Millwall 2 Wigan Athletic 0

Click here to read the match report.

My Opinion

Bullard: Best Wigan Player

If we want to make an impression on this division then we will have to improve in all areas of the pitch on viewing of yesterday's game.

Millwall seemed sharper, more fired-up, and more importantly prehaps, much better prepared.

Paul Ifill caused our defence a lot of problems with his pace and direct running which was not nice to see, while Tim Cahill and old-man Dennis Wise controlled things in the centre of the park.

The goals never seemed likely to come and the sooner a 20 goal a season man is brought in the better, and the sooner the Duke returns the better, otherwise we are going to struggle up front.

de Vos' injury has not been declared yet and so we do not know how long he will be out for. His absence would be bigger than any other player missing. Let's hope he has not agrevated his foot injury, the one which he avoided an operation on at the end of last season.

An important point is that we must not feel too down-hearted. We have just played away at Millwall who are a very good first division team. Although we did not seem at the races second half we have to remember than we have no experience at this level and with time we will learn and improve. I still hold immense optimism for the season ahead. Anyone who does not, is not a Latics fan.

They Said

Jewell: "It's a learning curve. You have to take positives out of every game, whatever the result, but the concentration went down a little bit, it was a free header from a corner, and it's a penalty that's come from their throw-in. So I'm disappointed, I thought we were going to get a 0-0 out of it and although we had a couple of shots late on, I didn't really see us scoring a goal."

Jewell: Learning Curve

"Even though we lost 2-0 there wasn't a lot in it until the first goal. But a lot of teams said that about us last year. It's a learning curve and we've got to learn quickly, we've got to be better and we have to be more of a goal threat. We've got to do everything we did last year plus a bit more."

"It's the hottest conditions I've ever been involved in as a player or a manager, it was really hot out there and it was difficult conditions for both sides. As soon as the first team got their goal in these conditions, it was always going to be harder for the other team to come back."

"We found ourselves in good situations, but once we got to the edge of the box we didn't produce enough quality. Too many times today we hit the first man when we should have put in better balls to the strikers or into the box. The quality wasn't there today."

"I thought it was a penalty but looking at the reaction of the players I don't think it was because Matt Jackson said he pulled out of it and the lad has fallen over. The penalty was saved but Wise was suspiciously quick to the ball. It takes a great referee to order a retake of a penalty at Millwall."

McGhee: "I heard Neil Harris shout 'Lets win it for Ray' just as they went out. He wouldn't have wanted anything else."

Your Opinion

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The Table

Last game played on Saturday 9th August 2003		Pld		Home						Away						Overall						Pts	GD
				W	D	L	F	A		W	D	L	F	A		W	D	L	F	A
1	Walsall	1		1	0	0	4	1		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	4	1		3	+3
2	Stoke City	1		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	3	0		1	0	0	3	0		3	+3
3	Wimbledon	1		1	0	0	3	1		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	3	1		3	+2
4	Millwall	1		1	0	0	2	0		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	2	0		3	+2
5	Crystal Palace	1		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	3	2		1	0	0	3	2		3	+1
6	West Ham United	1		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	2	1		1	0	0	2	1		3	+1
7	Bradford City	1		0	1	0	2	2		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	2	2		1	0
8	Norwich City	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	2	2		0	1	0	2	2		1	0
9	Ipswich Town	1		0	1	0	1	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	1	1		1	0
10	Reading	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	1	1		0	1	0	1	1		1	0
11	Cardiff City	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	0	0		0	1	0	0	0		1	0
12	Gillingham	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	0	0		0	1	0	0	0		1	0
13	Rotherham United	1		0	1	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	0	0		1	0
14	Sheffield United	1		0	1	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0	0	0		1	0
15	Coventry City	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0
16	Nottingham Forest	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0
17	Sunderland	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0
18	Watford	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0
19	Burnley	1		0	0	1	2	3		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	1	2	3		0	-1
20	Preston North End	1		0	0	1	1	2		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	1	1	2		0	-1
21	Crewe Alexandra	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	1	1	3		0	0	1	1	3		0	-2
22	Wigan Athletic	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	1	0	2		0	0	1	0	2		0	-2
23	West Bromwich Albion	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	1	1	4		0	0	1	1	4		0	-3
24	Derby County	1		0	0	1	0	3		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	1	0	3		0	-3

Results

	Wimbledon	(1)	3	Crewe Alexandra	(1)	1	1,145
	Walsall	(3)	4	West Bromwich Albion	(0)	1	11,030
	Sheffield United	(0)	0	Gillingham	(0)	0	21,569
	Rotherham United	(0)	0	Cardiff City	(0)	0	8,176
	Preston North End	(1)	1	West Ham United	(1)	2	18,246
	Nottingham Forest	(2)	2	Sunderland	(0)	0	23,529
	Derby County	(0)	0	Stoke City	(2)	3	21,517
	Millwall	(0)	2	Wigan Athletic	(0)	0	10,898
	Ipswich Town	(0)	1	Reading	(0)	1	24,830
	Burnley	(2)	2	Crystal Palace	(2)	3	12,976
	Bradford City	(0)	2	Norwich City	(1)	2	13,159

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