Stoke City 1 - Wigan Athletic 1

Last updated : 21 February 2004 By FootyMad

Straight from the whistle the away side went on the offensive in what would set the trend for the next 45 minutes.

Gary Teale had two good chances early on but both of his volleys fell wide of Neil Cutler's goal.

Wigan continued the onslaught without breaking into a sweat when Jason Roberts gained space on the left side of the box, allowing him to crack a shot, but Cutler covered his near post well and parried the shot away.

Stoke did have their chances but they were few and far between, John Eustace came close when, after a disagreement with team mate Peter Hoekstra, he fired a 25 yard free-kick goalwards. But John Filan got down well to make a comfortable save.

Amazingly, against the run of play it was the Potters who broke the deadlock just before half time. Eustace played a route one ball over the top of Latics captain Jason De Vos for Ade Akinbiyi to latch onto and hammer the ball under a helpless Filan from ten yards.

Wigan thought they had grabbed the equaliser in the 53rd minute when Roberts shot deflected for Nathan Ellington to slide in at the back post, but the linesman adjudged him to be offside.

The visitors' task became harder when Roberts was dismissed in the 76th minute for a scything challenge on John Halls.

Latics kept plugging away and after hitting the bar near the death Nathan Ellington scored the equaliser with a close-range finish at the back post.

Stoke: Cutler, Thomas, Williams, Clarke, Halls, Russell, Eustace, Hoekstra, Noel-Williams, Asaba, Akinbiyi.
Subs: Foster, Iwelumo, Hill, Commons, Svard.

Wigan: Filan, Eaden, De Vos, Breckin, McMillan, Teale, Jarrett, Bullard, Mahon, Ellington, Jason Roberts.
Subs: Mitchell, Jackson, Liddell, McCulloch, Walsh.

Referee: P Prosser (Gloucestershire).