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  • Date:2009-05-02
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:The JJB Stadium
  • Attendance:18655
  • Referee:Jones, M

Live Commentary

90mins

Full Time: WIGAN 0-0 BOLTON.

90mins

Kevin Davies goes down in the Wigan penalty area under a challenge from Emmerson Boyce but the referee waves play on.

90mins

There are four minutes of stoppage time for one of these sides to get a winning goal, Lee Cattermole has just seen a long range effort sail way over the Bolton goal.

87mins

With time running out it still looks as if there is a goal in this game, N'Zogbia has just won a corner for Wigan but Bolton clear fairly easily.

85mins

A great ball in from Steinsson is met by Kevin Davies but his headed effort cannons back off the crossbar, the referee had spotted something though and Wigan win a free kick.

83mins

A good ball from the right-wing from Riga nearly gets through to Elmander but Bramble does well to intercept.

82mins

Lee Cattermole is given his eleventh yellow card of the season for pulling Riga back.

79mins

Wigan are given a corner they shouldn't have had, N'Zogbia take but Michael Brown heads the ball wide from a good position.

79mins

Tamir Cohen is replaced by Riga for Bolton.

77mins

A great chance for Kevin Davies as the ball comes to him in the Wigan penalty area but he fires well high of the goal from just 12 yards out.

75mins

Amr Zaki, who scored the only goal in the corresponding fixture at the Reebok earlier in the season as Wigan ran out 1-0 winners, replaces Mido in a like for like swap.

74mins

A Bolton free-kick taken by McCann causes Wigan all kinds of problems but Kirkland eventually manages to gather the ball in the Wigan goal.

73mins

The referee hands Matt Taylor a yellow card for his foul on Valencia.

72mins

Valencia takes the ball off Taylor and races away, Taylor tries to pull him back but Valencia shrugs him off and crosses into the Bolton box but the Wanderers defence deal with the danger and clear.

70mins

Elmander's shot takes a deflection off Figueroa and Bolton win a corner, McCann takes the corner and Cohen somehow manages to head the ball over the bar from two yards out.

65mins

Mido fluffs a shot for Wigan after Rodallega set him up, that was a good chance for the Egyptian and he should have done a lot better.

64mins

Mido sends a ball forward for Rodallega but the latter is judged to be offside.

63mins

Wigan corner which N'Zogbia takes but the referee spots an infringement and awards Bolton a free-kick in their own penalty area.

61mins

Great chance for Gavin McCann but Kirkland makes a decent save, Bolton are starting to turn the screw a bit now and they look the more likely side.

59mins

Taylor's corner is cleared for another corner by Figueroa, McCann takes the next corner but Wigan clear.

58mins

Good defending from Figueroa from Wigan as the Colombian international intercepts Samuel's cross and puts the ball out for a corner.

55mins

Wigan win a corner which N'Zogbia takes but it comes to nothing and Bolton clear.

52mins

Wigan make their second substitution with Paul Scharner making way for Erik Edman.

50mins

Bolton win a corner which Taylor takes, the ball comes to Kevin Davies but the big centre-forward is offside and Wigan win a free-kick.

49mins

Fabrice Muamba is issued a yellow card for Bolton.

49mins

N'Zogbia floats a free kick into the Bolton penalty area but Titus Bramble can only head the ball out for a goal kick.

47mins

It looks as if Bolton have gone 4-4-2 for the second half with Kevin Davies joining Elmander in attack.

45mins

Emmerson Boyce replaces Mario Melchiot at half time for Wigan Athletic.

45mins

The second half is underway.

45mins

Half TIme: WIGAN 0-0 BOLTON.

45mins

Bolton had the ball in the net but Matty Taylor was judged to be offisde when the ball came to him.

45mins

Wigan are taking the game to Bolton in the closing stages of the first half, Mido has just tried to score with a clever back heel but Jaaskelainen was alert to the danger.

43mins

Mido hits a wicked shot from 35 yards which Jaaskelainen does well to parry for a corner, the resulting corner is cleared by Andy O'Brien.

41mins

Lee Cattermole did well to intercept Cohen's pass to break down the Bolton attack.

40mins

Matt Taylor's pass is too long for Elmander and the ball rolls harmlessly out of play, Bolton are just about edging this at the moment but there isn't a lot in it.

35mins

Muamba tries his look from distance but it's a very poor effort and Kirkland isn't troubled in the Wigan goal.

34mins

Mido is the first Wigan player to go into the referee's notebook.

33mins

It has all gone a bit scrappy at the JJB now, Bolton have tried to play a few long balls but they haven't come off while Wigan looked inventive but the final ball has been lacking.

29mins

Nice work in midfield from Bolton but Figueroa breaks down the attack.

28mins

Gavin McCann receives a yellow card for a foul on Michael Brown.

25mins

Wigan corner after Taylor takes the ball off Melchiot, N'Zogbia takes and the ball eventually falls to Rodallega but his headed shot went well wide.

22mins

Bolton free-kick half way inside Wigan half after Elmander is fouled by Brown, Taylor floats the ball into the box but Wigan win a goal kick.

17mins

Taylor's corner is met by Tamir Cohen but he gets his headed effort wrong and it flies over the Wigan crossbar.

16mins

Bolton enjoying a lot of possesion at the moment, Steinsson has just won the Wanderers a corner.

13mins

We haven't had any goals yet but this is a fast-paced and exciting game, Jaaskelainen has just produced a fantastic save from Rodallega's shot but the Wigan striker was offside and it wouldn't have counted anyway.

