- McCulloch (79)
- Date:2006-11-04
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Reebok Stadium
- Attendance:21255
- Referee:Clattenburg, M
Live Commentary
90mins
FULL TIME: BOLTON WANDERERS 0-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC: 0-1 The final whistle goes and Wigan take the glory and the points after a better performance in the second half while Bolton will be left rueing their missed chances in the first half.
90mins
Denny Landzaat is booked for unsporting behaviour.
90mins
The ball comes to Giannakopoulos who shoots first time but does not get it on target.
90mins
The last roll of the dice for Bolton as they make a final double change with Nicky Hunt coming on in place of Henrik Pedersen and Idan Tal coming on for Gary Speed.
89mins
The Bolton players are showing their frustration to the referee as Wigan just pass the ball around and try to run down the clock.
88mins
Wigan make their final change of the afternoon as they look to protect their slim lead. Andreas Johansson comes on in place of Henri Camara.
86mins
Vaz Te finds Speed who tries to make himself some space to get his shot in but finds his shot blocked and Wigan break.
84mins
Vaz Te gives away a stupid free kick as he brings down Baines.
83mins
Pedersen wins the ball on the halfway line, controls it and tries to find Anelka.
80mins
Bolotn are left shell-shocked by the goal against them and time is against them as they look for a goal.Bolton are left shell-shocked by the goal against them and time is against them as they look for a goal.
79mins
BOLTON WANDERERS 0-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC (MCCULLOCH): 0-1 LEE MCCULLOCH breaks the deadlock as Kilbane plays a superb ball into his feet which he drives home in style.
77mins
Diouf treis to find Campo but Kirkland is quick off his line to get there first and clears down the right.
75mins
Vaz Te bursts into the box with his fresh legs but he has mis-timed his run and the offside flag goes up.
74mins
Ricardo Vaz Te is brought on in place of Kevin Davies.
71mins
Anelka curls in a free kick and Campo bursts into the box to help it home but is it charged dwon and the offside flag goes up.
69mins
Baines lashes the ball towards goal from 25 yards but does not find his target.
67mins
A timely interception by Webster as Diouf, Anelka and Davies link up well on the edge of the area.
66mins
Speed tries to pick out Anelka on the right with a long ball but it finds Pedersen instead as Bolton bear down on Wigan's goal.
64mins
Davies drills the ball at goal from 18 yards but it is blasted out for a throw. Wigan are under some pressure as Giannakopoulos takes a long throw that Kirkland is forced to parry out of danger.
62mins
A pinpoint cross form Kilbane finds Camara who gets his head to it and forces a good save from Jaaskelainen.
60mins
The ball falls to Campo unmarked in the box, he heads but fails to get it on target and it goes out for a Wigan throw.
58mins
Cries of handball go up form the home fans against Baines who claims it hit his chest and escapes a booking.
56mins
A great chance for McCulloch again as a superb ball in from the left by Kilbane finds him in the box but Campo is there to block his shot.
54mins
Speed swings the ball in from the corner flag, Davies rises to meet it but flashes his header wide of Kirkland's right post.
53mins
Anelka skips away from Kilbane and takes the play forward before Kilabne clsoes him down and puts it out for a corner.
51mins
A long ball into the box finds Davies but he allows it to run in front of him and De Zeeuw blasts it out of danger.
50mins
Kilbane is booked after a foul.
49mins
Diouf wins a free kick in a dangerous area. Giannakopoulos swings it into the box, the keeper comes and misses it, Anelka shoots but it is charged down and put out of the box.
48mins
Good control by Diouf as he holds the ball up for Pedersen but he is closed down the Wigan defence and can go nowhere.
46mins
The sides come out for the second half and there have been no changes made at the break after Wigan's two substitutions in the first half.
45mins
HALF TIME: BOLTON WANDERERS 0-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC: 0-0 at the break after a scrappy opening in this local derby with perhaps the pick of the chances going Bolton's way.
45mins
Camara should have put Wigan ahead with a close range effort but he puts too much on it and sends it out.
