Nick Powell's second-half brace earned Wigan a 4-1 win over Bury and maintained Paul Cook's 100 per cent start as manager.

After Bury debutant Alex Bruce had cancelled out Michael Jacobs' opener, 23-year-old Powell scored twice in the space of 11 second-half minutes to take his tally to eight in his last eight appearances, with Lee Evans then adding a fourth late on.

It was Powell who teed up Jacobs for the first in the 13th minute with a brilliant cross from the left that the midfielder just had to place home.

However, the lead lasted less than two minutes as Bruce, whose signing on a non-contract basis was only announced just before kick-off, headed home Chris Maguire's corner.

Harry Bunn came close to putting the visitors ahead with two attempts Latics goalkeeper Christian Walton kept out, while Joe Murphy was equal to Chey Dunkley's effort at the other end.

Wigan's lead was restored eight minutes after the break as an unmarked Powell nodded home Lee Evans' pinpoint cross from the right.

Bury were under the cosh at that point and conceded a 64th-minute penalty when Adam Thompson wrestled Ivan Toney to the ground. Powell slammed home the resulting spot-kick to make it 3-1.

It was his eighth goal in his last 318 minutes on the pitch, though a player that has been plagued by injury issues throughout his short career was soon withdrawn to a standing ovation from the DW Stadium crowd.

There was still time for Lee Evans to add an emphatic fourth with a long-range effort that Murphy could only help on its way in stoppage time.