Wigan 1 - 0 Middlesbrough

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Wednesday Aug 15 2007 08:00

Antoine Sibierski followed up his debut goal against Everton on Saturday with another and it proved enough to give Wigan their first points of the new season and leave Boro still to get off the mark.

The 33-year-old Frenchman, snapped up on a free transfer from Newcastle, broke the deadlock with a scruffy goal in the 55th minute.

Boro battled back but their luck was out with Stewart Downing firing just wide and then seeing another ferocious strike hit the post.

Wigan had bossed the first half but it was all square at the break with keeper Mark Schwarzer the Boro hero.

The Latics had made just one change to the starting line-up with Sibierski taking over from Caleb Folan alongside Emile Heskey up front.

Boro were unchanged and prospective £6.8million signing Mido was among the spectators in the directors' box.

Wigan got off to a confident start and went agonisingly close to taking the lead after 25 minutes.

Boro conceded a free-kick for a foul on skipper Mario Melchiot and Jason Koumas beat the wall forcing Schwarzer to tip it around his left post.

Earlier the Latics had carved out other openings with Welsh star Koumas making a big impression on his home debut.

The first came after just four minutes when Luis Antonio Valencia provided the cross, Denny Landzaat stepped neatly over it, and Sibierski seized the chance to shoot but put it over the bar.

Boro stemmed the tide briefly with Turkish star Sanli Tuncay just missing with a left footer, and right-back Melchiot came up with an important block to deny Downing a chance to strike.

But Schwarzer was busy keeping out tricky shots from both Koumas and Sibierski as Wigan turned the screw.

The goal came when Valencia hammered in a fierce low shot from the edge of the box, the keeper could not hold onto it and Sibierski scrambled it in from a couple of feet.

After the two close shaves from Downing, Wigan had chances to put it beyond all doubt but both Paul Scharner and Heskey hammered shots wide.

