A still from a video of the incident in Knocklong which has been shared on social media
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02 Nov 2025
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02 Nov 2025
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Head coach Ryan Lowe admitted Wigan were very fortunate to advance to round two of the FA Cup at the expense of National League South outfit Hemel Hempstead.
The Latics – who won the competition in 2013 – needed extra time and eventually a penalty shoot-out to get the better of their sixth-tier opposition.
Despite taking the lead after 25 minutes through Callum Wright, Wigan surrendered control of the game as Hemel dominated from that point onwards.
After Kyle Ajayi volleyed against the bar from close range at the start of the second half, Hemel were awarded a penalty when Millar Matthews-Lewis was brought down in the box by Matt Smith, who was given a straight red card.
Joe White sent goalkeeper Sam Tickle the wrong way from 12 yards before Wigan were awarded a penalty of their own when Callum McManaman was tripped in the area, only for Paul Mullin to see his spot-kick clip the bar on the way over.
Matthews-Lewis then hit the bar at the other end before Wigan were indebted to Tickle for a couple of great saves, with Will Aimson and Luke Robinson also clearing off the line in extra time.
Wigan made the most of their fortune by winning 5-3 on penalties – but Lowe pulled no punches after.
He said: “Where do I start…the main thing is we’re through. The performance wasn’t great after we scored but you have to give credit for that to Hemel Hempstead.
“I thought they were fantastic, they were brilliant, and I don’t know whether I should say this or not but I will…they are the team that should probably have gone through.
“We were nowhere near our levels, the lads know that, they understand that now.
“We just had that little bit of quality to stay in the game when they were on top and then with the penalties at the end.
“In saying that, if we had scored again after we did, and we’d scored the penalty, it’s a different game, even with 10 men, because we can then see the game out.
“But we didn’t, we made it a real battle for ourselves.”
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