Plucky Potters Bag Point With Bore Draw

Wigan Athletic 0-0 Stoke City

IT was never going to be a classic, but Stoke picked up their second away point of the season after a largly forgettable 0-0 draw against Wigan at the JJB Stadium.

The Potters lined up with the same eleven that memorably beat Arsenal last weekend and a made a bright start forcing several early throw ins that predictably caused problems for the Wigan defence.

But it was the home side who applied the most early pressure with Jason Koumas swinging over several early crosses and firing a 25 yard free kick well over, before Antonio Valencia tested Thomas Sorensen with a low shot through the crowd from the edge of the area in an uneventful first half.

Arsene Wenger's comments about Stoke being an over physical side may have had an effect on referee Mike Riley who never missed an opportunity to penalise the Potters and was quick to pull out the yellow card when Ryan Shawcross fouled England striker Emile Heskey. However, when Heskey's strike partner Amr Zaki took a clear dive when Shawcross went in for a challenge on the Egyptian moments later, Riley decided against a booking despite acknowleging that Zaki had dived.

The much hyped Zaki was having a quiet afternoon as Shawcross and Abdoulaye Faye coped well with the duel threat of Heskey and Zaki, whilst Ricardo Fuller was also having a reasonably quiet afternoon as somewhat suprisingly Titus Bramble neutralised the threat from the Jamaican with relative ease.

In the second half Stoke began to sit back and invite pressure, and particularly so when Mamady Sidibe was forced off injured early on. Heskey came close with a header that flashed wide before he himself was forced off replaced by Henri Camara, the man who so nearly joined the Potters on deadline day.

With only a tame Ryan Shawcross header that was easily saved by Chris Kirkland to get exited about, Stoke's attack had seemingly dried up and sloppy passing in the midfield led to a barrage of attacks from Wigan. The Potters were thankful for the excellent Sorensen and some poor Wigan finishing for keeping the score at 0-0. Zaki headed over from six yards, before Sorensen made one particulary impressive double save first saving with his feet from Wilson Palacios and then claiming Titus Bramble's follow up shot as Stoke held on.


The Potters then needed a goal line clearence from the impressive Shawcross who diverted Mario Melchiot's header away from goal with Sorensen beaten. Stoke won several corners in the final minutes, but they were comfortably dealt with by the Wigan defence as the game petered out into a drab 0-0 draw.

Man of the Match - Thomas Sorensen - Kept Stoke in the game with several crucial saves to earn a well deserved clean sheet.

Attendance - 15,881

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble, Figueroa, Valencia, Palacios, Cattermole, Koumas, Heskey (Camara,57), Zaki.

Stoke: Sorensen, Griffin, Abdoulaye Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Diao, Olofinjana (Whelan,86), Amdy Faye (Cresswell,84), Delap, Fuller, Sidibe (Kitson,47).