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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Craven Cottage
  • Attendance: 20820
  • Referee: Wiley, A

Live Commentary

90 mins

The final whistle goes with the game ending all square after an end-to-end game with both sides having a chance to snatch it at the death.

90 mins

The fourth official indicates there will be four minutes of stoppage time.

87 mins

Scharner floats a freekick into the penalty area and finds Sibierski unmarked at the far post whose diving header misses the target by inches with Niemi rooted to the spot.

85 mins

Salomon Olembe comes on to replace Ryan Taylor.

84 mins

Baird whips in a cross which Kirkland loses in flight, the ball falling to Dempsey whose shot is cleared off the line by Boyce before Kirland can pounce on the rebound.

80 mins

Valencia springs the offside trap from a long ball and gets into the penalty area but it denied by a great save from Niemi who saves low down, close to his body to deny Wigan a second.

77 mins

Dempsey levels things up for Fulham after Kamara hit a cross come shot across the six yard box which fell to Dempsey who slotted it home very cooly to put things level.

76 mins

A cross into the box lets Hughes try and flick it on towards Healy and Kuqi in the penalty area but Kirkland is quick offf his line to slide and claim the ball well.

71 mins

Davies chips the ball into the box from a freekick for Healy to get on the end of, the Northern Ireland international taking the chance first time but can only direct it wide of the target.

71 mins

Hameur Bouazza comes off and is replaced by Shefki Kuqi.

69 mins

Bent gives Wigan the lead after Fulham failed to clear the corner a high ball back in from Brown caught Baird out which allowed Bent to bring the ball down on his chest and slam it into the top corner, leaving Niemi with no chance.

68 mins

Bent swings a cross in for Wigan which Baird is forced to head behind for a corner.

65 mins

Taylor swings in a corner towards the near post where Bramble tries to make contact with a diving header but can only send it well wide of goal.

62 mins

Julius Aghahowa is brought off and on comes Antoine Sibierski.

60 mins

Davies delivers a corner for Fulham and finds Kamara who can only head the ball wide of the target.

58 mins

Steven Davis comes off along with the injured Elliot Omozusi as David Healy and Chris Baird enter the fray.

53 mins

Davies plays a nice ball over the top for Kamara to run onto, the forward striking the ball while under pressure from Bramble and ragging his shot harmlessly wide of goal.

49 mins

Valencia does well out on the left, whipping in a cross towards Aghahowa, but Niemi does well to come off his line and claim it.

47 mins

Bouazza swings in a freekick from 30 yards towards the far post, its far too deep for anyone to attack and it drifts out of play.

45 mins

Murphy sweeps in a good cross for Kamara to attack but the striker can only head it straight up in the air and Bramble can head it clear.

45 mins

Fulham get the second half underway hoping to create some more of the opportunities we saw in the first half.

45 mins

Alan Wiley brings a good first half to the close with Fulham having the better of it with Bocanegra having one cleared off the line and Konchesky hitting the crossbar although Wigan have had chances off their own.

45 mins

The fourth official indicates there will be just one minute of stoppage time.

43 mins

Taylor plays a clever freekick in over the top for Scharner to run onto who chests it down before slamming it over the bar from inside the box.

40 mins

The game has gone very quiet at the Cottage with most of the players and fans already occupied with thoughts of half-time.

36 mins

Taylor swings in a corner which is half cleared by Hughes before Omozusi completes the job, clearing it upfield to Kamara.

29 mins

Landzaat whips in a great freekick from the left, sending it towards the far post where Scharner has sneaked in behind everyone but can't quite get on the end of the cross as it bounces out of play.

27 mins

Konchesky comes forward with the ball and strikes it sweetly towards goal from 30 yards, the shot cannoning off the angle of the goal and going over with Kirkland well beaten, Fulham well on top at the moment.

26 mins

Murphy scuffs his corner which hits Bramble and the big centre back nearly turns it into his own net but manages to put it behind for a corner.

24 mins

Davies swings in a great cross from a freekick on the right which drops at the feet of Kamara who stabs it past the beaten Kirkland but also manages to put it past the post as Fulham waste another good chance.

21 mins

Bouazza slides the ball through for Davis to run onto into the penalty area and shot which he duly does, forcing Kirkland into a good save, pushing the ball away.

21 mins

Taylor swings in a cross from the right which goes behind everyone as it floats above the six yard box and out on he other side thanks to an Omozusi clearance.

