Phil Neville took a break from his comm box duties to score from the bench for Latics

Latics missed out on a chance to snatch three potentially profitable points in a largely even contest at a bleak DW Stadium. After Tim Howard’s howler resulted in a Philip Neville own goal, Latics went too defensive for their own good and soon conceded, super sub Victor Anichebe doing the business for the Toffees once again. A frantic final ten minutes saw no more goals and both teams will be disappointed not to have come away from this clash with anything more than a point.

Wigan looked to pick up from where they left off against Tottenham, and experienced at least some success with James McArthur at the heart of midfield. They certainly had their share of attacking play, resulting in one or two clear-cut chances for Franco Di Santo. His first was borne out of a superb ball from Figueroa, which found its way to the Argentine’s feet at the edge of the area via Sylvain Distin’s shoulder. Tim Howard was equal to Di Santo’s scuffed shot, pulling off a great reaction save at short range to preserve his clean sheet. Di Santo’s second chance came later in the half from a challenging Stam cross, but he was adjudged to have fouled Distin as he scrambled to get a shot on target just feet from goal.

At the other end, Darron Gibson could have given the visitors a useful lead on 40 minutes as gold shirts poured forward, but only succeeded in firing the ball yards over Al Habsi’s crossbar, much to the relief of a shivering home crowd. It wasn’t the best of halves for the Irishman, who had earlier miscued a strike so badly that it went out for a throw in some 20 yards from the corner flag. The Toffees looked threatening on the break, and managed to trouble the keeper more times than their opponents.

Wigan enjoyed slightly more possession and were keen on getting the ball to an energetic Jean Beausejour on the left wing. The Chilean was responsible for two or three wonderful runs into the penalty area which could easily have yielded success, but neither side did enough to take a lead into the half time break.

Everton began the second half without Tim Cahill, who had earlier sustained a knock in a reckless challenge from Jordi Gomez. Luckily for Wigan, the ref didn’t see it as anything more than a 50:50 challenge for the ball and Gomez escaped without even a ticking off. It wasn’t long before new boy Jelavic entered the fray to inject some purpose into Everton’s play in the final third, and they started to hit their straps shortly after. The impressive Pienaar was responsible for the odd break, Fellaini was a genuine threat but didn’t have that finishing touch, while ex-Latic Baines was joining the attack with more frequency as time passed.

David Jones made a welcome return to the centre of midfield

Latics managed to see through this, and moved the ball about quite well but were beginning to fade in the final third. The introduction of Hugo Rodallega, David Jones and later Albert Crusat did much to remedy this as the Wigan lineup started to look a bit more like the unit of a month and a half ago. This forward-thinking play resulted in a huge slice of fortune we don’t usually see at Wigan, a freak goal that would give the home side a narrow lead. Jean Beausejour’s cross deflected off Neville’s leg and into Tim Howard’s arms – or so you thought. Somehow the ball had found its way over the goal line into the South Stand net, and Latics were, amazingly, gifted control of the game. Whether it was a piece of uneven turf or a genuine miscalculation of the off-break that did for Howard, the American’s defences were broken and the stumps went flying.

Somewhat predictably, though, the visitors were back on level terms less than eight minutes later as the Everton juggernaut rampaged forward once again. Although Moses and Rodallega could have doubled Wigan’s lead with a bit more class in front of goal, there was always a sense that Everton were on the brink of that equaliser. Wigan had repelled two corners, but could not keep out Baines’s third as Anichebe headed past a helpless Al Habsi and the game was well set for a frenzied finish. Could Wigan grab this game by the shoulders and start the road to survival with a winning goal? Would the Everton equaliser lift their attacking play and give them confidence to breach the Latics line once more?

Bainesy gave his old team a bit to think about, and provided the cross for Everton's equaliser

The game settled back into the even battle it had been for so long. Wigan continued to try and pass their way to success, while Everton were eager to get the ball forward to three or four breaking frontmen at every opportunity, resulting in a rather stretched finish to the game. Baines flashed a free kick over the bar, while Wigan caused some problems in a packed Everton penalty area from a Jones corner, but that seemingly inevitable winning goal simply didn’t come for either side. Wigan finished the game looking for a pass into the 18-yard box as Jones was devoid of support, a small passage of play that summed up the game for the hosts. Though things improved when Rodallega was introduced, there was a general failure to get the shots on target and challenge a no doubt unsettled Howard.

