Positives were few and far between as the Manchester United loanee’s next club suffered a dispiriting defeat to continue their pre-season preparations.
But, with the youngster scoring on his first appearance in the starting XI, at least Joe Hugill came out of a very underwhelming 2-1 defeat by fourth-tier opposition with his reputation enhanced.
His latest pre-season strike was not quite as eye-catching as the one which sealed Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Rangers at Murrayfield in July.
Hugill burst in behind onto a fine Maxi Oyedele pass before lashing a fierce strike past former Red Devils goalkeeper Jack Butland and into the roof of the net, earning plenty of praise from manager Erik ten Hag as a result.
But what his first (unofficial) Wigan Athletic goal lacked in explosiveness, he made up for with precision and composure. Hugill was gifted the chance to get off the mark when The Latics were handed a penalty in the 13th minute and he certainly obliged.
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Manchester United loanee Joe Hugill makes strong start
That was about as good as it got for Shaun Maloney’s side on the night. Tranmere Rovers outplayed and outthought the 2013 FA Cup winners, eventually triumphing 2-1.
And Maloney made no attempt to hide his frustrations.
“Tonight, in the second half, Tranmere came for us. We still played like it was a friendly, and they didn’t That was the difference, and the players all know that,” Maloney told the Wigan Today and the Latics’ official YouTube channel.
“Apart from the two centre-backs (Jason Kerr and Will Aimson), who I thought were very good, Baba (Adeeko) who was brilliant, Dion (Rankine) the same, and Joe Hugill’s efforts with and without the ball, I give him a pass as well.
“Everyone else, they got a message tonight. You can’t drift through a game at any level and think you’re going to be okay.”
Hugill, then, finds himself in a very exclusive group of players who held their own, safe from Maloney’s hairdryer treatment.
When pressed further on the Man United academy graduate, the former Celtic and Aston Villa midfielder changed his tune while hailing Hugill’s work ethic, his movement and his pressing from the front.
Big chance for Red Devils youngster
“Yeah, I hope so!,” Maloney said when asked if the Durham-born 20-year-old can build on an impressive start to life at the Lancashire outfit. “His effort without the ball, he was a constant threat in behind…
“Yeah, Joe was fine. He was good for us tonight and good for him to get a goal. Joe was good.”
A prolific goalscorer at youth level, the time has come for Hugill to prove he can translate a record of 31 goals in 50 Premier League 2 appearances into the senior game.
Once of Sunderland and Newcastle, Hugill struggled at a middling Burton Albion outfit in the second half of last term. He found the net just once in 12 League One appearances.
An ambitious Wigan side with ambitions of promotion should be better suited to getting far more out of their new number nine, however, even if that Tranmere reverse does little to boost the belief that this is a side capable of pursuing a top-six finish.
“He is a hard-working number nine and has been a natural goal-scorer throughout his time at Manchester United,” Maloney told the Latics website when Hugill joined last week.
“He has a lot of strong attributes and I am really happy to have him here.”
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