Accrington get their play-off charge back on track with comeback win over Wigan

Posted Sunday, March 21, 2021 by PA

Accrington got their play-off charge back on track with a 3-1 win over Wigan, who returned to the relegation places.

Stanley had lost their last three games but victory left them three points outside the top six in a tightly-packed table.

It was a breathless start, with Wigan taking the lead inside 40 seconds.

Dan Gardner found Callum Lang who raced forward and fired home his seventh League One goal since signing in January.

Stanley replied in the third minute when Cameron Burgess leapt highest to connect with a Sean McConville free-kick and his towering header found the back of the net.

Lang then fired narrowly off-target and McConville hit the crossbar with a 20-yard volley.

Stanley took the lead in the 15th minute when a McConville free-kick into the six-yard box was forced home off the post by Michael Nottingham despite keeper Jamie Jones trying to scramble the ball off the line.

The Reds increased their lead in the 61st minute after McConville was fouled in the area by Tendayi Darikwa and Dion Charles rifled home the penalty, his 18th goal of the season in the same week as his call-up to the Northern Ireland squad.