What the Papers Say

It seemed Saturday was too much for some fans. The long ball game played by the Latics during the second half was greeted with a select group of fans booing at full time, as the Latics failed to win a game that on paper looked like an easy three points.

Here is what a selection of the national media had to say about Saturdays aggrivating draw.

The Sun

Wigan 1 Watford 1

The Hornets have suffered a traumatic start to life in the Premiership and remain win-less after six matches. Yet surely their first three-point haul is not far away after giving Wigan the fright of their lives.

Trailing to Henri Camara's first goal of the campaign, Watford produced a stunning second-half fightback and came close to snatching their first top-flight away success since Tommy Mooney's goal defeated Liverpool at Anfield on August 14, 1999.

Camara ought to have buried the visitors before half-time but wasted a fine chance after good work by Emile Heskey before firing tamely at Ben Foster when clean through.

Those missed opportunities came back to haunt Wigan as Bouazza netted after Paul Scharner, hero seven days earlier against Everton, had conceded a clumsy free-kick by fouling Gavin Mahon.

The Observer

Camara clicks but Bouazza keeps Watford in the picture

Aidy Boothroyd has not been slow to lament his side's bad luck this season

Camara: Guilty of missed chances

and he was probably cursing it again in the 29th minute when Henri Camara stroked his first goal of the season past Watford keeper Ben Foster, only for the offside flag to cut celebrations short. A moment of confusion reigned before referee Rob Styles allowed the goal to stand, judging that Watford defender Malky Mackay had got the final touch as he had challenged Emile Heskey for the high ball that had found its way to Camara.

Camara came close again in the 41st minute, but sliced a good chance wide, then Watford fashioned an equaliser. In the 63rd minute, Marlon King, who had already seen an effort bounce back off the post seven minutes after the interval, laid the ball into the path of Frenchman Hameur Bouazza to arrow a spectacular 25-yard drive past Chris Kirkland. It was his first goal for the Hornets since February.

The Times

Watford earn just Reward

With Marlon King dragging defenders out of position with his pace, touch and movement, Boothroyd's team created about a dozen scoring opportunities — on the ground and in the air — and were unlucky that a well-worked free kick struck low past Chris Kirkland by Hameur Bouazza was all that they had to show for their efforts.

“They get the ball forward as quickly as they can and have a style of play that is working for them, so good luck to them,” Chris Hutchings, the Wigan assistant manager, said. “We got wrapped up in it and that was disappointing.”

The Independent

Camara's misses put the focus on slow start for Wigan

It takes a momentary mental adjustment on seeing Wigan v Watford on the fixture list to accept it as a Premiership game; watching Saturday's encounter, it took an even larger one, something acknowledged by the Watford goalscorer Hameur Bouazza. "It may be that Wigan will be one of the other teams we are battling against at the end of the season," he said. "But we just need to get results ourselves."

They (Wigan) probably should have had the game wrapped up by the half-time, the Senegal forward wasting several good chances. "If I had been fully fit, it would have been a hat-trick at least," Camara admitted.