Source: Daily_Mail
Wigan 1 Fulham 1: Andy Johnson's late strike earns Cottagers a vital point
Andy Johnson came off the bench toend his long wait for a Premier League goal and earn Fulham a point intheir scramble from the relegation zone. [LNB]He struck with five minutesremaining to cancel out Hugo Rodallega's effort and claim his firsttop-flight goal since scoring at Bolton in March 2009 - and his firstin any competition since netting in the Europa League at the start oflast season.[LNB] Andy man: Johnson squeezes home Fulham's equaliser[LNB]Having overcome knee surgery lastterm and recent hamstring trouble, Johnson's deflected finish wassufficient to earn a point, just as Wigan looked set to hold on.[LNB] Battle: Wigan defender Ronnie Stam clashes with Fulham midfielder Simon Davies[LNB]'That will do Andy the world ofgood,' said Fulham manager Mark Hughes. 'Now he's off and running, Ifeel confident that he'll kick on and score goals from now until theend of the season.'[LNB]Wigan v Fulham - teamsWIGAN (4-5-1): Al Habsi; Gohouri, G Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa; Stam (McArthur 72min), Watson (Di Santo 87), Diame, Thomas, N'Zogbia; Rodallego. Subs (not used): Pollitt, S Caldwell, Gomez, Boyce, McManaman.Booked: Alcaraz, Figueroa, Rodallega, Di Santo.FULHAM (4-4-2): Stockdale; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Baird; Duff, Etuhu, Murphy, Davies (A Johnson 76); Dempsey, Kamara (Dembele 59). Subs (not used): Etheridge, Salcido, Sidwell, Gera, Greening.Booked: Pantsil, Hangeland.Referee: A Taylor (Greater Manchester)[LNB]Both sides should have broken thedeadlock during a scrappy first half, with Rodallega unlucky when hisheader hit the post. Damien Duff was guilty of missing the best chancewhen he was sent clear by Clint Dempsey but his tame shot was saved bythe legs of Wigan's Ali Al Habsi. [LNB]Al Habsi played a key role inWigan's opener midway through the second half when he hit a longclearance in the direction of Rodallega, who sprinted clear of Fulham'sdefence before chipping over goalkeeper David Stockdale. [LNB]Fulham thought they had an equalisershortly after Johnson was introduced with 15 minutes remaining, butreferee Anthony Taylor disallowed Dempsey's close-range finish becausehe controlled the ball with his hand. [LNB]Their patience was rewarded whenDempsey found space just outside the box and slid a pass through forJohnson to hit a deflected shot off Gary Caldwell, which looped intothe net. [LNB]'We didn't get that little bit ofluck you need in games, but I was extremely proud of their reaction inthe second half,' said Wigan boss Roberto Martinez, whose side movedout of the drop zone. [LNB] PREMIER LEAGUE LIVE: Saturday's action as it unfoldedBoselli leaves Wigan for Genoa but Martinez wants him back next seasonWigan FC news, features and opinionFulham FC news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB]
