Joe Hugill’s League One career sparks into life with brilliant brace for Wigan Athletic

Manchester United youngster Joe Hugill’s Wigan Athletic career burst into life with two goals against Bristol Rovers in his side’s impressive 4-0 away win.

The English striker struggled the majority of his loan spell last year at Burton Albion, only scoring one goal in 18 league appearances.

Life at Wigan has started in much better fashion however as he now has three goals in seven games and three strikes in his last two matches.

The youngster followed up a penalty goal against Morecambe at the start of the month, with two well-taken strikes from close range.

He put his side ahead in the 20th minute when a corner was knocked back across goal and he expertly swivelled his body to divert the ball past the helpless keeper.

Hugill and Wigan’s joy doubled when he was once again showed off fine predatory instinct to prod the ball home from close range in the 40th minute.

Sofascore gave him a rating of 7.7, as he scored a brace and made one key pass in the game.

He could have easily scored a hat-trick, as he spurned two further big chances, but he did manage to get both on target. Nonetheless, after finding goals so hard to come by last season in League One, he will be delighted to be regularly getting into such threatening positions.

He had 25 touches of the ball and successfully completed one out of his two dribble attempts.

One thing that the target man needs to work on is his ability to get involved in the game, and this was demonstrated once more by him only completing five out of his eight passes.

Hugill used his giant frame to be a presence in the air, winning two out of his three aerial duels and making two clearances to also help out his team from a defensive perspective.

Speaking after the game the 20 year old was delighted with his strikes claiming, “it was a great performance by the team, and obviously it’s pleasing to score two goals. They were pretty much the same, but you’ve got to be there to put them away.”

“I love that type of goals – poachers’ finishes – and I’ve scored goals like that all my life in junior football.”

The United starlet praised his teammates’ service in the game and claimed they had been working on it all week in preparation for the match.

Hugill stated that he was delighted to have found the net three times already this month but he assured fans that he is “determined now to kick on for more.”

He spoke glowingly about life at the club asserting, “I’m loving it here, coming in every day and working hard, taking advice every day from the gaffer and the coaching staff…I’m really enjoying it.

“I’ve obviously played in League One before, in the second half of last season (on loan at Burton), but this is a different club, a different team, a different situation.”

Hugill and United will be hoping that his fine form in front of goal is not just a purple patch and will lead to a successful season where he can at least hit double figures in England’s third tier.

He will next be in action when the Latics travel to Lincoln City next Saturday.

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