- Bowyer (81)
- Scharner (78)
- Date:2007-08-25
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Upton Park
- Attendance:33793
- Referee:Marriner, A
Live Commentary
90mins
Honours are even at Upton Park after a dull game exploded into life with a stunning overhead kick from Paul Scharner. West Ham though replied almost immediately when Lee Bowyer stabbed home Dean Ashton's cross.
89mins
Brown is booked for a rash tackle on Etherington
86mins
Bowyer tries to win it for West Ham with a 35 yard shot but the ball goes wide
85mins
It's end to end stuff now as Koumas tries his luck from 25 yards
83mins
Ashton is starting to make the difference as the game finally springs into life
81mins
Lee Bowyer smashes the ball home from Ashton's cross
76mins
The West Ham fans are stunned into silence as Scharner's brilliant overhead kick gives Wigan a shock lead
74mins
Michael Brown comes on for Valencia as Wigan look to close the game out
72mins
Bellamy leaves the field with Luis Boa Morte coming on for the final 20 minutes
71mins
Wigan continue to frustrate West Ham in a disciplined defensive game
70mins
Bellamy looks to be struggling as Boa Morte warms up on the sidelines
69mins
The linesman's arm must be aching as West Ham are caught offside again. This time it's Etherington
66mins
Good work by Ashton as the striker threads a ball through to Dyer but Bramble clears
64mins
Lee Bowyer comes on for the hard working Mullins
62mins
Upson is cautioned for tackle on Heskey
62mins
Superb save from Green as Aghahowa's shot is clawed out by the keeper and Melchiot heads the rebound wide
60mins
Dean Ashton takes to the field in place of Zamora as Curbishley tries to shake up his lacklustre troops
57mins
Landzaat tries to recreate last season's screamer at Arsenal but the ball goes wide of the target
56mins
Noble tries his luck from 20 yards but the shot goes straight to Kirkland
54mins
Scharner hits a rasping drive but the shot flies just past the West Ham post
53mins
Landzaat goes into the book for deliberate handball
53mins
Etherington hammers the ball against the Wigan wall and Noble's snapshot from the rebound goes wide
52mins
Second penalty appeal for West Ham after handball by Landzaat but the ref blows for a free kick on the edge of the area
52mins
Aghahowa has a great chance to get his first Wigan goal but Green smothers his shot
51mins
Another West Ham offisde as Dyer is too quick for the pass
50mins
Granqvist does well to shrug Bellamy off the ball for a goal kick
49mins
The referee waves away appeals for a Wigan free-kick after Heskey is hauled down by Mullins
48mins
Koumas tries to force the early pace by running with the ball at the West Ham defence but the midfielder loses possession
46mins
No further changes for either team as the players come back out for the second period
45mins
In a game of few chances Wigan go closest with a Koumas shot that hit the post while Bellamy had an effort ruled out for offside
45mins
Zamora tries to give home supporters something to cheer about at the end of a dull first half but Granqvist clears the danger
44mins
The fourth official indicates 3 minutes of added time
44mins
The game drifts towards half time with Noble sending a shot high and wide of the Wigan goal
43mins
Koumas lines a free kick up but his ball into the West Ham box is looped over the bar by Heskey
42mins
A brilliant 25 yard drive from Koumas beats Green in the West Ham goal but the ball hits the post
40mins
The linesman's flag again saves Wigan as Dyer is caught offside this time
38mins
Noble's dangerous corner kick is saved well by Kirkland
37mins
A good cross by Etherington is flicked over his own crossbar by Wigan captain Melchiot
35mins
Nigerian international Julius Aghahowa replaces the injured Sibierski
35mins
Sibierski looks like he might have to come off with a possible hamstring injury
33mins
Wigan are rescued by the linesman's flag again after Bellamy slots the ball past Kirkland
32mins
Good tackle by Ferdinand on Heskey after a dangerous ball from Bramble
30mins
The game settles back down to a slow pace as both sides pass the ball patiently in midfield
29mins
Big penatly appeal from West Ham players after Noble is hauled down in the Wigan goalmouth but the ref waves play on
27mins
Great chance for Wigan as Koumas' inswinging cross is headed wide by Scharner from 10 yards out
25mins
Granqvist is caught in possession by Bellamy and the centre back is then punished for a pull on Zamora's shirt. Free-kick West Ham
23mins
The hot weather is playing a part in a slow paced game as the players stop for a water break
21mins
A good move from Wigan involving Landzaat and Koumas ends with Scharner mishitting a volley wide of the West Ham goal
18mins
Great chance for Ferdinand as Noble puts over a dangerous cross but the defender sends his header wide of the target
17mins
Dyer shows his pace as he brusts into the Wigan box but Bramble does brilliantly to clear for a West Ham corner
15mins
Bellamy races through on goal but the former Liverpool man is offside
13mins
Players from both sides are taking their time at a sun drenched Upton Park
11mins
Bramble and Granqvist are working well at the heart of the Wigan defence as West Ham increase the pressure
10mins
The resulting free-kick from Etherington is brilliantly saved by Kirkland
9mins
Zamora and Etherington combine well on the left but the move is ended by a crude challenge from Paul Scharner
8mins
Kirkland has to be alert as Bellamy advances into the box but the former Liverpool keeper drives the ball against the West Ham forward and it goes out for a goal kick
6mins
First chance falls to West Ham as McCartney lashes a shot over the Wigan crossbar after good wing play by Etherington
5mins
Koumas is starting to show his class with some neat early touches and crisp passing
4mins
West Ham full-back Neill tries to release Bellamy with a sweeping long ball but the Welsh striker is offside
3mins
Jason Koumas tries a one-two with Kevin Kilbane but the ball cannons off the ref
1mins
Wigan kick off and an early through ball by Andreas Granqvist runs all the way to Green in the Hammer's goal
0mins
West Ham will be looking to get their first home points of the season while Wigan are after their first on the road this season.
