Wigan Athletic 1 v 1 Fulham
Saturday 15th September 2007
Hand on heart, Latics did not deserve anything from this game.
Admittedly the Blues were without the services of three key players at kick-off, but even taking this into account the team should not have allowed Fulham the freedom of the JJB Stadium in the way that they did.
Chris Hutchings had to play Emmerson Boyce at left back due to Kevin Kilbane's suspension and Salomon Olembe's lack of fitness, whilst David Cotterill made his first Premiership start of the season in the absence of Luis Antonio Valencia. Former Cottager, Michael Brown also played as cover for Dutch international Denny Landzaat, who is recovering from an eye injury.
Lawrie Sanchez opted to leave David Healy on the bench, opting for a front pairing of Diomansy Kamara and Hameur Bouazza.
The opening exchanges gave no hint of the mundane performance that Latics were about to display as the game swung from end to end with Heskey picking up where he left off for England. However, in the fifth minute of the game he picked up a knock and was limping badly after sustaining a knock on his foot. Despite an attempt to 'run it off' and treatment on the touchline line, Hutchings had no choice to to bring Marcus Bent on in his place four minutes later.
As if that wasn't bad enough, only three more minutes had elapsed when the visitors took the lead when Clint Dempsey latched on to a loose ball in the hosts' penalty area to score his third goal of the season, much to the delight of the 250 or so Fulham fans who had made the epic trip up from London!
Fulham then commenced to play a lot of passing football, most of it which completely bypassed a bemused Latics midfield, rather than sit on their one goal lead. Heskey's presence up front was being badly missed as Bent and Antoine Sibierski were chasing shadows for most of the first half, which the Blues were fortunate to end it only one goal down.
The second period was only a few minutes old when Chris Kirkland had to pull off a terrific double save to keep Fulham from increasing their lead as the visitors went for the jugular. In fairness, Latics then began to get their act together, but the lack of decent chances to open the scoring was becoming more and more alarming.
On the 56 minute mark Kirkland once again pulled off a wonder save to deny Dempsey who must have thought he was going to put the Cottagers 2-0 up as he raced clear of the defence with only the keeper to beat.
The midfield was still at sixes and sevens, and in the 61st minute Josip Skoko was introduced to the action in place of the ineffective Cotterill, whose impressive runs up either flank were let down badly by very poor crosses into the visitors' danger areas. From then on, Latics looked to be more settled in the middle of the park as the midfield slowly began to have more 'bite'. Testimony to this is the fact that Skoko was the first and only player to be booked in the game, on the 67th minute mark and that yellow card was picked up because of the Socceroo's winning mentality, rather that a cynical foul.
Sanchez brought on Healy for Kamara in the 68th minute, obviously feeling that the Cottagers could produce their first away victory of the season, especially given Latics' utter uselessness in front of goal. In an effort to rectify this, Sibierski was replaced by Nigerian hit man Julius Aghahowa in the 76th minute.
Just when things looked very bleak, with most fans anticipating a very dire defeat, Mario Melchiot was pulled down in the Fulham area by Bouazza in the 79th minute and referee, Rob Styles, had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick, which Koumas slammed past Anti Niemi to give the Blues a goal they never looked like scoring.
From then on, Latics looked like a different team and both Aghahowa and Scharner missed opportunities to literally steal the three points for Latics. But in truth, the Blues didn't deserve the one point that kept them in ninth spot in the Premiership at five o clock.
By then news had circulated that Heskey had broken his fifth metatarsal, which was a very cruel blow to both Latics and England.
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Emmerson Boyce, David Cotterill, (Josip Skoko 60), Michael Brown, Paul Scharner, Jason Koumas, Emile Heskey, (Marcus Bent 9), Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 74).
Subs not used, Michael Pollitt, Fitz Hall
Goal scorer, Jason Koumas 80 mins
Booked, Josip Skoko 66 mins
FULHAM, Anti Niemi, Aaron Hughes, Carlos Bocanegra, Chris Baird, Paul Konchesky, Alexei Smertin, Clint Dempsey, Simon Davies, (Danny Murphy 84), Steven Davis, Hameur Bouazza, (Ky Hyeon Seol 84), Diomansy Kamara, (David Healy 67).
Subs not used, Kasey Keller, Dejan Stefanovic
Gal scorer, Clint Dempsey 11 mins
Referee, Rob Styles (Hampshire)
Attendance, 16,973
Hand on heart, Latics did not deserve anything from this game.
