The reserves finished the 2004/05 campaign with a narrow defeat against a vastly experienced Wigan side at the Britannia Stadium.

A second-half strike from Alan Mahon was enough to give the Latics all three points, despite a spirited performance from the home-side.

Martin Paterson, Robert Garrett, Jermaine Palmer and Ryan Shotton all went close, but the season ended on a disappointing note for the Potters.  

Garrett shaved the post with a low 20-yard effort in a tense opening while Swedish International Andreas Johansson blazed wide for the visitors.

The deadlock remained intact thanks to some fine saves from both goalkeepers just after the half-hour mark.

First, City stopper Robert Duggan palmed Mahon's 35-yard piledriver away to safety before Floyd Croll's acrobatic one-handed save prevented the lively Paterson from opening the scoring.

Palmer went close twice before the interval as the home-side finished the first-half strongly.

On the hour mark Shotton had a goal-ward header scrambled off the line but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock nine minutes.

Mahon's angled drive was parried by 'keeper Duggan and the Irish International capitalised on a defensive mistake to thrash home the rebound.

City responded well after conceding the goal but despite the best efforts of Paterson, who went close twice in the final twenty minutes, the reserves succumbed to a third successive defeat.        

City: Duggan, Wilson, Dickinson, Vass (Robinson 78), Shotton, Swift, Zsivozcky (Kirkpatrick 82), Garrett, Palmer, Paterson, Francis (Thomas 70). Subs: Sinclair, Graves.

Wigan: Croll, Edwards, Waterhouse, Thome, Lee, Whalley, Joyce, Johansson, Perry-Acton, Hazeldine, Mahon. Subs: Adoch, Heywood, Middleton, Stephen.