20 mins

Boyce squares the ball on the edge of the penalty area for Brown who snatches at the shot and sends it spinning wide of goal, not a good effort.

18 mins

Taylor launches a long throw into the penalty area which Scharner flicks on looking for a Wigan head but Niemi does well to come off his line and claim.

16 mins

Murphy takes the corner which Dempsey manages to get his head on but can't get enough power on it which allows Kirkland to punch it away from goal.

16 mins

Bramble does well to head the a high ball away but can only get it as far as Davies who tries his luck from distance, the shot taking a deflection off a Wigan player and going behind for a corner.

11 mins

A long throw-in from Kilbane catches out Bocanegra as the ball drops to Brown, who from 12 yards manages to fire it over the bar on the volley.

9 mins

Great chance for Fulham with Bouazza firing in a low cross to the near post which Dempsey just can't reach before the ball comes to davies who slides in but the ball goes underneath the midfielders boot as Wigan clear.

7 mins

Murphy puts in a low cross to the centre of the penalty area where Hughes gets a touch and just flicks it past Kirkland's right hand post, good spell of pressure from Fulham.

6 mins

Davies floats in an early corner which Bocanegra gets to and sends his header over Kirkland with Boyce having to head it off the line from under the crossbar.

2 mins

Konchesky loses the ball to Valencia deep in Fulham territory and the Wigan winger smashes in a low cross which is cut out well by Bocanegra who boots it upfield.

0 mins

Murphy floats in an early free kick looking for Dempsey but Scharner does well to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick.

0 mins

Referee Alan Wiley gets the game underway here at Craven Cottage as two of the clubs in the drop zone battle it out hoping to avoid spending Christmas in a relegation spot. Wigan get the game underway

0 mins

Wigan XI: Kirkland, Boyce, Scharner, Bramble, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Landzaat, Taylor, Aghahowa, Bent

0 mins

Wigan are without Emile Heskey who fails to recover from the ankle injury that saw him stretched off last Saturday. Jason Koumas is out through injury and Sibierski is only fit enough to start on the bench.

0 mins

Fulham XI: Niemi, Omozusi, Bocanegra, Hughes, Konchesky, Bouazza, Davis, Murphy, Davies, Kamara, Dempsey

0 mins

Caretaker boss Ray Lewington takes charge of his first game hoping to improve Fulham’s dismal record of two wins all season but can’t call on former Wigan star Jimmy Bullard just yet despite the midfielder coming through a reserve match this week.

Match Report

Fulham host Wigan Athletic in a must-win relegation six-pointer for both sides at Craven Cottage.

Lawrie Sanchez's Fulham dropped into the relegation places last weekend, as a 1-0 home reverse at the hands of Newcastle United made it five games without a win for the west London outfit.

They have also failed to find the net in their last three outings, having scored just 18 goals in 17 Premier League outings this season.

However, an upbeat Sanchez said after the heartbreaking loss to the Magpies: "I wouldn't want to be in the bottom three going into the transfer window and I want to make that right before we start spending money.

"We were always going to bring players in. But I'm hoping this group of players can get us into a situation where we can look at it less critically."

Sanchez has a number of players out with long-term injuries, including Kasey Keller, summer signing Lee Cook, Jimmy Bullard and key striker Brian McBride.

Wigan arrive in the capital boosted by a thrilling 5-3 home victory over Blackburn Rovers last time out, although they did lose Emile Heskey to an ankle injury during that win.

The England international hopes to be back in action in the near future, but he will definitely miss the trip to Craven Cottage.

New Latics boss Steve Bruce will be hoping that Antoine Sibierski has shaken off a thigh injury to replace Heskey, although he has few other injury problems to contend with.

Mario Melchiot will be absent, however, as he completes a three-match suspension for being sent off at Manchester City.

Bruce is content that his players are showing the right attitude needed for the fight to avoid the drop, saying: "We've worked them hard in training and they've responded the right way.

"Our supporters have now seen two good performances at home against Manchester City and Blackburn and we have to build on that.

"If we can go to Fulham and get something there, that would really start to turn our season around."

Earlier in the campaign the two sides drew 1-1 at the JJB Stadium, with Jason Koumas rescuing a point for the home side with a penalty ten minutes from time.

Fulham

Wigan Athletic

Corners

8 4

Fouls

15 16

Goal attempts

9 10

Shots off target

5 6

Offsides

2 7

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