45mins
Davies is fouled by Baines but is put in the book himself for his reaction.
44mins
A good shot from Cotterill catches Wanderers off guard but he should have done better with his effort.
43mins
Anelka picks the ball up on the halfway line and sets off down the left wing before finding Ben Haim who gives the ball away as another move breaks down.
41mins
Speed curls a left footed corner into the box but it is far too close to Kirkland who scoops it up easily.
39mins
A throw in for Bolton deep in Wigan's half. Campo sends the ball to Speed who puts a cross in but the Wigan defence clear the danger.
37mins
Pedersen shoots from distnce but the ball doesn't sit well for him and he sends it off target.
35mins
Diouf puts his corner into the box looking for Anelka who rises to meet it but can't direct it towards goal.
33mins
Wigan make another change with Gary Teale making way for David Cotterill.
32mins
Davies brings Webster down in his own half to concede another free kick.
30mins
Substitute McCulloch has made an immediate impact as he goes so close to opening the scoring. A good cross into the box finds him unmarked in the 6 yard box but he just heads it off target.
28mins
McCulloch and Camara link up well as Wigan come forward and Camara makes some space for himself and shoots but drags it wide.
28mins
Wigan make an early change as Emile Heskey, who has just returned from injury, is replaced by Lee McCulloch.
25mins
Davies lays it off to Giannakopoulos on the edge of the area, he finds Anelka who turns quickly and shoots but does not find the target.
23mins
Diouf is released on the left, breaks into the box and cuts the ball back to Faye who unleashes a powerful shot on goal but sends it soaring over the crossbar.
21mins
Kirkland gets to his feet and seems to be able to continue in goal.
20mins
Concerned faces on the Wigan bench as Kirkland takes a heavy blow in the box and remains on the ground receiving treatment.
18mins
Davies bundles Kevin Kilbane to the ground and concedes another free kick in this scrappy opening period.
16mins
Davies plays an early ball out to the wing for Ben Haim but it is a sloppy pass and Bolton lose possession.
14mins
Diouf beats Boyce to put a cross in for Campo who shoots and it is not a bad effort but drifts off target.
12mins
A shot from distance by Paul Scharner does not trouble Jussi Jaaskelainen who guides it out of play.
10mins
Diouf catches De Zeeuw napping on the ball and unselfishly feeds it through to Anelka who bursts through on goal and misses an excellent opportunity to put Wanderers ahead as he drags it wide.
9mins
The ball comes to Campo who quickly whips it into the box for Anelka but he has strayed offside and concedes the free kick.
7mins
Davies chests the ball down for Ben Haim who tries to find Diouf but the ball just runs out of play in front of him.
5mins
Nicolas Anelka puts a good cross in to the far post but there is a lack of communication between Stelios Giannakopoulos and El-Hadji Diouf as the team mates collide in the air.
4mins
Abdoulaye Faye tousles with Henri Camara and the Bolton man comes out on top as he escapes with the ball and feeds it upfield.
2mins
Ivan Campo drives the ball towards the box from 25 yards but his free kick is hit out by the Wigan defence.
1mins
Referee Mike Clattenberg gets this local derby underway at The Reebok Stadium and Bolton win an early free kick Wigan's half.
0mins
Bolton must face their North West rivals without Captain Kevin Nolan who is still suspended and Quinton Fortune who sits out today's game through injury. Emile Heskey starts after overcoming his injury troubles.
Match Preview
Bolton Wanderers take on Wigan Athletic at the Reebok Stadium in the latest of a long line of local derbies involving both sides.
In their last two Premiership outings, the Trotters have come up against Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers such has been the strength of north-west football in recent seasons.
However, after defeating a profligate Blackburn in somewhat fortuitous circumstances the week before, Sam Allardyce's side were brought back down to earth with a bang against United.
Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of the Premiership's third-placed side and it left the Wanderers boss lamenting the gulf in class between his side and those with genuine title ambitions.
"It shows exactly where we are as a Premiership side and exactly where the big boys lie," he claimed.