Everton will feel they deserved more, and will, like Wigan, rue their finishing. They hadn’t had the best of luck as the referee gave more and more close decisions in Wigan’s favour, while that blade of grass –arguably the home side’s man of the match– which turned the ball past Howard must have been ever so slightly longer than those around it.

On the whole, Wigan probably didn’t deserve a win, but you don’t have to in order to win all three points. There was the chance of a victory this afternoon, but again, that last piece of the jigsaw was lost somewhere down the back of ES3, and that’s what places Wigan in dead last with less than four months of the season to play. In the previous campaign, it was Charles N’Zogbia. Who, if anyone, will step forward and bring that most important of all qualities to the team, the ability to score goals? Hopefully they will make themselves known next week in an oh-so-crucial clash with them there Trotters from up Horwich way. Something to remember before you answer that question: Diame is back.

Baines image credit: Nick @ Flickr

Franco Di Santo did his best to win some away points

All in all, it hasn’t been that great a week for Latics. Though on balance 3-0 represented a decent return against an in-form Man City steamrollering everything in their path, Tuesday’s abject Carling Cup performance away to Crystal Palace was a horrible reminder that Martinez’s Plan B mightn’t be fit for public consumption just yet. Nevertheless, the Wigan Athletic First XI had a chance to put all of that out of their minds with a Premier League contest at Goodison Park this afternoon.

There was one positive to take away from Selhurst Park, and that was the fact no new injuries were sustained. Aside from Alcaraz and Gohouri –who will both be out for a while yet–, only Emmerson Boyce, who picked up a minor hamstring niggle against City, remained a doubt. Though depleted, the Latics back line looked a bit stronger than the highly experimental van Aanholt/Figueroa/Lopez/McArthur configuration we saw in midweek, with Gary Caldwell reclaiming his position in the centre of defence. That said, it was still a case of make do and mend with Lopez filling in at right back, a position it’s fair to say he didn’t exactly revel in.

James McCarthy was handed a start, and filled in for the absent Diame in the centre of midfield. Rodallega and di Santo both returned to their regular(ish) positions at the head of attack while Ben Watson, who made something of an impact from the bench on Tuesday, was back in his usual defensive midfield holding role. Boy, did we miss him. Chelsea loanee Van Aanholt, who’d put in a decent performance against Palace, was rewarded with a starting berth in place of Boyce, who couldn’t even make the bench.

All things considered, one felt a bit more confident about this Latics starting lineup, at least on the face of it. As we all know, however, confidence isn’t everything and performance is. Actually wait, let me rephrase that: “it’s great to have confidence and performance, but results are everything.” There we go – let’s hope Martinez is using that mantra when geeing up his men this season. Just to make sure, I ought to plaster it all over the walls of the DW Stadium and Christopher Park this week, regardless of the illegality of such activities. Hmm, I think I’d better write to Whelan for official permission first – not entirely sure if they have the facilities to remove spray cheese from wallpaper. Meh, it’d take far too much effort; I’ll go and rant on a forum instead.

Enough procrastination and false promises, for we’ve had enough of that down the years.

MoMo Diame was absent from the first team, van Aanholt retaining his place

Everton bossed the first period –in particular the initial 30 minutes– but simply could not get those efforts on target. Al Habsi had few saves to make, even with the Toffees throwing everything they had at the Latics goalmouth. This was a theme which continued right up until the final ten minutes of the contest, the visiting defence proving sufficient if a little shaky.

Wigan had just started to find their passing boots by the half hour mark – all previous attempts at breaking the half way line resulted in Rodallega being offside or the ball being given away somewhat sloppily. Thus, it wasn’t exactly against the run of play when Di Santo scored on 31 minutes but it was a little surprising. From an innocuous Ben Watson corner, the Argentine won back possession on the edge of the area. Instead of playing it back to Watson, he opted to hold the ball and subsequently turned the defender, getting a shot across goal. Fortunately for him, it took a hefty deflection off one of the many bodies populating the Everton area and found its way perfectly into the top left corner of Tim Howard’s net for Di Santo’s third in as many games.

The hosts hit back right away with a renewed sense of urgency. Tim Cahill rose high above three Latics defenders to head against the bar, but the rebound fell perfectly for Phil Jagielka, who accepted his gift gratefully. They followed this with a Leighton Baines free kick which had Latics (and Al Habsi) scrambling, but the 1-1 scoreline remained intact.