0mins
For West Ham, Lucas Neill makes his first start of the season while home fans get their first look at new signing Kieron Dyer
0mins
Chris Hutchings sticks with the same starting eleven that beat Sunderland last weekend with Paul Scharner continuing in centre midfield alongside Dutch international Denny Landzaat
Match Preview
Both West Ham United and Wigan Athletic enter Saturday's encounter on a high after 1-0 and 3-0 victories respectively last weekend.
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley had been forced to deny a rift between himself and fiery striker Craig Bellamy before the away win against Birmingham, but their first win of the Premier League season will have improved the mood at the London club.
Kieron Dyer made his debut in that game and should retain his place alongside man-of-the-match Mark Noble in what was an impressive midfield.
The battling 1-0 win at Birmingham showed a vast improvement on their opening day 2-0 defeat by Manchester City after which they were booed from the Upton Park pitch by a critical home crowd.
Noble was one of four West Ham players to sign new contacts in the last week as Curbishley attempts to settle down what has been a troubled club. Defensive duo Danny Gabbidon, James Collins and goalkeeper Robert Green also pledged their futures to the Upton Park outfit.
Meanwhile, Wigan looked as calm as ever in their 3-0 demolition of Sunderland, where Emile Heskey scored before Denny Landzaat then Antoine Sibierski scored from the penalty spot.
The pre-season relegation candidates have looked impressive in the early stages of the new season and were temporarily top of the table after last week's win.
Star midfielder Jason Koumas worried the Latics fans by withdrawing from Wales' midweek friendly against Bulgaria with a stomach bug, but is expected to be well enough to face the Hammers.
He should play alongside the surprise top-scorer in the Premier League, Frenchman Sibierski, while young forward David Cotterill pushed for a place on the bench with a goal in the Wales Under-21 victory over Sweden on Tuesday.
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Match Report
Substitute Lee Bowyer stepped from the bench to rescue a point for West Ham with his first-ever goal for the Hammers.
And that was no more than they deserved after dominating the proceedings only to find themselves trailing to Paul Scharner's spectacular 78th-minute overhead kick
Last Saturday evening, Wigan Athletic had topped the Premiership thanks to a 3-0 win over Sunderland and, seven days on, that predictably led to Chris Hutchings naming an unchanged side.
Following their opening day defeat against Manchester City , West Ham had got their season on the road with a victory at Birmingham City last weekend and that meant that Alan Curbishley made just one switch, as skipper Lucas Neill returned in place of substitute Jonathan Spector.
But with Dean Ashton only named on the bench and injured summer signings Scott Parker, Julien Faubert and Freddie Ljungberg all unavailable, the Hammers' boss still could not name his strongest side against former Brighton & Hove Albion team-mate, Chris Hutchings.
With three wins from their previous four league visits to Upton Park, the fourth-placed Latics also had history on their side, but it was West Ham who shone in the scorching sunlight in a one-sided opening half-hour that saw George McCartney send a long-ranger over the angle and another shot onto the roof of Chris Kirkland's net.
And with Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer busily buzzing around the Wigan defence, West Ham were left to rue the fact that Bobby Zamora had, seemingly, left his shooting boots in the dressing room with a series of mis-kicks and airshots.
On the quarter-hour mark, Mark Noble floated over a precision cross that was met by the soaring Zamora, who sent a downward header bouncing tantalisingly wide of Kirkland's right-hand post to the dismay of the home crowd.
Apart from the raiding Scharner's header that flew inches wide, Wigan had barely threatened and their cause was not helped by the retirement of the injured, in-form, Antoine Sibierski just before the interval.
But the visitors almost took a shock half-time lead when Jason Koumas sent a low 20-yarder crashing onto Robert Green's left-hand post and just after the break, breaking substitute Julius Aghahowa forced the ball over the advancing Hammers' keeper only to see it drift wide.
And after Noble sent a 20-yard pile-driver inches wide through a pack of bodies, Scharner again served notice that the visitors were still in the contest with a low 25-yard screamer, while Mario Melchiot also headed wide after Aghahowa had forced a brave save from Green just moments earlier.
With their excellent Upton Park record, Wigan's legacy of upsetting the east enders continued when they took the lead in spectacular style after Melchiot's long-throw was nodded on by Emile Heskey and Scharner sent an acrobatic overhead kick past Green from 12 yards.
But this time the Latics' joy did not last long and within just three minutes, Ashton combined with Luis Boa Morte, whose precision pass invited the overlapping Bowyer to place a crisp, angled 12-yarder wide of Kirkland.
West Ham United Team
Wigan Athletic Team
West Ham United | Wigan Athletic |
Corners
| 6 | 1 |
Fouls
| 11 | 12 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 12 |
Shots off target
| 9 | 8 |
Offsides
| 6 | 1 |
89mins
Late penalty appeal for West Ham as Dyer tumbles in the box under Bramble's challenge but the ref points for a corner