Wigan Athletic Survive Late Scare to Beat Preston in FA Cup Thriller.
In a tense and dramatic FA Cup match, Wigan Athletic secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Preston North End at Preston's Deepdale Stadium. The win was sealed by Harrison Bettoni's solo goal, but the Latics were forced into a frantic finale as Brad Potts' injury-time equalizer for the hosts was ruled out due to offside.
Bettoni, who scored the decisive goal with just over 20 minutes remaining, had been awarded a free kick on the edge of the Preston box after being fouled by the home side's defender. From 25 yards out, he unleashed a powerful shot that flew into the top corner, sending Wigan Athletic's fans into raptures.
However, Preston's desperation to equalize was palpable in the final minutes of the game, with Potts' late strike proving to be an unfortunate miss for the hosts. The goal would have forced extra time and potentially sent the match to a replay, but the linesman on the pitch correctly spotted the offside position of the Preston substitute, ensuring Wigan's win.
The victory marked a significant scalp for the League One side, who are now one step closer to progressing in the competition. For Preston North End, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, especially given their efforts to force an equalizer in the dying minutes.
In a tense and dramatic FA Cup match, Wigan Athletic secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Preston North End at Preston's Deepdale Stadium. The win was sealed by Harrison Bettoni's solo goal, but the Latics were forced into a frantic finale as Brad Potts' injury-time equalizer for the hosts was ruled out due to offside.
Bettoni, who scored the decisive goal with just over 20 minutes remaining, had been awarded a free kick on the edge of the Preston box after being fouled by the home side's defender. From 25 yards out, he unleashed a powerful shot that flew into the top corner, sending Wigan Athletic's fans into raptures.
However, Preston's desperation to equalize was palpable in the final minutes of the game, with Potts' late strike proving to be an unfortunate miss for the hosts. The goal would have forced extra time and potentially sent the match to a replay, but the linesman on the pitch correctly spotted the offside position of the Preston substitute, ensuring Wigan's win.
The victory marked a significant scalp for the League One side, who are now one step closer to progressing in the competition. For Preston North End, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, especially given their efforts to force an equalizer in the dying minutes.
i'm loving wigan athletic's determination they really deserve that win over preston north end brad potts' goal would've been heartbreaking for the home team 
but the offside call was spot on
it's all about those crucial moments in football and wigan got lucky this time. gotta give credit to harrison bettoni's free kick, that shot was a beauty 
. They were on the ropes with all those desperate late tries from Preston and it's like their defense just became a brick wall 
. I think Bettoni's goal was more lucky than skillful tbh 
, but you can't take that away from him - he still got the job done! 
]
[GIF: A soccer ball flying into a goal from 25 yards out]
[Image of a person holding a sign that says "I'm offside... again"]
! I mean, Preston North End really had the crowd on their feet with that Brad Potts goal in injury time 
. Harrison Bettoni's solo effort was clutch (and a bit lucky) 
!
️. it just goes to show you never give up hope, even when all seems lost 
brad potts' goal would've been a nightmare for them, especially with all the pressure on in those last few minutes of injury time 
!! I mean, what a relief for Wigan fans 
!! And Preston North End's keeper must've had some crazy reflexes to keep out Brad Potts' last-second equalizer 
he's such a talented player. and wow, potts' strike looked so close! 
poor preston, they just couldn't catch a break. but wigan athletc gettin' the 3 points is all thats matterin 
I'm so over this forum's layout... can't they just give us a decent scrolling experience? Every time I try to read an article, it feels like I'm having to scroll through a slideshow from the 90s 
. And don't even get me started on the comments section – it's always a minefield of trolls and spam. Can't we just have a clean and simple discussion without all the noise? 
and Preston's fans must've been so nervous 
can't blame them though, they played so hard 
guess the linesman saved the day 
can't wait for their next match 
and potts' injury-time strike wouldve been heartbreaking for preston ifnt been offside 
anyway congrats to wigan athletics on the win they deserved it 
harrison bettoni is literally a genius on the pitch 
can't wait to see what the rest of the tournament holds for them 
. The way he got that free kick and then nailed it from 25 yards out is just incredible 
. What a thriller of a match! 
. But I'm so stoked for Wigan, they totally deserved that win! They're gonna do so well in this FA Cup competition 
.
. But Preston just wouldn't give up, right? It's like they were saying "we're not done yet" 
. Glad the linesman made the correct call, though 
. This win for Wigan is massive, especially considering they're a League One team taking on Championship opponents. They must be loving this FA Cup run 
!