AFC FYLDE 2

LATICS 1

AROUND 400 Latics fans made the trip to AFC Fylde to see Latics sign off their pre-season programme and herald the start of a new era for their once crisis club.

But by the time the final whistle went at a wet and windy Mill Farm they might wish they had waited for the real action to begin.

For after the euphoria of welcoming a much longed-for new owner and, as such, a new dawn at Boundary Park they were brought back down to earth with a bump.

The afternoon had started wellAROUND 400 Latics fans made the trip to AFC Fylde to see Latics sign off their pre-season programme and herald the start of a new era for their once crisis club.

But by the time the final whistle went at a wet and windy Mill Farm they might wish they had waited for the real action to begin.

For after the euphoria of welcoming a much longed-for new owner and, as such, a new dawn at Boundary Park they were brought back down to earth with a bump.

The afternoon had started well.

Latics came out to a fantastic following, and the supporters made themselves heard once they spotted their new chairman emerge from the hospitality area and take his place in the directors’ box.

“There’s only one Frank Rothwell!” they chimed in unison, to which the local businessman doffed his now trademark flat cap and waved it in acknowledgement of the away end.

He beamed with enthusiasm and excitement at the birth of his latest project, and first game of his regime.

And Latics enhanced the feelgood factor with an early goal.

Shifting the ball from his left to right foot, Ben Tollitt’s marker afforded him the time and space to look up and pick his spot. And he executed his finish to perfection, bending the ball around the diving Chris Neal and bulging the net, making for a 100 per cent scoring record since signing on Tuesday.

But, barring a half chance for Hallam Hope, that was the only sight of goal they had in what become a frustrating first half, and Fylde hit back with two goals for danger man Nick Haughton - the second a stunning strike on the stroke of half-time.

The goalless second half that followed, although easier on the eye than the first half nevertheless left Latics with just one win from their six warm-up games, while the ended the game with 10 men after the lesser spotted pre-season friendly red card was shown to Liam Hogan in the 78th minute.

It does not, of course, necessarily tally that a good pre-season means a good season, or indeed vice versa, as manager John Sheridan noted: “I’ve been at clubs where I’ve won every game in pre-season, I’ve been at clubs where we’ve struggled in pre-season and you just don’t know what’s going to happen during the season.”

Indeed, this writer felt optimistic after last pre-season, and we all know how that campaign panned out.

But, on this occasion at least, it would have been helpful to tap into the euphoria that has enveloped the club in recent days.

Latics showed glimpses of what they are capable of against Championship and League Two opposition, in Wigan and Mansfield, this summer. And there could yet be more new faces to add to the 10 that have already come in to give the squad strength in depth.

The acid test, of course, comes on Saturday, when Latics have their first taste of life in the Vanarama National League.

Sheridan’s men face their biggest trip of the season, away to Torquay, for what is the start of an unforgivingly hectic schedule, in a notoriously unforgiving league.

Latics are there to be shot at. They are one of the biggest names and biggest clubs in the division.

“We’ve got to be ready,” said Sheridan.

“We’re playing for something next week and hopefully we’re going to get three points. It’s a tough start, it’s a long journey, we’ll have a big following there. This is when it starts now and we’ll start getting judged. I expect us to be a strong outfit.”

LATICS: Norman; Clarke, McGahey (Trialist 60), Hogan (sent off 78), Francis-Angol (Couto 73); Stobbs, Sheron (Trialist 46), Gardner (Burgess 60), Tollitt (Francis-Angol 73); Porter (Fondop 46), Hope (Luamba 60).

Latics came out to a fantastic following, and they made themselves heard once they spotted their new chairman emerge from the hospitality area and take his place in the directors' box.

"There's only one Frank Rothwell!" they chimed in unison, to which the local businessman doffed his now trademark flat cap and waved it in acknowledgement of the away end.

He beamed with enthusiasm and excitement at the birth of his latest project, and first game of his regime.

And Latics enhanced the feelgood factor with an early goal.

Shifting the ball from his left to right foot, Ben Tollitt's marker afforded him the time and space to look up and pick his spot. And he executed his finish to perfection, bending the ball around the diving Chris Neal and bulging the net, making for a 100 per cent scoring record since signing on Tuesday.

But, barring a half chance for Hallam Hope, that was the only sight of goal they had in what become a frustrating first half, and Fylde hit back with two goals for danger man Nick Haughton - the second on the stroke of half-time.

The goalless second half that followed, although easier on the eye than the first half nevertheless left Latics with just one win from their six warm-up games, while the ended the game with 10 men after the lesser spotted pre-season friendly red card was shown to Liam Hogan in the 78th minute.

It does not, of course, necessarily tally that a good pre-season means a good season, or indeed vice versa, as manager John Sheridan noted: "I've been at clubs where I've won every game in pre-season, I've been at clubs where we've struggled in pre-season and you just don't know what's going to happen during the season."

This writer felt optimistic after last pre-season, and we all know how that campaign panned out.

But, on this occasion at least, it would have been helpful to tap into the euphoria that has enveloped the club in recent days.

Latics showed glimpses of what they are capable of against Championship and League Two opposition, in Wigan and Mansfield, this summer. And there could yet be more new faces to add to the 10 that have already come in to give the squad strength in depth.

The acid test, of course, comes on Saturday, when Latics have their first taste of life in the Vanarama National League.

Sheridan's men face their biggest trip of the season, away to Torquay, for what is the start of an unforgivingly hectic schedule, in a notoriously unforgiving league.

Latics are there to be shot at. They are one of the biggest names and biggest clubs in the division.

"We've got to be ready," said Sheridan.

"We're playing for something next week and hopefully we're going to get three points. It's a tough start, it's a long journey, we'll have a big following there. This is when it starts now and we'll start getting judged. I expect us to be a strong outfit."

LATICS: Norman; Clarke, McGahey (Trialist 60), Hogan (sent off 78), Francis-Angol (Couto 73); Stobbs, Sheron (Trialist 46), Gardner (Burgess 60), Tollitt (Francis-Angol 73); Porter (Fondop 46), Hope (Luamba 60).