U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC

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Young Clarets book place in Lancashire FA Senior Cup final

2026-02-06T14:37:00.000Z

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC

Young Clarets book place in Lancashire FA Senior Cup final

2026-02-06T14:37:00.000Z

Young Clarets book place in Lancashire FA Senior Cup final

James Ward-Prowse netted a free-kick and Kian McMahon-Brown notched a well-taken brace as Burnley U21s beat their Wigan Athletic counterparts 3-1 on Friday afternoon.

The young Clarets were forced to come from behind on what was a bitterly cold day at Burnley Training Centre, with Wigan’s Cole Simms heading an opener early doors.

There were four changes from last week’s league Premier League 2 defeat to Reading, with Oisin Cooney returning in goal and Roman Egan-Riley starting at centre-back having signed from Tottenham Hotspur.

First team midfielder Ward-Prowse started alongside captain George Brierley in midfield, with Vernon Masara and Enock Agyei occupying the wide positions.

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC - Image 1

Ward-Prowse’s quality shone through with less than two minutes on the clock, when his cross was headed narrowly wide by Masara.

The Latics enjoyed the better of the early running, though, and took the lead through Simms’ 18th-minute header.

That seemed to kick Burnley into life, with McMahon-Brown having an effort tipped onto the bar by Matteo Spinelli before Ward-Prowse equalised just past the half hour.

It was a typically clinical free-kick from the 31-year-old, who whipped it into the bottom left corner from 22 yards.

Andy Farrell’s side dominated the rest of the first half and Agyei created a couple of close-range chances for Masara, but it was level at the break.

Ward-Prowse delivered a corner onto the head of Egan-Riley shortly after the restart, but the centre-back could only head over.

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC - Image 2

Burnley’s first team January addition then made way for Ellis Clark on the hour, and it took just seven minutes for the young Scot to make an impact.

He controlled Brierley’s lofted ball into the box and teed up McMahon-Brown to power into the bottom right corner on the half volley.

Egan-Riley made way for Marley Leuluai during the celebrations, and Andy Farrell later replaced Brandon Pouani and Masara with Zach Johnson and Luca Scanlon respectively.

Wigan’s Harrison Rimmer flashed an effort not too far wide of the left-hand post with 84 on the clock, but McMahon-Brown made sure of the result in the first of four minutes added on.

The striker did excellently to react to a loose ball in the area, controlling it with his chest before smashing his seventh U21s goal of the season into the top left corner.

Burnley U21s are next in action on Monday 9th February, when Brentford visit the County Ground in Leyland in the last 16 of the Premier League Cup. Kick-off is 7pm.

Burnley: Cooney, Blackie, Pimlott, Egan-Riley (Leuluai 67), Campbell, Brierley, Agyei, Ward-Prowse (Clark 60), McMahon-Brown, Pouani (Johnson 76), Masara (Scanlon 76)

Unused Substitutes: Grimshaw, Stanley, Derbyshire

Wigan Athletic: Spinelli, Jones, Wesseldine (Igiehon 67), Hughes, Bolland, McKee (Cavanagh 72), Edwards, Rimmer, Moseley, Greenhalgh, Simms

Unused Substitutes: Spaven, Glibertson, Goulding

Goals: Simms 18’, Ward-Prowse 32’, McMahon-Brown 66’, 90+1’