12mins

Gavin McCann chips a free kick into the penalty area, the ball drops to Gary Cahill who sees his effort tipped onto the bar winning Bolton a corner, which comes to nothing.

11mins

Wigan corner after Jaaskelainen does well to parry N'Zogbia's effort from range, the corner comes to nothing though and Bolton get the ball clear.

10mins

Fabrice Muamba is dispossessed on the edge of the Bolton penalty area by Charles N'Zogbia but Matt Taylor helps him out and clears.

8mins

Valencia's cross is headed clear by Gavin McCann, Wigan are perhaps having the best of these early stages but both teams look willing to commit men forward.

5mins

Mido reacts to a heavy challenge from Kevin Davies, I didn't see anything wrong with that myself and neither did referee Mike Jones who awards Wigan a throw in.

3mins

Wigan hit the post! Jussi Jaaskelainen uncharacteristically failed to deal with Hugo Rodallega's shot which slipped through his arms and came back off the post.

2mins

Bolton look to get forward through Steinsson but N'Zogbia stops him, Wigan counter quickly and Cahill has to be quick to stop Valencia's cross.

0mins

The game is underway at the JJB Stadium, Wigan have lost their last three games in a row while Bolton haven't won away from the Reebok since November so it could go either way.

0mins

Just over 10 minutes until kick off at the JJB. Ricardo Gardner didn't make it through a late fitness test for Bolton so he'll take no part. In the last 28 meetings between these two there hasn't been a 0-0 draw so let's hope for a few goals today.

0mins

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Andrew O'Brien, Samuel, Kevin Davies, Muamba, McCann, Cohen, Taylor, Elmander Subs: Al Habsi, Puygrenier, Hunt, Makukula, Smolarek, Basham,Riga.

0mins

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa, Valencia, Brown, Cattermole, N'Zogbia, Rodallega, Mido Subs: Pollitt, Edman, Watson, De Ridder, Koumas, Boyce, Zaki.

Match Preview

With little at stake, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers could field much-changed teams for Saturday's mid-table battle at the JJB Stadium.

Despite losing three matches in a row, the Latics have already accrued 41 points, while Gary Megson's side are only three points worse off so both teams are likely to stay up even if they lose their last four games of the campaign.

However, Wigan's disappointing 2-0 defeat at Blackburn on Sunday left boss Steve Bruce hinting that he could bring in several youngsters for this weekend's match.

Bruce has done supremely well to keep his side out of the relegation battle, particularly since losing Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios in January, but they have fallen away of late.

They have won only two of their last 13 matches, scoring just six goals in the process, which does not augur well for next season.

Bolton have managed to steer clear of the bottom three this term with Kevin Davies' 11 goals and the uncanny knack of winning vital games at crucial times doing much to preserve their Premier League status.

They are now an established top-flight club and seem certain to be starting their ninth successive season at this level in August.

Megson may not be particularly popular with the Reebok Stadium faithful but he kept the club up against the odds last term and has continued their upward curve this season.

Record signing Johan Elmander has not scored as many goals as had been hoped but is says much for the strength of the squad that Megson has built that a mid-table finish is within their grasp.

It is hoped that Ricardo Gardner and Danny Shittu will have recovered from hamstring and ankle problems respectively in time to feature against the Latics, but Mark Davies, Joey O'Brien and Ricardo Vaz Te (all knee) look set to miss out.


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Match Report

Jussi Jaaskelainen was at his brilliant best as he helped earn Bolton boss Gary Megson a point as a present on his 50th birthday.

The Bolton keeper showed his quality especially in the first half to prevent the Latics from storming into a healthy lead as they looked to bounce back after three straight Premier League defeats.

His first contribution came after just two minutes when Mido set up a chance for Hugo Rodallega with a neat back-heel.

The £4.5million Colombian striker - hunting his first Wigan goal - hit his shot well, but the keeper reacted superbly to get a hand to it and steer it against his left post.

The Finland star followed that by diving to his left to turn away Charles N'Zogbia's effort and then blocked from Rodallega who cracked one in from point-blank range.

Wanderers found their luck was out too when Wigan failed to clear a Gavin McCann free-kick, and Gary Cahill's shot was deflected onto the crossbar.

The Latics were looking the more likely to break the deadlock but Matthew Taylor got in a vital block on Mario Melchiot as the Wigan skipper was about to shoot.

Antonio Valencia had Bolton on the back foot with a terrific break but again the busy Rodallega failed to hit the target.

The Trotters almost cashed in on a slip by Maynor Figueroa but Johan Elmander - once a Wigan target - hammered into the side-netting.

But once again Jaaskelainen came to the rescue with another stunning save when Mido pounced on a mistake by Fabrice Muamba to have a crack.

Bolton did get the ball in the net in first-half stoppage time but an offside flag cut short Taylor's celebrations.

Chris Kirkland was forced into action to keep one out from McCann at the back post, Mido wasted a clear chance firing wide after Rodallega had set him up, and Elmander saw a goal-bound effort deflected for a corner.

Wanderers were hunting a winner but Latics survived when a clearance attempt from Erik Edman hit Titus Bramble gifting Kevin Davies a shot at goal. However, he hit it well clear of the bar.

And, in the last minute, Wigan fans held their breath when Davies went down under the challenge from Emmerson Boyce in the box but ref Mike Jones ruled it was legitimate.

Wigan Athletic

Bolton Wanderers

Corners

96

Fouls

1410

Goal attempts

1610

Shots off target

97

Offsides

33

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