I’ve been slacking on the photo front (and in pretty much every other aspect of blog maintenance, come to think of it) recently, but rest assured there’s a nice selection of snaps from the Everton match (well, not the actual match, you understand – I’m not risking getting my season ticket revoked) on the way later this week.

That’s all in the near future, but console yourself in a brief array of pics from Stoke on Tuesday for the time being. As it was a night game, it was more difficult to get clear shots, hence the fewer than usual number of photos. However, there are a few good ones in there as well, including one or two of a very special guest… oh alright then, it wasn’t the real Stig, rather a person performing his role on behalf of either the BBC or some local company looking to capitalise on the popularity of Top Gear.

More pics from other dates at the DW — including those Boxing Day fancy dress snaps I promised you just over a month back — to come very soon. It seems I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.

The Stig looks a bit unhappy as Latics play out another draw

I see on the official Latics website that Paul Scharner has conceded we’re in a relegation dogfight. At the present moment, there’s no doubting that, matey boy – and some tactical decisions by Roberto during last night’s clash with Stoke reflected that.

I’m referring to one particular change, which took place in the sixtieth minute. With Wigan 1-0 up and the chance to go for the jugular beckoning, Jason Scotland — who I was thoroughly surprised to see in the Latics starting lineup, perhaps ever again after last Tuesday and the Notts County debacle — was brought off, to be replaced by not Moreno, Moses or even Sinclair, but Gomez.

An excellent opportunity to give one of the new guys some match time and continue utilising two front men, which so far had been functioning quite well for the Latics, was spurned in favour of a five-man midfield.

As a result, we looked a man short in the opposition penalty area, and dare I say it, we missed Jason Scotland in that second half. The remainder of the game was largely defensive stuff as Stoke pushed for, and eventually got, an equaliser. I guess we can count ourselves lucky we didn’t concede more, considering the pressure The Potters put us under in the last twenty minutes or so, and once again a point is a fair reflection of the game.

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Emmerson Boyce risked life and limb for Latics' first goal.

I’m not sure who’ll be most pleased with a point today, as all things considered it was a fairly even contest. Perhaps Wigan will be slightly more disappointed having had a glorious chance to go 3-2 up with just stoppage time to play via a 90th minute penalty.

One thing’s for certain, it would have been an exciting watch for a neutral, perhaps so much so that it could be the first game on Match of the Day tonight, but we all know that’s never going to happen. Even if today’s game finished 7-7 it would probably be second last, but enough BBC bashing for now.

Right, now to the shambles that was the officiating in those dying moments. I had no qualms with any decision — even the first-half Scharner non-penalty (never a foul), which Sky buffs seemed to think should have been given for some reason — up until the penalty. A foul, no doubt, but had the linesman actually been awake he would have seen that Jordi Gomez was a good couple of yards offside in the buildup – not that Wigan would have been complaining at all.

In the end, justice was served thanks to a quite frankly appalling Rodallega penalty saved by Thomas Sorensen. Did the big Colombian bottle it? Certain souls at JWAW Towers reckon he should have just blasted it down the centre. However, it must be noted that Rodders was not helped by a linesman that, perhaps looking to make up for his mistake, failed to notice the Stoke keeper three yards off his goal line when the ball was struck. Ah, the wonders of technology, eh?

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