Koumas secures Wigan point

Wigan and Fulham could not be separated in a drab 1-1 draw at The JJB.

Late penalty denies Fulham elusive away day win

If Premier League survival is about eking out victories from wars of attrition then both Wigan and Fulham could struggle this season, after they could not be separated in a drab 1-1 draw at The JJB. Lawrie Sanchez's side have not now won on the road for 20 matches and they will have fewer better chances to record an elusive three-point haul than that which presented itself on Saturday. After Clint Dempsey exposed some ponderous defending from the home side on the 11 minute mark, Wigan's response showed not a flicker of imagination or menace in trying to find a leveller. Shorn of the rejuvenate Emile Heskey, who hobbled off after just ten minutes, Chris Hutchings' side needed a cumbersome tackle from Hameur Bouazza, ten minutes from time, on a marauding Mario Melchiot, to earn them both a penalty and a point. Jason Koumas stepped from the game's periphery to dispatch with a stylish strike of precision, which was out of synch with much of what had gone before it. In the dying embers of a game best forgot, Paul Scharner lost his bearings no more than five yards from goal, as Fulham escaped with a point, when they so easily could have been celebrating all three.

Infuriated

Wigan had only briefly looked like a side defending a 100% home record against opposition who were yet to glean a single point from their travels this season. Bouazza had the visitors' first chance, nipping in between David Cotterill and Melchiot but firing his eventual shot just wide of target. Antoine Sibierski had the first shot on the target with a low drive from Heskey's replacement Marcus Bent's cross which was easily saved by Antti Niemi in the Fulham goal. Referee Rob Styles infuriated the home fans by awarding a questionable free-kick to the visitors deep in their own half in the 11th minute. And that anger increased seconds later when Dempsey finished off a swift attacking move by wriggling onto the end of a Diomansy Kamara cross in the Wigan box and firing home the opener. Fulham came close to extending their lead in the 25th minute when captain Carlos Bocanegra got on the end of a Simon Davies corner but could only bounce his header over the crossbar.

Threatened

Fulham continued to threaten. In the 37th minute Davies unleashed a curling effort which crashed straight into Kirkland's arms. Kirkland was a busy man after the break, parrying another Davies free-kick then performing a fine reflex save after Aaron Hughes fired in the rebound. The goalkeeper saved the Latics again in the 56th minute when Dempsey surged into the home half, playing a neat one-two with Kamara, but seeing his shot blocked by the onrushing keeper. Wigan responded through Koumas, who turned Chris Baird and drilled a low shot just wide in the 63rd minute, and Sibierski, whose ambitious overhead kick came to nothing. When Wigan substitute Josip Skoko wriggled into a good position in the box before shooting tamely at Niemi in the 71st minute, it was a move which seemed to sum up the home side's day. Fortunately for them, a sustained spell of pressure ended with Melchiot being hauled down by Bouazza, allowing Koumas to salvage their unbeaten home record. And it might have been even better two minutes from time when Emmerson Boyce flung in a cross from the left and Scharner's flicked effort from point-blank range was held on the line by Niemi.

Wigan Athletic	Team Statistics	Fulham
1	Goals	1
0	1st Half Goals	1
3	Shots on Target	4
9	Shots off Target	3
6	Blocked Shots	2
9	Corners	4
9	Fouls	11
4	Offsides	1
1	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
73.3	Passing Success	69.9
29	Tackles	20
79.3	Tackles Success	90
53	Possession	47
50	Territorial Advantage	50