Though still looking a bit dodgy at the back, Wigan continued to be competitive until the half time whistle, winning a couple of corners and a free kick. Additionally, Victor Moses was through on goal and, but for a fantastic last-ditch challenge, may well have got himself off the mark for the season.

Latics’ ascendancy continued into the second period, which saw the game settle down somewhat. This suited the visitors, who were now linking together some half decent passing moves. Franco Di Santo, visibly buoyed, really put himself around in the opposition third and caused much botheration for the Everton backline. Try as they might, however, the visitors simply could not score. Hugo Rodallega swerved a free kick three yards wide of the target, and an enterprising van Aanholt almost grabbed Latics a useful lead with a mazy run and shot from just outside the area on 77 minutes.

David Jones almost earned himself the title Supersub (Gomez, 71 minutes)

Just when you sensed a possibility that three vital away points could be there for the taking, an horrific final ten minutes put paid to the Latics challenge. It all started to collapse when Everton took the lead on 84, Apostolos Vellios’s accurate header beating Al Habsi from six yards. Directly from the restart, Wigan were unlucky not to have equalised through David Jones, who hit the bar with a deft touch from outside the penalty area. On balance of play, it would have been deserved – no side really dominated the second period up to this point, and Wigan had just as much of the play as the hosts.

Latics continued to push for an equaliser, but suffered the loss of Hugo Rodallega who sustained a knee injury as the game ticked over into injury time. A five-minute delay ensued while Rodders was gingerly extracted from the field, his leg in an ominous-looking brace. This seemed to deflate Wigan, as although Shaun Maloney was introduced to replace the Colombian, they simply could not get the ball back. The visitors sealed the game deep into added on time with a third against a now downtrodden Latics.

3-1 is a bit harsh on Wigan, who did their job quite well at a hostile Goodison Park. For all their promising play and (eventual) smooth passing –interjected by an unusual odd period of hoof-it-up long ball play– they just did not have the wherewithal to break the invisible barrier on Everton’s goal line in that second period. Nobody had the firepower to go out and win the game, to seize control and take three big points. It is disappointing that Latics could have had at least one, but came away with nothing at the end of an absolutely dismal week. Three games, eight goals conceded and last season’s top scorer out for who knows how long? It has certainly been seven days to throw on the bonfire. I wish you could do that with time periods, though I don’t think the neighbours would be too pleased.

Latics line up against a rather pink Everton side

Roberto Martinez reckons that, to stay in the Premier League this season, Wigan require 40 points. It’s a target figure that has been lowering week upon week as the bottom five continue to squabble between themselves, each struggling equally to pull themselves clear of the proverbial snake pit. This weekend’s round of matches may well prove a great opportunity for one or more of Latics, Blackpool, Blackburn, Wolves and West Ham to stake a great claim for survival with three crucial points. Two shall survive, three will fall.

For Latics’ own part, they faced Everton, a team languishing in the bottom third until not too long ago. Since then, though, they’ve managed to climb their way to the top ten thanks to a string of good results and have sealed their participation in next year’s Premier League with wins over teams in the bottom half of the table. Before kickoff this afternoon, they lay fourteen points and eleven places ahead of Latics, still with a mathematical chance of making the European places. It wasn’t as if they had nothing to play for, especially with age-old rivals Liverpool sitting just one win away. Form would suggest a comfortable Everton win, but you’re forgetting one thing: Latics are fighting for their lives.

Before the Blackpool game two weeks ago, goalscoring was the real problem, Latics struggling to score against a succession of top-6 teams. Things changed quickly, however, as things clicked into place against the Seasiders, yielding three goals whilst the following week saw a further two away from home against Sunderland. Wigan would go on to lose the game, however, and now it seemed defending was the problem, with Latics conceding as many goals as they scored in the previous two games. Martinez would have to find a balance and quick, before the season quickly transformed into a lost cause.

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Victor Moses was unlucky not to have scored

Wigan will come away from today’s game ruing some silly mistakes and squandered opportunities, having had by far the better of the second half and a great chunk of the first. They deservedly went ahead on 21 minutes through N’Zogbia, who was found nicely by James McCarthy. After stumbling, the Frenchman recovered to curl one past Everton keeper Tim Howard, just reward for some excellent, threatening attacking play which saw Latics unlucky not to have created a great deal of shots prior to the goal.

