Yet another unchanged side from Wigan Athletic as they continue to aim for that much wanted consistency. We were coming up against a Bradford City side looking upwards and onwards after a slow start to the season. With both teams in good veins of form that pretty much predicted the score line, in what was a very tight affair.
A first half which saw many chances come and go with both goalkeepers equally busy. Bradford chucking cross in from both sides of the box, yet our centre backs of Craig Morgan and Leon Barnett worked tirelessly to keep it out of our box and away from danger. Chris McCann yet again showing his hybrid role of defender/midfielder can work, and work well.
The closest both sides came was arguably when Will Grigg hit the back of the net. The striker wiggling his way, or so he though, clear of the Bradford City defence. Then keeping his ever cool head slotted the ball home. A quick look over his shoulder showed his flag was raised and the goal ruled out.
0-0 at half time, a fair result? On the balance of everything pretty much.
It mean that going into the second half the tension was likely to build and the pressure also. Yet it was Wigan Athletic who would get first off the mark with a wonderful goal from Michael Jacobs. The attacker, who has been in mixed form since the emergence of Yanic Wildschut, found space in the Bradford half thanks to a pass from Daniel Love. Jacobs then curled a wonderful striker into the top corner and past Bradford goalkeeper Ben Williams.
Wigan wouldn’t be ahead for long. Bradford continued to keep the pressure on especially from the wide position. You felt that if they kept it up then we would surely break. That eventually told.
Tony McMahon’s corner was whipped in well, and dealt with worse by the Wigan team. James Hanson provided the finishing touch to the corner ball as he powered it home from close range to put the game back level 10 minutes after Wigan had gone ahead.
The game then ran its course with both teams fighting to get all three points. Yet come the 90 minutes neither side could argue that a point a piece was the fair result.