Solihull Moors vs Wigan Predictions

• Wigan have won 4 of their last 6, and a young Latics side impressed against full-strength Shrewsbury last week, winning 2-0 in the Papa John’s Trophy.
• In League One, Wigan have won 6 of their 7 away matches, scoring 18 and keeping 4 clean sheets.
• Prior to Saturday’s loss at Notts County, Solihull Moors had kept 7 clean sheets in 8 games, conceding just once.

Young Latics Have Chance to Impress

The postponement of Wigan’s trip to Morecombe provided Leam Richardson’s side with a welcome break after a manic run of 9 matches in 29 days. While the Latics may have surrendered top spot as a result, they will have been glad for the rest after suffering from a defensive injury crisis. 3 of Wigan’s 4 senior centre-backs remain doubtful for Tuesday night’s FA Cup replay in the West Midlands, while 4 players, including Ireland’s James McClean and Will Keane, are on international duty.

However, Richardson’s much-changed side cruised to victory over Shrewsbury in the Papa John’s Trophy last week, with Adam Long and 17-year-old Chris Sze netting their first senior goals. With a huge clash with promotion rivals Oxford on the horizon, Richardson may give the youngsters another chance to impress. After a more familiar line-up toiled to a 0-0 draw in the original tie, unleashing the kids’ youthful enthusiasm may not be a bad choice in front of the ITV cameras.

Solid Moors’ Unbeaten Run Over

Solihull Moors’ 8-match unbeaten run was brought crashing to a halt by Neal Ardley’s former club Notts County on Saturday. Given that the Midlands side had kept a remarkable 7 clean sheets in those 8 matches, including a stubborn defensive performance at the DW Stadium, this is unlikely to be a complete walk in the park for their opponents.

With Wigan’s youngsters having impressed against League One opposition last week, I’m backing the Latics to make their superiority count and reach the second round. However, I expect a solid Solihull team to keep it relatively low scoring, and am tipping Wigan to win with under 3.5 match goals as a result. Meanwhile, a 2-0 away win seems a good correct score prediction.