Wigan Athletic: Five talking points from Bamber Bridge (a)

1) It's good to be back! A mere 66 days after picking up the League One title in the sunshine at Shrewsbury, Latics were back in action in the picturesque setting of the Sir Tom Finney Stadium at Bamber Bridge. A bumper crowd was on hand to see it, with the vast majority of them having made the short trip up the M6 - which, annoyingly, included a return journey detour to Skem and back for those of us coming off at junction 26...but we digress. The result is never important on these occasions but, having sat through some summer shockers in the not-too-distant past, it was good to see the goals flying in.

2) Come in No .9! Undoubtedly the best thing about the night was the sight of Charlie Wyke back in his No.9 jersey. It's been eight long months since the big man suffered a cardiac arrest at Christopher Park last November, with Leam Richardson and then Dr Jonathan Tobin miraculously saving his life. It appeared as though Wyke's career might well be over. But perhaps boosted by the astonishing return of Christian Eriksen, Wyke has ticked every box in terms of his recovery and rehabilitation, and boss Richardson is preparing to unleash him on Championship defences. What a story, and what an inspiration for others.

3 Jamie and the Magic Touch! Among the 11 changes at half-time saw Jamie McGrath come on to the field. The January signing from St Mirren has found game-time hard to come by during his short time in England. He's even been linked with a return north of the border, with Aberdeen and Dundee United reportedly watching the situation. But his 45-minute run out - in the unusual position of right-back - was full of effort and endeavour, and not surprisingly he got forward at every opportunity, putting some dangerous crosses into the box. With squad reinforcements yet to materialise, the Irishman could become the cliched 'new signing' for Latics if he can find - and hold - his form.

4 Great Scott! Young Scott Smith was another whose performance will have heartened the Latics management. The skipper of the Under-23s impressed during his run-outs in the cups last term before breaking a leg at Accrington in December. But his all-action display - capped by the final goal of the game - showed he's well over that, and anxious to make even more strides this term. Fellow Academy graduates Carragher, Hughes, Robinson and Sze also did well - along with the more established Lang and Aasgaard - meaning it was yet another proud night for Gregor Rioch and Co.

5 Minds elsewhere! Ben Amos - like Jamie Jones in the first half - didn't have a great deal to do when he appeared for the second period. Indeed, the Latics goalkeeper was - according to social media - chatting with fans behind the goal to pass the time, with Twitter user @Kiankerr19_ observing: "You don’t get Ben Amos talking to you for most of the second half and telling us he watches Love Island in the Premier League do you?" Hopefully he'll have caught up with the drama ahead of the next recoupling...