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  • Date:2007-03-17
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:The JJB Stadium
  • Attendance:16001
  • Referee:Tanner, S

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-0 FULHAM: The game draws to a close with both sides settling for a point after a very uneventful 90 minutes which saw Camara miss the best chance of the game as Wigan just shaded the match.

90mins

The fourth official indicates there will be two minutes of added on time.

88mins

Taylor swings in yet another corner but again the deliever is poor and Bouba Diop gets a head on the ball to send it out of danger.

84mins

Davies turns the ball into the path of Brown but it bobbles infront of the Fulham midfielder and he sends it well wide of goal.

81mins

Tomasz Radzinski comes off to be replaced by Collins John.

80mins

The second corner sent in by Taylor is dealt with well by Queudrue who got the ball away from danger.

79mins

Taylor launches another corner into the penalty area but it doesn't get past the near post as Smertin hammers the ball behind for a corner.

77mins

Paul Scharner is brought on to replace Denny Landzaat.

76mins

Wigan win a free kick in a dangerous position but Taylor wastes the chance by hammering the ball straight into the wall.

75mins

The third corner is finally cleared away by Bocanegra as Fulham survive a sustained spell of Wigan pressure.

74mins

Taylor takes the second corner and this time Kilbane gets his head to the ball but it deflects off a Fulham player for another Wigan corner

74mins

Taylor swings in a corner from the right but Pearce gets a head on the ball to send it behind for another corner.

67mins

A streaker is just running across the pitch, providing probably the most entertaining event of the afternoon as the crowd cheer him on, brave man in these conditions.

67mins

Heidar Helguson is brought on for Brian McBride

63mins

Davies swings in a corner for Fulham and Queudrue gets a glancing header on the ball but can only direct it wide of goal.

60mins

Valencia is the first name to go into the book after bringing down Radzinski from behind.

57mins

Unsworth sends in a deep cross for Valencia who heads the ball down for Camara but Wigan's topscorer can't apply the finish from a few yards out and sends the shot wide of goal, missing the best oppurtunity of the game.

55mins

Radzinski makes a great run again and this time gets to the ball ahead of Filan but the Canadian midfielder lets himself down with porr control and can only poke the ball past Filan but wide of the goal.

53mins

Radzinski gets on the end of a long ball played forward by the Fulham defence and finds himself clean through on goal but the assistant linesman cuts short the Fulham fans excitement by ruling Radzinski offside.

49mins

Rosenior gets forward and sends in a deep cross towards McBride but the Fulham striker can't get a head on the ball and Valencia gets a boot on the ball to clear it away.

47mins

Davis swings in a freekick from the right looking for Bocanegra but referee Tanner sees some pushing in the area and awards a free kick to Wigan

45mins

Fulham get the secnd half underway in the hope of breaking down Wigan and pulling themselves further away from the drop zone.

45mins

HALF TIME: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-0 FULHAM: Mr Tanner brings an open but dull first half to a close with neither goalkeeper being forced to make a save, the only talking point of the half was the injury to Folan, who had to be stretched off the pitch.

45mins

Valencia gets round Queudrue and whips in a low cross for Heskey but the Wigan forward's shot is blocked well by Pearce who threw his body in the way of the ball.

45mins

The fourth official indicates there will be three minutes of added on time.

42mins

Radzinski gets clear of the Wigan defence out wide and sends a great ball across the face of goal, but he can't pick out Brown who was busting a gut trying to get in the penalty area.

41mins

Fulham break forward and Smertin has a long range effort but it goes well wide of the mark, nearly hitting the corner flag.

40mins

Unsworth gets forward yet again but can't deliver the goods from his cross which is easily collected by Niemi.

35mins

An early cross is sent into the area for Heskey to attack but Pearce just gets ahead of the Wigan striker to clear away from danger.

30mins

The injured Caleb Folan goes off and the returing Henri Camara comes on to take his place.

29mins

Folan is carried off the pitch on the stretcher and doesn't look like he is going to return.

26mins

Bocanegra and Folan collide in the air and the result is not pretty with Bocanegra being helped off the pitch and the stretcher being brought on for Folan.

24mins

Fulham create their first chance of the game after stringing together a series of passes Brown squares the ball for Diop who snatches at the shot and drags it wide.

23mins

Kilbane floats in a dangerous cross for Wigan which catches out Niemi and Pearce has to clear up his goalkeepers mess to clear the ball.

20mins

Kilbane liftsa a clever ball over the top of the Fulham defence for Folan to run on to but the striker just got the timing of his run wrong and is adjudged to be offside.

18mins

Ryan Taylor swings in the first corner of the game but it doesn't beat the first man at the near post, Liam Rosenior who heads the ball out of danger.

16mins

Carlos Bocanegra inadvertantly diverts a cross into the path of Denny Landzaat but the Dutch midfielder can't hit the target and fires the shot wide of goal.

15mins

Folan tries to back-heel the ball into the path of Heskey but an outstrecthed leg of Smertin just cuts the pass out and diverts the danger away from Fulham's goal.

