Sam Bell’s First-Half Strike Lifts Wycombe Over Wigan, Signaling Shift at the Foot of League One

WIGAN, England — Amid a grey October afternoon at The Brick Community Stadium, Wycombe Wanderers found fresh purpose—and perhaps a lifeline in a sagging campaign—by grinding out a 1-0 win over a searching Wigan side that has lost its compass. In a contest short on glamour but rich in consequence, Sam Bell's solitary goal before the interval was enough to separate two teams closer in spirit than the league table might suggest.

For Wycombe, the result was both vindication and reprieve. Entering the day mired in 20th place, the Chairboys had tasted victory just once in their previous eight league outings. But recent glimpses of resilience—a late rally to draw against Barnsley, and Tuesday’s defiant 3-1 win over Fulham U21 in the EFL Trophy—have hinted at a squad rediscovering its nerve. Saturday in Wigan, they found just enough.

The decisive moment arrived in the 35th minute, fashioned by a rare spell of tidy, purposeful play from Wycombe. Alex Lowry, a creative fulcrum in midfield, seized space between the lines and threaded an inviting pass into the channel. Bell, nimble and decisive, ghosted behind a flat-footed Wigan backline, controlled with a single touch, and finished coolly across Sam Tickle. The away end, sparse but vocal, erupted—a communal exhale from a team that has labored for every inch thus far this season.

If Bell’s composure under pressure provided the game’s one moment of true class, what followed was an exercise in Wycombe’s capacity for purposeful suffering. Forced deeper as Wigan grew urgent in the second half, Wycombe’s defensive line—marshalled by Joe Jacobson and punctuated by brave clearances—absorbed a mounting barrage. Jaheim Headley’s late introduction gave the Latics a fresh attacking spark, while Fraser Murray and Paul Mullin each forced acrobatic saves from Max Stryjek. Yet for all their pressure, Wigan’s finishing betrayed them; Wycombe’s keeper left with a clean sheet and, more tellingly, all three points.

Wigan, for their part, resemble a side increasingly heavy-legged from the wear of a crowded autumn schedule. Saturday’s defeat was their third in four league matches, a troubling run highlighted by an anemic attack that has now drawn two consecutive blanks at home. Much as recent history suggested—the Latics fell to Wycombe 2-0 in the League Cup less than three weeks ago—they once again struggled to convert possession into penetration, the crowd growing restive as hopeful crosses dissolved harmlessly in the Wycombe box.

After a promising early September, manager Shaun Maloney’s side now finds itself sliding to 14th, clinging to 13 points from 11 matches. The promise of their attacking reinforcements, including Mullin, has been undermined by a string of injuries and inconsistency, culminating in a five-match winless patch that threatens to erode the unity that carried them through summer.

Wycombe, conversely, will see more than mere points from this result. The Chairboys completed a rare double over Wigan at the Brick Community Stadium, having already triumphed here in the League Cup last month. On each occasion, their discipline and sharpness in transition have been the difference—a formula manager Matt Bloomfield will be desperate to bottle as his side claws back from a poor start.

The final whistle brought relief for Wycombe, whose players embraced as if waking from a nightmare. Nine points from eleven matches is modest, but momentum often sprouts from the humblest soil. As the league table tightens near the bottom, this week’s win—secured on the road, against a side above them—represents more than a statistical bump. It is a statement that, for all their struggles, Wycombe remain alive to the fight.

For Wigan, the search for answers becomes more urgent. Next week’s trip to Cheltenham looms as a test of resolve as much as technique. A squad built for more than mid-table stagnation now confronts the reality of a season at risk of unraveling—and a home crowd desperate to see the grit and imagination that defined their early-season optimism.

Wycombe, meanwhile, return to Adams Park with renewed belief. Victory at a traditionally difficult ground, fueled by Bell’s clinical intervention and a resolute defensive stand, offers not just three points but a lesson in perseverance for a team so often defined by it.

October is young, but already the League One campaign is carving new narratives at both ends of the table. On this afternoon in Wigan, Wycombe found a foothold. The question, now, is whether they can keep climbing.