So in the last 15 days Wigan had played Friday, Monday,
Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday again and now had a Saturday
Afternoon match to hopefully complete the title. They had blown one
opportunity in only drawing to Bradford two days earlier and they knew a
loss here would be costly because Widnes' last game on the Sunday would be
at home to bottom of the table Rochdale, who had won just 1 of 24 league
games all season.
Both Andy Gregory and Joe Lydon missed the decider
injured but Bobbie Goulding in particular was an able deputy and he opened
the scoring with a drop goal to make it 1-0 after 8 minutes. Soon after an
error from John Gallagher from his kick helped Andy Goodway score to make it
7-0 after Botica converted. Further drop goals from first Goulding again and
then Ellery Hanley, right on half time, helped Wigan into a 9-2 half time
lead with Leeds kicking a penalty in-between the two one pointers.
Wigan never looked like letting that lead slip, despite
Ellery Hanley limping off during with 28 minutes still to go. Goulding
completed a hat-trick of drop goals to make it 10-2 a close range try from
Martin Dermott settled nerves further but Botica missed the extras, leaving
the score at 14-2. That missed kicked looked a bit costly when Garry
Schofield sent John Bentley over for a try that made it 14-8 but Wigan never
panicked. Botica kicked a penalty to make it 16-8 and in the 74th Minute,
Denis Betts crashed over to complete a remarkable title triumph for Wigan.
In the end it was a good thing Wigan delayed their success by two days
because the clincher was televised live by Granada Television when otherwise
they'd have been showing a dead duck contest.
Attendance:l
15,313
Referee:l
John Holdsworth (Kippax)
Television:l
Live Coverage on Granada Television (ITV North West) -
Commentary: Clive Tyldesley & Peter Tunks
Top of the Stones Bitter Championship - After This Match
1st Place:l
Wigan
-
Played
-
26
-
Won
-
20
-
Drawn
-
2
-
Lost
-
5
-
Points:
-
42
-
(Diff: +349)
2nd Place:l
Widnes
-
Played
-
25
-
Won
-
19
-
Drawn
-
0
-
Lost
-
6
-
Points:
-
38
-
(Diff: +271)
3rd Place:l
Hull
-
Played
-
25
-
Won
-
17
-
Drawn
-
0
-
Lost
-
8
-
Points:
-
34
-
(Diff: +151)
4th Place:l
Castleford
-
Played
-
25
-
Won
-
16
-
Drawn
-
0
-
Lost
-
9
-
Points:
-
32
-
(Diff: +118)
5th Place:l
Leeds
-
Played
-
26
-
Won
-
14
-
Drawn
-
2
-
Lost
-
10
-
Points:
-
30
-
(Diff: +154)
Final Top of the Stones Bitter Championship
1st Place:l
Wigan
-
Played
-
26
-
Won
-
20
-
Drawn
-
2
-
Lost
-
5
-
Points:
-
42
-
(Diff: +349)
2nd Place:l
Widnes
-
Played
-
26
-
Won
-
20
-
Drawn
-
0
-
Lost
-
6
-
Points:
-
40
-
(Diff: +295)
3rd Place:l
Hull
-
Played
-
26
-
Won
-
17
-
Drawn
-
0
-
Lost
-
9
-
Points:
-
34
-
(Diff: +146)
4th Place:l
Castleford
-
Played
-
26
-
Won
-
17
-
Drawn
-
0
-
Lost
-
9
-
Points:
-
34
-
(Diff: +136)
5th Place:l
Leeds
-
Played
-
26
-
Won
-
14
-
Drawn
-
2
-
Lost
-
10
-
Points:
-
30
-
(Diff: +154)
Granada Television - Saturday 13th April 1991 5:30am ITN
Morning News 6:00am TV-AM 9:25am Ghost Train 11:30am
The ITV Chart Show 12:30pm Saint & Greavsie (Football Preview with Ian
St John & Jimmy Greaves) 1:00pm ITN News, ITV National Weather,
Granada News, Granada Weather 1:10pm Grand Sportsmasters: Third
Quarter Final (Sports Quiz Show hosted by Dickie Davies) 1:40pm The
Life and Times of Grizzly Adams 2:35pm Rugby League Live: Leeds v
Wigan (presented by Rob McCaffrey) 4:45pm Results Service 5:00pm
ITN News, ITV National Weather, Granada News, Granada Weather 5:15pm
The Winjin' Pom 5:45pm The A-Team 6:40pm Bobby Davro
7:10pm You Bet! 8:10pm Perfect Scoundrels (Episode: "Oh, The
Sisters of Mercy") 9:10pm ITN News, Sport, ITV National Weather,
Granada News, Granada Weather 9:30pm Taggart - The Movie!
Midnight Night Programmes
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