"We might be close to them in table terms, but in terms of power, spending power and quality of squad, it showed that, when we come up against the top boys when they are on song, it's very difficult."
Skipper Kevin Nolan will once again be missing as he serves the final game of a three-match suspension as Allardyce looks set to keep faith with the same starting 11 that was ripped apart at Old Trafford last weekend.
Wigan arrive at the Reebok Stadium having secured back-to-back victories in their last two Premiership games.
The Latics successfully built on a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City two weeks ago with a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham at the Craven Cottage last weekend.
"It would have been a crime if we hadn't won - that was our best performance of the season," claimed manager Paul Jewell afterwards.
"We played some good football, created some good opportunities and had a desire about us not to concede."
Despite a poor start to the season, the Latics side are now up to 14th place in the table and confidence is high at the JJB Stadium.
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Match Report
Substitute Lee McCulloch earned Wigan a third successive Premiership victory and settled a drab Lancashire derby. The Latics' striker rifled home from 18 yards after clever interplay from the edge of the Bolton box by Kevin Kilbane and Henri Camara.
A third consecutive defeat was perhaps undeserved for Sam Allardyce's team, but apart from one golden opportunity for out of touch Nicolas Anelka, Wanderers did little to trouble keeper Chris Kirkland.
McCulloch at 27th minute substitute for ex-England International Emile Heskey, certainly showed the Frenchman how to finish.
The £8 million marksman was put clean through on Kirkland by the outstanding El Hadji Diouf's slide-rule ball. But with only one goal to his name since moving to the Reebok - a Carling Cup strike at Walsall - the ex-Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid frontman is struggling for confidence. Anelka's left foot shot from 20 yards flew into the barracking Wigan supporters instead of nestling in the back of the net.
Had they got in front Bolton may have prospered from it, instead, Wigan matched their host's industry and work rate.
And they did so having to make two substitutions before the interval.
Heskey limped off after an earlier clash with Ivan Campo and then Gary Teale pulled up with a hamstring problem to be replaced by David Cotterill.
Bolton, after their four-nil mawling by Manchester United the previous week, made one change from that game. With skipper Kevin Nolan still suspended, Henrik Pedersen came in at left back for his first Premiership start of the season, allowing Tal Ben-Haim to take Nicky Hunt 's place at right back to counter the threat of Kevin Kilbane.
Bolton should definitely have been ahead when Diouf seized upon Andy Webster's error to give Anelka his chance.
A disjointed first half was held up after 20 minutes when Kevin Davies caught Kirkland in the face with a flying arm. The Bolton striker escaped a booking but the goalie needed several minutes of treatment before being able to continue.
Diouf looked the most likely to break the deadlock. A strong run past three defenders, including a static Webster, finished with a shot that flew over the bar.
Wigan hadn't created a worthwhile chance until McCulloch's arrival. But he headed over on the half hour from Emmerson Boyce's centre though Kilbane looked better placed behind him to reach the ball.
Just before the break Davies was yellow-carded for sarcastically applauding a foul in his favour by referee Mark Clattenburg and Bolton had the ball in the net through Stelios Giannakopoulos only to have his effort ruled out for offside. TV replays suggested the Greek midfielder was onside but Bolton's luck was out.
In the second half there were even fewer worthwhile chances at either end so Davies, who hadn't scored since the first day of the season, glanced a Gary Speed corner fractionally wide.
Davies eventually gave way to Ricardo Vaz Te with 17 minutes left but it was McCulloch who settled the game with his fiercely struck drive beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen.
The Finland keeper, who recently saved two penalties at Blackburn, moved smartly to beat away a Cotterill shot as Wigan looked to double their advantage in the closing stages.
Bolton Wanderers Team
Wigan Athletic Team
Bolton Wanderers | Wigan Athletic |
Corners
| 5 | 3 |
Fouls
| 15 | 14 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 9 |
Shots off target
| 8 | 6 |
Offsides
| 5 | 0 |



90mins
Faye shoots from close range in a crowded Wigan penalty area but can only find the side-netting.