• Date: Sat 18 August 2007
  • Venue: The JJB Stadium
  • Ref: Riley, M
  • Attendance: 18,639
Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic

Heskey (19)

Landzaat (62) P

Sibierski (69) P

3 - 0

Wigan Athletic vs Sunderland

Team Lineups

Wigan Athletic

Chris Kirkland
Paul Scharner (Michael Brown, 83)
Andreas Granqvist
Titus Bramble
Mario Melchiot
Kevin Kilbane
Denny Landzaat
Luis Antonio Valencia
Antoine Sibierski (Julius Aghahowa, 76)
Jason Koumas
Emile Heskey (Caleb Folan, 78)

Sunderland

Craig Gordon
Nyron Nosworthy
Greg Halford
Paul McShane (Russell Anderson, 62)
Kieran Richardson
Ross Wallace
Dickson Etuhu
Daryl Murphy
Dwight Yorke (Danny Collins, 46)
Michael Chopra
Anthony Stokes (Liam Miller, 46)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

FULL TIME - WIGAN 3 - 0 SUNDERLAND: Roy Keane shakes hands with Chris Hutchings and swiftly makes his way down the tunnel. Wigan have given his Premiership new-boys a wake-up call with an emphatic, and thoroughly deserved, victory

90

The fourth official indicates two minutes of added time.

89

The visitors will be hoping there is minimal amount of added time as they count down the seconds to the final whistle.

87

The majority of the travelling supporters have left the stadium, to make an early start on the long journey home.

85

Koumas, who has run the game today, curls an inviting cross into the danger area but Gordon manages to punch the ball clear

83
Substitution
 

Michael Brown is brought on to make his debut for the closing stages of the game. He replaces Paul Scharner.

81

Wallace puts a hopeful cross into the penalty area but the visitors have given up now, and Granqvist clears with ease

79

Wigan are cruising at the moment and Chris Hutchings will be delighted.

77
Substitution
 

Emile Heskey is replaced by Caleb Folan, and the goalscorer receives a rapturous applause for his performance this afternoon.

75
Substitution
 

Mario Melchiot leaves the field, making way for Julius Aghahowa

73

Miller gets a cross into the box but Kirkland rushes off his line to collect the ball.

71

Sunderland have fallen to pieces now and Roy Keane is left fuming on the sidelines, with two of his substitutes conceding the penalties.

69
Goal
 

WIGAN 3 - 0 SUNDERLAND: ANTOINE SIBIERSKI takes the penalty this time, and drills it past the helpless Craig Gordon.

68
Penalty
 

Russell Anderson brings down Heskey inside the area and Wigan have a second penalty.

65

Sunderland will be wishing they had taken their chances just minutes before Wigan doubled their tally.

64
Yellow Card
 

Dickson Ethu is cautioned for a rash challenge on Paul Scharner

63
Substitution
 

Roy Keane makes immediate changes. The quiet Paul McShane is replaced by Russell Anderson

62
Goal
 

WIGAN 2 - 0 SUNDERLAND: DENNY LANDZAAT rolls the ball into the bottom-right corner of the goal from the penalty spot

61
Yellow Card
 

Danny Collins receives the first booking of the game for challenge which lead to the penalty.

61
Penalty
 

Sibierski is hacked down by Collins on the penalty spot and this time, Mike Riley awards the penalty.

59

Chopra shrugs off Bramble but is pulled back for offside.

57

Miller takes the corner this time and Collins gets his head to the cross but sends the ball wide of the mark

56

The resulting corner is taken by Wallace. He picks out Miller who strikes the ball from 18-yards but Heskey gets in the way, and the visitors win another corner.

55

Ross Wallace gets on the end of a cross and hits a low shot which deflects off Granqvist just wide of the post

53

Chopra looks to have a spring in his step. He gets a shot away from just outside to box, but Bramble is marking him tightly and gets a block in.

52

The last times these two sides met in the Premiership, Wigan did the double over Sunderland, each time with a 1-0 victory.

50

The ball falls kindly for Collins inside the area, but he appears to take his eye of the ball for a split second and makes a mess of the opportunity.

48

Koumas hits a long-range free-kick but it sails straight down the throat of Gordon.

46

Sunderland attack immediately but Chopra's cross is blocked by Bramble.