What followed was an altogether different story, however, as Everton proceeded to dominate possession and push the home side, who increasingly had to resort to guerilla tactics, back to their own goal line. They earned themselves an excellent chance to grab an equaliser when Charles N’Zogbia tripped Leon Osman in his own penalty area, but were denied by Ali Al Habsi who dived to his left and punch clear Arteta’s spot kick. Cue rapturous chants of ‘Ali’ from the home faithful: perhaps this was to be Latics’ day?

Wigan lost the services of Mo Diame who stumbled off on 44 minutes, and things looked to be getting worse as N’Zogbia took a knock after a clash with Leighton Baines. He soldiered on for the moment, however.

Such was Everton’s dominance that the home side’s only real attack following the goal came in the dying moments of the half, Howard drawn into a good save by goalscorer Charles N’Zogbia. Latics could count themselves slightly lucky to be ahead, but when you’re down at the bottom and fighting for your lives you need the odd thing to fall in your favour. And let’s be honest, we’re going to need a bit more.

It was in the second half that Wigan really came into their own. Beginning on the front foot, they set about bothering the opposition defence through Victor Moses, who replaced the hobbling N’Zogbia on 54 minutes. Charles’ replacement forged a great partnership with Rodallega, who also looked hungry, as both would cause problems right up until the final whistle. Tim Howard was forced into another top notch save as Moses looked to be ripping the opposition to shreds, and as the final 20 minutes drew near there looked to be only one winner. Moses again went close and everything seemed to be going to plan for the Latics. They were, however, in for a rude awakening.

Rodallega's moment of madness: a blatant handball was only blight on a good performance

It was a moment of madness from Hugo Rodallega that would cost the hosts two vital points. From a Baines corner on the Wigan left, the Colombian slam dunked the ball, basketball style, bang in the centre of his own penalty area, a blatant and perhaps stupid infringement reeking of ‘centre forward’s challenge’. Except it was more of a water polo move than a tackle. Baines duly slotted the pen into the roof of the net just past Al Habsi’s right hand and the visitors were back on level terms and looked good to salvage an unlikely draw.

Wigan came back strong, though, having perhaps their best spell of the game in the remaining ten minutes. Howard was drawn into another save and fumbled another, almost allowing Rodallega to be slot home past a sea of defenders and, by now, Latics attackers. Di Santo was thrown on and Martinez played the 4-3-3 card, which worked perfectly almost every time, except where it mattered in the final third. Alas, it was not enough, and for all the promise showed by Latics, the ball just would not find its way into the net. Story of the season, you might say.

In all, it was an excellent performance that will give the side huge confidence and heart heading into a series of equally crucial games against Villa, West Ham and Stoke. We’ll be looking at two wins to take us past the aforementioned 40-point mark, which is certainly no easy task but should things click next week then the West Ham game at home could be the clincher.

You can’t help but be encouraged by the commitment shown today, which could easily have seen Latics grab all three points. Some superb support very nearly pushed Latics to a winner in the final ten minutes, a magnificent effort from the home faithful which we would love to see replicated in two weeks’ time for what may well be the Most Important Game of the Season™.

So close: Ronnie Stam could have stolen it in the dying embers

Wigan came away from Liverpool this afternoon with a point, something I doubt even the most optimistic of Latics fans could fail to be happy with. Forget Miracle on 34th Street, this was a case of Miracle on Goodison Road. Well, perhaps that’s a bit extreme but the gods were undeniably in the visitors’ favour on this surprisingly mild afternoon. Which actually makes some sense, considering Jesus was a Wiganer (groan).

For the first portion of the game, Latics were sprightly and, whilst not creating any real chances, posed a real threat in the opposition third. N’Zogbia and Cleverley in particular –the latter of which put in his share of hard yards at both ends of the field all afternoon until his substitution at half time– had the better of numerous opposition players in those first twenty minutes or so.

From then until the interval it was all Everton as Latics’ passing game began to fall apart and descend into hit and hope football with Charlie and Rodders the target men. Nothing wrong with that, you might say; certain managers, some even in the Prem, make quite a good living from it. It wasn’t working for Latics, though, as even when Hugo managed to gain some control he didn’t really have anyone to lay the ball off to.

Things were becoming increasingly ominous, and half time couldn’t come quickly enough for Wigan. Fellaini had just whizzed the ball across the face of the goal, less than a foot away from an advancing Cahill at the back post. On top of that, the home side were firing at Wigan like a constantly reloaded gun – each and every clearance failed to find a fellow Latic as we found ourselves well and truly pinned in.

