 The team that faced Wigan comprised a number of trialists and reserves together with the coach, Bill Ashurst, who had come out of retirement.Highfield lost 92–2 in front of a crowd of 7,233 at Central Park and Ashurst was sent off after 11 minutes.The club never seemed to recover from this blow, and they went on to lose every game in the 1989–90 season, finishing eight points behind second bottom club Nottingham City.