Monday Night Football

Manager Comments

Paul Jewell

"I said to the players we can only take plusses from the game thought it's a horrible way to lose, but that's life! There could be other times this season when we are fortunate to get a result, but I cannot ask more from the players and they were terrific today.

"We did well to get back to 2-2 by half time and we went out to try and win the game, but it was a wonder strike that cost us really. The first one was definitely a penalty and the second one was even more so.

"However, the ref knew he should have blown for offside before that second penalty and where our advantage is in 'Brecks' having to boot the ball up in the air and clear I don't know. Six or seven seconds later their striker is getting hauled down for the penalty from what should have been our free kick, and to be honest it seemed to me the ref didn't actually want to give that decison because he knew he'd made a mistake with the offside.

"We came back and the crowd were really good, they really got behind the team. I can't ask for any more from them. At two-nil down it would have been easy to feel sorry for ourselves but we got back and we played some good stuff.

"It was an excellent performance by Lee [McCulloch], playing up-front, and by the rest of the team. Even before the first penalty we got at them [Crewe], we got kicked in the teeth today, but credit to the players as to how they bounced back. We're still in the play-off positions. If the players give me that effort week in, week out, which they have done, then you will never hear me complain. You saw the reaction of the players at the end, they were on their knees."

Dario Gradi

"Wigan got off to a really good start, they were strong and played at a high tempo, which we knew they would, but we came into the game more and of course the two penalties and the sending off changed the game.

"I thought the referee and his assistant did very well with the decisions because they were penalties. He did particularly well with the second penalty because there was no doubt in my mind. In fact, the players think we should have had a third when Jonah went down in the second half, they said he was caught.

"I would have settled for a point with 10 minutes left but not with 40 seconds! It was a fanastic strike by Dean. It's great for him to get a hat-trick and he took the goal very well."

Editor's View

I think that we certainly started the game much brighter and but for two rash moments of defending stupidity we would have undoubtably won the game.

Firstly Ian Breckin threw himself in on Ashton after the ball had elluded Jason de Vos. Breckin would have been better staying on his feet and running the striker to the by-line rather than throwing himself in and giving away a certain penatly.

As for the other penatly Jason de Vos was guilty of a school boy error. Regardless of whether Steve Jones was offside the big centre back had plenty of time to step back and head the ball clear.

Instead he let it drop and bounce behind him, as he turned like an HGV to retrieve the ball that bounced over his head the speedy Jones nipped in in front of de Vos to get a clear site of goal, at which time de Vos hauled him back giving away another penalty and earned himself some time on the sidelines with a red card.

If anything going down to ten men seemed to rally the players and they came back superbly. Lee McCulloch was a constant threat from crosses. Mainly because he attacks the cross unlike our other strikers who watch the ball and wait for it.

His reward was two superb headed goals and if he continues with this form Jason Roberts will not get his place back, and Scotland will certainly come calling.

Jackson who came on for Baines after de Vos was sent off seemed to sure up the defence and they looked organised despite their being one less of them.

It wasn't until the third minute of stoppage time that Crewe managed to score against the ten men and it was a superb finish from Ashton who took his volley across Filan brilliantly. Tiredness was a huge factor in those Wigan legs.

I'd also like to add that Mahon on the left side had a great game and seems to be settling in to life at Wigan brilliantly. His touch on Saturday was crisp, while the range and accuracy of his passing and shooting is something we haven't seen at Wigan before.

Player Ratings

Filan 6
Eaden 8
Baines 6
de Vos 3
Breckin 7
Liddell 6
Mahon 9
Jarrett 6
Bullard 8
Ellington 7
McCulloch 9 - M.O.M

Subs
Roberts 5
Jackson 8
Mitchell 6

League Table

Last game played on Sunday 7th March 2004		Pld		Home						Away						Overall						Pts	GD
				W	D	L	F	A		W	D	L	F	A		W	D	L	F	A
1	Norwich City	34		13	3	2	30	13		6	7	3	23	15		19	10	5	53	28		67	+25
2	West Bromwich Albion	35		10	5	3	27	13		8	5	4	22	17		18	10	7	49	30		64	+19
3	Wigan Athletic	34		9	6	3	23	13		6	6	4	25	22		15	12	7	48	35		57	+13
4	Sheffield United	34		9	4	4	30	19		7	3	7	20	22		16	7	11	50	41		55	+9
5	West Ham United	34		7	6	4	25	17		6	9	2	21	15		13	15	6	46	32		54	+14
6	Millwall	34		9	6	2	21	10		5	5	7	20	23		14	11	9	41	33		53	+8
7	Ipswich Town	35		10	2	5	39	26		5	6	7	24	31		15	8	12	63	57		53	+6
8	Reading	35		9	4	4	25	21		6	4	8	19	26		15	8	12	44	47		53	-3
9	Sunderland	31		8	5	1	18	7		6	4	7	23	24		14	9	8	41	31		51	+10
10	Crystal Palace	35		6	7	5	27	24		8	2	7	28	26		14	9	12	55	50		51	+5
11	Preston North End	34		10	3	4	34	20		4	5	8	16	23		14	8	12	50	43		50	+7
12	Stoke City	34		9	6	3	30	19		5	2	9	19	27		14	8	12	49	46		50	+3
13	Coventry City	35		5	8	4	18	17		7	5	6	26	22		12	13	10	44	39		49	+5
14	Cardiff City	34		7	5	5	31	17		5	5	7	22	26		12	10	12	53	43		46	+10
15	Crewe Alexandra	34		9	2	5	24	16		3	6	9	19	30		12	8	14	43	46		44	-3
16	Rotherham United	34		6	6	5	23	20		4	5	8	17	27		10	11	13	40	47		41	-7
17	Watford	34		6	7	4	24	21		4	3	10	16	26		10	10	14	40	47		40	-7
18	Burnley	35		7	6	5	28	22		2	7	8	19	34		9	13	13	47	56		40	-9
19	Gillingham	33		8	1	8	19	22		3	6	7	16	24		11	7	15	35	46		40	-11
20	Nottingham Forest	35		5	6	6	24	20		4	5	9	18	25		9	11	15	42	45		38	-3
21	Walsall	35		6	6	5	23	23		3	5	10	13	24		9	11	15	36	47		38	-11
22	Derby County	34		6	5	6	24	27		2	6	9	11	27		8	11	15	35	54		35	-19
23	Bradford City	35		4	2	11	16	27		4	3	11	13	25		8	5	22	29	52		29	-23
24	Wimbledon	33		2	3	12	14	30		3	0	13	14	36		5	3	25	28	66		18	-38

Other Results

Nationwide League Division One
	Burnley	(1)	1	Preston North End	(0)	1	15,837
	Crystal Palace	(2)	2	Reading	(1)	2	17,853
	Gillingham	(1)	2	Nottingham Forest	(1)	1	9,096
	Rotherham United	(0)	1	Bradford City	(2)	2	6,796
	Stoke City	(3)	3	Watford	(1)	1	13,108
	West Bromwich Albion	(1)	3	Coventry City	(0)	0	25,414
	West Ham United	(0)	0	Walsall	(0)	0	33,177
	Wigan Athletic	(2)	2	Crewe Alexandra	(2)	3	8,367