The half time whistle came with Everton well on top but Wigan still on level terms and, though a bit shaky, yet to concede more than one shot on target. Going into the break, the stats showed just the one for each team, though this was somewhat surprising. Perhaps it’s fallout from last week’s relative goal fest at the DW.

In the second period, Everton picked up from where they left off – it was going to be a long half for the Latics. The attacks just kept on coming as first Pienaar then Baines and Jagielka all drew fantastic saves from Ali Al Habsi. Add to this a Fellaini cross which found its way into the hands of Al Habsi, and you would have to say it really was the Omani’s day.

Then, as if they really needed their noses rubbing in the dirt, Jermaine Beckford saw his strike ruled out as he was offside in the build up. Frustrated, and perhaps starting to feel the pressure just a bit, the attacking play from the home side started to subside. Wigan, who had somehow managed to weather everything an unlucky Everton could throw at them, started to get some possession and created a few nice passing moves – things were beginning to click into place, perhaps?

It was tough breaking down the Everton defence, though. Mo Diame almost managed to do so with less than twenty minutes to play, but scuffed his shot as Tim Howard advanced towards him. To be fair, Mo was being escorted all the way by a defender or two, but it was Latics’ best chance of the game to date.

Yet more Everton pressure petered out into a string of offsides and weak shots and, incredibly, things were still 0–0 going into the final five minutes of the game. With Wigan beginning to wrest a semblance of control over the ball, an away win was, unbelievably, not completely out of the question.

Indeed, Latics could have pinched the points in the final minutes. With the game entering stoppage time, the visitors found themselves on the break with four attackers in the opposition half. We couldn’t, could we? Considering everything we’d been through in the previous ninety minutes and the sheer battering we were given for the majority?

Well no, actually, though Ronnie Stam came within a whisker of doing so, drawing a fantastic save from Howard. It was undoubtedly the closest Wigan had come and the chance to snatch an unlikely three points right from under the hosts’ noses. Which would have been nice, what with us still clinging on in the relegation zone.

On reflection, however, you really have to settle for a point in this situation. Who knows, with some winnable games to come in the next month, perhaps this could be the start of an upward turn in our luck? Because Lord knows we had some today, and how.

On that day, I made up some rubbish about moles beneath the DW surface and how they’re set to blight our attempts to stay in the Premier League this season. By ‘moles’, I actually meant rugby matches, and last night Wigan Warriors played their first home game of the 2010 season.

We’ve had plenty of fun in seasons past with the ‘poor pitch’ excuse doled out from the likes of Arsene Wenger, Arsenal and… Arsene Wenger. Whilst we aren’t exactly going to be mudsliding down the banks of the River Dougie, I’ll hazard a guess Liverpool, Tottenham and (erm) Arsenal will have something to say, especially if we take points off them in forthcoming games at Robin Park.

Anyhow, I’m veering off subject now, so on to the pics.

There are actually more photos from this game, so you may see them in a future post.

"No moles here, Gaffer, only rugby divots..."

Going into today’s game, much was made of Everton’s seven game unbeaten run. In the (somewhat subdued) build up,  I will admit I was drawn into the depths of the doom and gloom brigade – after soaking up a massive blow in losing to Blackburn midweek, surely Latics would be too punch drunk to even put one foot in front of the other, especially after drawing with lowly Notts County just last Saturday.

Well, at least someone wanted Latics to win today: dare I say it, the Man Upstairs. By which I mean the wizard that resides in the sky and loves to play with the emotions of billions of people – the bloke some people call the Football God.

It seemed much of the luck that had deserted us in late December returned in abundance as The Toffees somehow managed to go a whole 84 minutes without scoring, despite the best efforts of the likes of Saha, Cahill, Fellaini (you know, the dude with the sweet ‘fro, maaan) and the moles that live beneath the DW surface. I dunno how they got there, they must have moved in when the undersoil heating broke down earlier this month… actually, I think we’ve just found our prime culprit.

Even the officials seemed to be on Latics’ side as, midway through the second half, the ball was bundled over Stojkovic’s goal line only for the linesman stood in front of the East Stand to give us a reprieve – offside, or a foul, or something.

