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Wigan Athletic F.C. vs. Queens Park Rangers
Date: Wednesday 30th October 2013
Venue: The DW Stadium
Referee: Michael Naylor
Score: 0-0
Wigan remain unbeaten at home this season after a less than inspiring 0-0 draw with QPR where bad football, terrible decisions, and atrocious refereeing were rife.
In all of their wins this season Wigan have had to score at least two goals to gain the three points but their defence on Wednesday evening was absolutely solid. Lee Nicholls, making his home debut, made sure that he was a contender for man of the match as he caught everything and stopped everything that came his way.
Nick Powell made Rob Green work in the QPR net early on after twisting past Danny Simpson whilst Jordi Gomez, after some excellent attacking work from Latics’ legend, Emmerson Boyce, curled the ball just wide of the post shortly after.
Callum McManaman, for the first time this season, demonstrated how good he can be and he saw a shot go just wide of the post just before half time.
The visitors should have gone in at half time 1-0 up but the goal-ward shot was cleared by Gary O’Neil, a fellow QPR player.
Changes needed to be made at halftime. Grant Holt was a nonentity up front for the Latics and Gomez seemed lost as a winger and Benoit Assou-Ekotto was getting the better of the Spaniard. Naturally, Owen Coyle brought Marc-Antoine Fortune on for Holt but left Gomez as a winger.
Fortune made an immediate impact, once again, and forced Green into a good save after some brilliant work from James Perch and McManaman. The best chance of the entire game fell to the improving Chris McCann as he hit the post from a Gomez cross. The rebound fell to McManaman who sliced the ball over the crossbar.
Unfortunately for Wigan they are not getting any better when it comes to their attacking prowess and this lack of goals is the only thing stopping them from being further up the table. Nicholls was brilliant in the goal and the defence was solid whilst McManaman is gaining more confidence but the strikers cannot score! Also James McClean needs to calm down and play football because at present he is awful and is lucky to be getting played at all!