45
Substitution
 

The in-affective Dwight Yorke makes way for Danny Collins

45
Substitution
 

The two players taking the field were warming-up vigorously during the interval. Liam Miller replaces Anthony Stokes

Second half
 

The two sides re-appear and Roy Keane makes two changes to the line-up, while Wigan remain unchanged.

Half time
 

HALF TIME - WIGAN 1 - 0 SUNDERLAND: Mike Riley brings the first-half to a close and Wigan are 1-0 up thanks to a fine Heskey goal. The big striker has been lively for the home side, while Michael Chopra has looked bright for the visitors.

43

Wigan are trying their luck from all over the pitch at the moment. Sibierski this time lets fly from well outside the area, but sends his shot straight into the arms of Gordon.

41

Heskey is causing all sorts of problems at the moment. He gets behind the Sunderland defence and puts the ball in the net, but the offside flag is raised,

39

Heskey climbs above Nyron Nosworthy and nods the ball goal-wards, forcing a spectacular save out of Gordon

36

This fixture is usually a low-scoring encounter, and it looks set to be heading that way again despite the amount of efforts on goal from either side

34

Chopra is looking lively and his team-mates appear to be looking to get the ball into his feet as much as possible.

32

Chopra controls the ball well before pulling the trigger, but Andreas Granqvist blocks the shot

30

The rain is still pouring down inside the JJB Stadium, but the home faithful continue singing and urging on their side

28

Heskey chases down a back-pass and looks as if he may make it before he is pushed over by a Sunderland defender, and again Mike Riley waves play on.

27

Denny Landzaat hits an action replay shot of the Valencia effort just moments earlier, but he sends his shot wide of the mark

26

Luis Antonio Valencia finds some space and hits an ambitious effort, but fails to trouble Gordon

24

The game is fast and furious at the moment, as Sunderland begin showing the Roy Keane 'never-say-die' attitude

22

Richardson lets fly from just outdie the penalty box, but Melchiot gets his body in the way

20

Heskey goes in search of another and finds himself through on goal, but he is pulled back for offside.

18
Goal
 

WIGAN 1 - 0 SUNDERLAND: Sibierski crosses and finds EMILE HESKEY, who is wide open, and he slots the ball past Craig Gordon from the edge of the area.

15

Richardson's delivery from corner-kicks are of the best quality. He floats the ball into the mixer for Ross Wallace, but Chopra is pulled up for a handball.

13

Richardson finds Greg Halford with a corner, but he fires over from 12-yards.

12

Chopra steps up to take a free-kick, 30-yards from goal. He swings it goal-wards and forces a fine save out of Kirkland

10

Koumas picks out Melchiot with another corner, but the Dutch defender is penalised for a foul

8

The pitch looks slippy and some of the players appear to be finding it hard to stay on their feet

6

Jason Koumas picks out Mario Melchiot from a corner but he heads the ball over the crossbar

5

Dwight Yorke links up with Michael Chopra, who rolls the ball into the six-yard box but Wigan manage to punt the ball clear

3

Emile Heskey gets a break before he is bundled over in the area and appeals for a penalty, but Mike Riley waves away the protests.

2

Richardson takes a short corner with Murphy, whose low cross is smothered by Chris Kirkland at his near post

1

Daryl Murphy slips a pass into the box looking for Kieran Richardson, but a Wigan defender intercepts and concedes a corner

Kickoff
 

Referee Mike Riley gets the game underway. The two sides have met eight times previously, all in the Premiership, half of which ended up as draws.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

WIGAN: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Granqvist, Kilbane, Valencia, Scharner, Landzaat, Koumas, Heskey, Sibierski. SUBS: Pollitt, Hall, Brown, Aghahowa, Folan

Awaiting Kickoff
 

SUNDERLAND: Gordon, Halford, Nosworthy, McShane, Wallace, Richardson, Etuhu, Yorke, Murphy, Chopra, Stokes. SUBS: Miller, John, Collins, Anderson, Connolly

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Summer signing Michael Brown is in the Wigan squad for the first time after suspension, but Emerson Boyce and Ryan Taylor are both sidelined.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Sunderland make the trip to the JJB Stadium without Carlos Edwards and Grant Leadbitter, who are both injured. Dwight Yorke and Kieran Richardson both make the starting line-up however, while Stern John is on the bench.