But this game was played in the 2009/10 Premier League season, and as such it was a case of the usual promising football resulting in just a few tame shots right at the keeper. I will admit, though, that they were much more numerous than midweek as the awesome team everyone had built Everton up to be seemed not have turned up. Granted, they played some good football and could, on another day, been a couple up and out of sight by the second half.  It wasn’t to be, though, as even penalty appeals were being turned down by referee Lee Probert, who was on his game and wasn’t about to be fooled.

Who the heck was marking Tim Cahill? Mr. Mysterio?

It really could have been 2-2 at half time, if it weren’t for some slightly dodgy finishing from both teams. Oh, and a decent save from Vladimir Stojkovic, who recovered from a shaky start to have a not-half-bad game. I just wish he could have kept a clean sheet.

Chances fell for Rodallega and Scotland, who looked to be really troubling the Everton backline as once again Latics fans were left wondering how on earth it was still 0-0 at half time.

The second stanza started much the same, with both sides having good efforts on goal within three minutes of the restart; first Baines drew a solid save from Stojkovic, then Scharner punted a shot right at Tim Howard in the Everton goal within a minute.

End-to-end stuff, then, as both sides traded attacks until the (inevitable) killer blow on 84 from Everton’s Tim Cahill. You’d have thought Wigan would have learned their lesson after conceding from a corner on Wednesday night, but once again a set-piece was Latics’ downfall. It was in fact a mirror image of the goal that grabbed the points for Blackburn, and left us with little to no time to react.

There were another six minutes to play, but again it felt like just two or three, even with four minutes of stoppage time. The only time Wigan even got close in this period was in the dying seconds as Charles N’Zogbia powered a shot against the Everton crossbar from just outside the penalty area. Which I’ll actually admit was pretty close, but no stogie.

As soon as Martinez brought Scotland off, things dropped dead almost instantly, and Wigan had little to no chance of breaching the Everton backline. Martinez seemed to favour a route one style for much of this game, and I have to say it was rather successful: aside from not actually putting away his chances (which is not exactly a huge surprise), Scotland was winning almost everything that came his way and laying the ball off for Rodallega and N’Zogbia quite sensibly and comfortably.

Had he found his calling? Well, we didn’t have much time to find out as for some inexplicable reason Martinez decided to shake things up. Why change a winning formula? Was Scotland tired or something? In short, I would have persisted with the same tactic, as his replacement Scott Sinclair did… well, nothing, but he hadn’t the time.

Still, an overall performance that probably should have merited a draw went unrewarded as, within the space of about ten minutes, it went from Latics’ day to Everton’s. So much to praise — good performances all over the park from the likes of Bramble, Caldwell and N’Zogbia — yet at the same time so much to rue: on another occasion, it could have been 2-1 Wigan. As it stood, the afternoon capped a miserable week for a Wigan side who just failed to put the ball away when it mattered.

Were Wigan foiled by moles? Well, not really, I just thought it sounded good in the title. At least we know who to blame when we’re freezing our proverbials off against Bolton on a Wednesday night, though.

It’s always a killer when you concede in the last minute

Wigan were fortunate enough to hold out Everton for the first forty-five minutes, managing only one or two forays into the opposition half every now and then. Latics were certainly the happier side going into the half time interval, and could consider themselves lucky not to be a goal down or even have a man sent off.

The second half began much the same as the first had finished as Everton laid seige to the Latics goalmouth, but Wigan repelled all attacks and started to come into their own, Scharner finding the back of the net with his team’s first shot on target. This was immediately followed by a Jordi Gomez shot hitting the outside half of Tim Howard’s post.

Latics’ lead lasted all of five minutes, however, as on 62 Everton were back on level terms thanks to a Saha header. From thereon in it was a case of trying to hit Everton on the counterattack, and Latics could so easily have scored on a couple of occasions, but it was Everton that looked more like scoring as time ticked by.

The officials managed to find four minutes of stoppage time from somewhere, though, and Latics’ fortunes changed quickly as Jo was brought down by Emmerson Boyce inside the penalty area in the third minute of time added on. Leighton Baines calmly slotted the resulting penalty past Mike Pollitt and the game was snatched.

A killer blow indeed, but more promising signs that this Latics side can grit it out and play physically when they have to. A little bit tough on Latics, but there’s plenty of the season to make up for it yet. A bit of a break now for internationals, but roll on West Ham in two weeks, when hopefully we can beat that home hoodoo.

• BBC report
• Official Latics site report

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Nicksarebi at Flickr.