Admittedly the Blues were without the services of three key players at kick-off, but even taking this into account the team should not have allowed Fulham the freedom of the JJB Stadium in the way that they did.
Chris Hutchings had to play Emmerson Boyce at left back due to Kevin Kilbane's suspension and Salomon Olembe's lack of fitness, whilst David Cotterill made his first Premiership start of the season in the absence of Luis Antonio Valencia. Former Cottager, Michael Brown also played as cover for Dutch international Denny Landzaat, who is recovering from an eye injury.
Lawrie Sanchez opted to leave David Healy on the bench, opting for a front pairing of Diomansy Kamara and Hameur Bouazza.
The opening exchanges gave no hint of the mundane performance that Latics were about to display as the game swung from end to end with Heskey picking up where he left off for England. However, in the fifth minute of the game he picked up a knock and was limping badly after sustaining a knock on his foot. Despite an attempt to 'run it off' and treatment on the touchline line, Hutchings had no choice to to bring Marcus Bent on in his place four minutes later.
As if that wasn't bad enough, only three more minutes had elapsed when the visitors took the lead when Clint Dempsey latched on to a loose ball in the hosts' penalty area to score his third goal of the season, much to the delight of the 250 or so Fulham fans who had made the epic trip up from London!
Fulham then commenced to play a lot of passing football, most of it which completely bypassed a bemused Latics midfield, rather than sit on their one goal lead. Heskey's presence up front was being badly missed as Bent and Antoine Sibierski were chasing shadows for most of the first half, which the Blues were fortunate to end it only one goal down.
The second period was only a few minutes old when Chris Kirkland had to pull off a terrific double save to keep Fulham from increasing their lead as the visitors went for the jugular. In fairness, Latics then began to get their act together, but the lack of decent chances to open the scoring was becoming more and more alarming.
On the 56 minute mark Kirkland once again pulled off a wonder save to deny Dempsey who must have thought he was going to put the Cottagers 2-0 up as he raced clear of the defence with only the keeper to beat.
The midfield was still at sixes and sevens, and in the 61st minute Josip Skoko was introduced to the action in place of the ineffective Cotterill, whose impressive runs up either flank were let down badly by very poor crosses into the visitors' danger areas. From then on, Latics looked to be more settled in the middle of the park as the midfield slowly began to have more 'bite'. Testimony to this is the fact that Skoko was the first and only player to be booked in the game, on the 67th minute mark and that yellow card was picked up because of the Socceroo's winning mentality, rather that a cynical foul.
Sanchez brought on Healy for Kamara in the 68th minute, obviously feeling that the Cottagers could produce their first away victory of the season, especially given Latics' utter uselessness in front of goal. In an effort to rectify this, Sibierski was replaced by Nigerian hit man Julius Aghahowa in the 76th minute.
Just when things looked very bleak, with most fans anticipating a very dire defeat, Mario Melchiot was pulled down in the Fulham area by Bouazza in the 79th minute and referee, Rob Styles, had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick, which Koumas slammed past Anti Niemi to give the Blues a goal they never looked like scoring.
From then on, Latics looked like a different team and both Aghahowa and Scharner missed opportunities to literally steal the three points for Latics. But in truth, the Blues didn't deserve the one point that kept them in ninth spot in the Premiership at five o clock.
By then news had circulated that Heskey had broken his fifth metatarsal, which was a very cruel blow to both Latics and England.
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Emmerson Boyce, David Cotterill, (Josip Skoko 60), Michael Brown, Paul Scharner, Jason Koumas, Emile Heskey, (Marcus Bent 9), Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 74).
Subs not used, Michael Pollitt, Fitz Hall
Goal scorer, Jason Koumas 80 mins
Booked, Josip Skoko 66 mins
FULHAM, Anti Niemi, Aaron Hughes, Carlos Bocanegra, Chris Baird, Paul Konchesky, Alexei Smertin, Clint Dempsey, Simon Davies, (Danny Murphy 84), Steven Davis, Hameur Bouazza, (Ky Hyeon Seol 84), Diomansy Kamara, (David Healy 67).
Subs not used, Kasey Keller, Dejan Stefanovic
Gal scorer, Clint Dempsey 11 mins
Referee, Rob Styles (Hampshire)
Attendance, 16,973
Labels: Wigan vrs Fulham
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