Live Commentary

  • 90
    Wigan take all three points here at the JJB after a decent performance against a toothless Middlesbrough side who never looked like getting back into the game.
  • 90
    Wigan launch a 4-on-3 counter-attack, Julius Aghahowa slipping the ball to Scharner who should score but only succeeds in hitting the side netting.
  • 90
    Middlesbough are finally beginning to aplly some pressure on the Wigan defence but for now they're standing firm.
  • 90
    Downing tries to recreate the goal he scored on Saturday against Blackburn with a freekick but this one is very poor, hitting the wall.
  • 90
    The fourth official indicates there will be four minutes of added on time, not sure where they have come from.
  • 86
    Jeremie Aliadiere hobbles off to be replaced by Lee Cattermole.
  • 83
    Arca becomes the next man to enter the book ater another foul on Koumas.
  • 82
    Koumas delivers another flights in another cross Boro are equal to it, Riggott heading the ball away.
  • 81
    Downing's freekick is headed across the face of the Wigan goal before Taylor crosses it back in but the second delivery isn't good as Wigan head clear.
  • 80
    Kilbane gets a booking after bringing down Johnson, harsh decision.
  • 79
    Heskey tries to chip the ball into the area, Boro managing to clear the cross but only as far as Scharner who hits the ball on the volley with his shin and sends it curling away from goal.
  • 77
    Heskey heads a throw-in back to Landzaat who tries a spectacular volley but gets it all wrong, sending the ball well wide of goal.
  • 76
    Adam Johnson goes into the book after a rash challenge on Kilbane.
  • 73
    Melchiot plays a long ball over the top for Heskey to chase and the striker makes it o the ball but can't find the goal with an attempted lob just before he is flatten by the on rushing Schwarzer.
  • 70
    Sanli Tuncay is taken off and on comes another Middlesbrough youngster Adam Johnson
  • 69
    Koumas has another strike at goal but like most of his attempts its not great, the ball sailing into the stand behind the goal.
  • 68
    Koumas swings in a great ball from the right and a Boro head sends the ball stright up in the air allowing Melchiot to charge and get a header at goal but the Wigan captain can only send the ball over the bar.
  • 65
    Wigan's goalscorer Antoine Sibierski is forced off with cramp and Julius Aghahowa comes on for him.
  • 65
    Yakubu Ayegbeni is brought off after a issapointing performance and is replaced by Dong-Gook Lee
  • 64
    Kilbane swings in a nice cross from the left and finds Sibierski's head but its fortunatly blocked by Davies as Boro scramble the ball away.
  • 64
    Aliadiere goes a great run through the Wigan side but his shot doesn't match his impressive run and Kirland gathers easily at his feet.
  • 63
    Koumas swings in another corner for Wigan buts Schwarzer punches the ball away well through a crowd of players.
  • 61
    Downing very nearly gets his team on level terms with an excellent strike that beats Kirkland but smacks into the post as Wigan survive a scare.
  • 61
    Tuncay does well to bring the ball down, nutmeg Kilbane and then nearly pick out Yakubu with a square ball across the face of goal but that is cut out by Bramble.
  • 59
    Granqvist nearly puts his team in trouble with a backpass that Yakubu nearly latches onto but Kirland shows some great speed to reach the ball before the striker and clear it upfield.
  • 56
    Downing nearly gets a quick reply for Boro driving the ball across the face of goal just hoping for a touch from a red shirt which would turn the ball home for the equaliser.
  • 54
    Antoine Sibierski gives Wigan the lead after scrambling the ball home from inside the six yard box, all this came after schwarzer failed to hold a powerful drive fro Valencia.
  • 51
    Schaner has a go from a look way out after Wigan had moved the ball well looking for a gap in the Boro defence but it eventually came to Scharner who slams the ball high and wide with an optomistic shot.
  • 49
    Valencia squeezes a weak shot throgh a crowd of Boro defenders and nearly finds Heskey but the assistant referee raises his flag as Heskey is just caught offside.
  • 46
    Koumas has the first shot of the half from about 25-yards-out but again its an easy one for Schwarzer who saves the ball easily.
  • 45
    Taylor tries to pick out Yakubu with a deep cross but can only find Bramble who manages to clear the ball.
  • 45
    Wigan get the second half underway as everyone at the JJB hopes for a rise in quality and goal-mouth action.
  • 45
    Steve Tanner brings this uneventful first half to a close with Wigan just shading it in terms of chances but in truth both sides have been poor going forward.
  • 45
    The fourth official indicates there will be just a minute of added on time.
  • 42
    Arca takes a freekick for Boro, floating it straight into the box where Kirland comes to claim but drops the ball and referee Steve Tanner blows his whistle spoting a foul on the Wigan keeper.
  • 40
    Kilbane plays a nice ball across the Boro backline for Heskey to chase and the former England striker nearly makes it but Schwarzer grabs the ball on the edge of his area.
  • 37
    Koumas swings in the free kick from the left but again its dealt with by Boro, this time Davies heading it out for a Wigan throw.
  • 37
    Tuncay commits one foul to many and is booked for it.
  • 35
    Boro quickly counter-attack and work the ball to Tuncay who tries to cross the ball to Aliadiere but the cross it blocked coming back to the Turk who proceeds to slam the ball over the bar.
  • 34
    Koumas shows some quick feet to work himself into a shooting position but can only send his shot straight at Schwarzer.
  • 33
    Valencia hits a long range shot which isn't a great effort but Heskey nearly makes something, turning the ball towards goal but Riggott does well to block the shot as Boro escape the danger.
  • 30
    Tuncay wipes in a good looking cross for Boro but its too high for anyone to attack and Kirland catches the ball unchallenged in the end.
  • 28
    Arca does well to slip Downing in on goal but just as the England striker released his shot a sliding tackle from Melchiot blocks the shot.
  • 27
    Valencia capitalises on a defensive mix-up in the Boro ranks, bursting into the box before fizzing a shot across the face of goal and just wideof Schwarzer's left hand post.
  • 26
    Yakubu picks out Tuncay well on the edge of the area, the Turkish winger trying to curl the ball in but its a poor attempt and the ball goes well wide of goal.
  • 25
    Koumas takes the resulting corner from the right but Wheater does well to head the ball away from goal.
  • 24
    Kousmas curls in a freekick for Wigan from 25-yards-out but Schwarzer is across his goal well to put the ball behind for a corner.
  • 22
    Kousmas puts in an outswinging corner from the right into the area where Schwarzer gets a weak punch on the ball, giving Koumas the chance to cross again but this time Boro manage to deal with the cross and clear.
  • 20
    Bramble floats a high freekick towards Heskey who knocks it down for Lanzaat, the Dutch midfielder taking a touch before shooting just wide of goal from ten yards out.
  • 17
    Aliadiere wins a hopeful pass from Tuncay but Boro's two strikers Aliadiere and Yakubu get in each others way creating a scramble on the edge of Wigan's area until Granqvist clears with a big boot upfield.
  • 15
    Koumas flings in his second freekick of the night from the left, this one going straight to Schwarzer who catches the ball close to his chest.
  • 14
    A few late tackles a beginning to creep into the game as the temperature starts to rise at the JJB.
  • 11
    Downing swings in Middlesbrough's first free kick of the game from the left but its dealt with by Scharner who heads the ball from danger.
  • 9
    Koumas floats in a free kick for Wigan from the left towards the edge of the penalty area but Schwarzer comes along way to claim the ball.
  • 7
    Downing swings in the first corner of the game from the right but Kirkland gets above everyone to catch the ball with ease.
  • 7
    Aliadiere and Tuncay combine well to take the ball past Bramble and head towards goal, Granqvist eventually blocking Aliadiere's cross to give Boro a corner.
  • 3
    Valencia squares a ball across the edge of the penalty area for Sibierski but the French forward can only lean back and strike the ball over the bar.
  • 2
    Kilbane smashes a high ball into the penalty area but its a waste as the Wigan defender fires the ball over Mark Schwarzer's goal.
  • 1
    Downing chips a ball in towards Yakubu but the big Nigerian forward is out muscled by Bramble who heads the ball away.
  • 0
    Referee Steve Tanner gets the game underway here at the half empty JJB stadium with Middlesbrough kicking-off
  • 0
    Middlesbrough XI: Schwarzer, Davies, Riggott, Wheater, Taylor, Sanli, Boateng, Arca, Downing, Aliadiere, Yakubu
  • 0
    Middlesbrough are still in the midst of a defensive crisis with Huth, Woodgate, Young and Rochemback still unavailable and stick with the same side that lost to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
  • 0
    Wigan XI: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Granqvist, Kilbane, Valencia, Scharner, Landzaat, Koumas, Heskey, Sibierski
  • 0
    Wigan will be looking to record their first win of the season and their first ever win over Middlesbrough at the JJB. The Latics still cannot include summer signing Michael Brown who is suspended.

Statistics

Wigan
Shots on target 5
Shots off target 9
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 8
Offsides 2
Corners 5

Middlesbrough
Shots on target 1
Shots off target 3
Shots off bar/post 1
Fouls 20
Offsides 0
Corners 3

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