12mins

Davis breaks into the box and looks to pull the trigger for Fulham's first shot on target but the referee just stops him before he can after ruling Davis hand handled the ball.

9mins

Neither side can retain possession at the minute and a continuing pattern of lang balls isn't making for the most entertaining encounter.

4mins

Another cross is sent into the box for Emile Heskey to challenge for and the former England striker beats Liam Rosenior but can only send his header straight at Antti Niemi .

3mins

Franck Queudrue launches the ball into the area with Fulham's first attack but its too close to John Filan who can claim easily.

1mins

The ball is lofted into the area by Antonio Valencia for Folan the big striker is just beaten to the ball by Pearce.

0mins

Mr Tanner checks his watch and gets the game underway here at the JJB Stadium with Wigan starting the match

0mins

Fulham XI: Niemi, Rosenior, Bocanegra, Pearce, Queudrue, Smertin, Davies, Diop, Brown, Radzinski, McBride

0mins

Fulham have a fully fit squad to choose from as they try to record only their second away win of the season and their first victory in 11 Premiership outings.

0mins

Wigan XI: Filan, Taylor, De Zeeuw, Jackson, Unsworth, Valencia, Landzaat, Skoko, Kilbane, Heskey, Folan

0mins

Wigan welcome back their captain Arjan De Zeeuw who has recovered from a knee injury as well as Paul Scharner and Henri Camara who are both on the bench after getting over their respective injuries.

Match Preview

After a few nervous weeks at the JJB Stadium, Wigan Athletic appear to be coming into form as they prepare to host Fulham on Saturday.

The Latics had seemed destined to be dragged down into the relegation dogfight following a run of eight straight league defeats around the turn of the year, but successive Premiership victories have moved Paul Jewell's side eight points clear of the drop zone.

Two weeks ago, Wigan edged past Manchester City 1-0 at Eastlands and that priceless victory came hard on the heels of another seven days previously by the same narrow scoreline at Newcastle United.

Ahead of this match, just one point and one place separates Wigan and Fulham in the table which is bound to add extra spice to the meeting.

Wigan have also received some positive news off the pitch this week with the return to action for the reserves of key duo Paul Scharner and skipper Arjan De Zeeuw.

Scharner has been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in early December and the Austria international is desperate to earn a recall for the visit of Fulham.

That leaves just Chris Kirkland (broken finger) and Henri Camara (knee) in the treatment room.

Camara netted the winner in a 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage earlier in the season, but since then Jewell has been able to draft in plenty of attacking cover in the shape of Caleb Folan and Julius Aghahowa.

Meanwhile, Leighton Baines and Lee McCulloch will be suspended for the home side.

Fulham are looking for their first win in five games as they prepare to take on Wigan at the JJB Stadium.

In their last outing two weeks ago, the Cottagers picked up a point in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa courtesy of a Carlos Bocanegra strike.

Vincenzo Montella will once again miss out for the visitors as the on-loan AS Roma striker completes his three-match ban after being sent off against Tottenham in the FA Cup last month.

Elsewhere, midfielder Papa Bouba Diop will face a side that he was expected to sign for in the January transfer window only for the deal to collapse at the 11th hour.


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Match Report

Unlucky Wigan striker Caleb Folan looks set to miss out on his chance of international glory after being stretchered off in the first half as both sides edged another point closer to Premiership safety in a disappointing game.

The ex-Chesterfield forward, snapped up for a bargain £500,000 and already a big crowd favourite at the JJB stadium, landed awkwardly and damaged his right ankle.

It was a big blow for the Latics and the 24-year-old, who last week was celebrating his first ever call-up to Steve Staunton's Republic of Ireland squad for the European qualifiers.

Wigan were already missing Leighton Baines, Lee McCulloch and Fitz Hall through suspension, with Emmerson Boyce on the casualty list.

Skipper Arjan de Zeeuw was back after a two-month absence to replace Boyce, Kevin Kilbane stepped in for McCulloch and David Unsworth got the nod at left-back. Paul Scharner was also back after missing the last three months.

Fulham - still missing ex-Wigan crowd pleaser Jimmy Bullard - had one time Latics target Papa Bouba Diop in the starting lin-up, but defender Philippe Christanval again missed out with a hamstring injury.

Wigan - looking to complete the double over the visitors - bossed the action in a disappointing first half but they failed to cash in on their chances.

Unsworth fired across the face of goal and Folan arrived a fraction too late; then Emile Heskey directed a header straight at Antti Niemi, before midfielder Denny Landzaat - goal of the month winner for his strike at Arsenal - hammered wide from 12 yards.

The luckless Folan's afternoon ended when he was injured after challenging Carlos Bocanegra in the air.

Early in then second half brave keeping by Niemi snuffed out a chance for Heskey and he then saved at point blank from Henri Camara.

But the Senegal striker, inside the six-yard box, should have done better after he was set up by Luis Antonio Valencia.

Wigan keeper John Filan had not been troubled and the Latics piled on the pressure with Kilbane twice having headers deflected off target, but Fulham hung on to earn a vital point.

Wigan Athletic

Fulham

Corners

71

Fouls

136

Goal attempts

63

Shots off target

33

Offsides

64

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