Report by Dave Seddon - Wigan Evening Post

FOR those of a nervous disposition, please look away now.

Latics' visit to Stoke on Saturday was not an occassion for the faint hearted or those who aspire to FIFA's namby pamby approach to football with little physical contact.

This was an all-action fire and brimstone affair, with some of the challenges enough to warrant themselves a place in a Michael Winner X-rated movie.

The strong wind which swirled around the exposed Britannia Stadium meant that any chance of a free-flowing passing game went out of the window almost straight away.

Instead we got blood and guts - with a big emphasis on the blood!

Late in the first half, Stoke's Phil Robinson was carted off to the dressing room to have 21 stitches put in a cut groin following a hefty challenge from Darren Sheridan.

Then in the closing minutes of the second period with the action reaching boiling point, Michael O'Neill took the full force of a stray elbow during a midfield tussle and spilled more claret from a head wound than a heavyweight boxer.

And it all ended with an idiot from the away end running onto the pitch and trying to land a punch on Stoke keeper Gavin Ward.

Bearing all that in mind, it was no surprise that both managers expressed themselves satisfied wih a share of the spoils.

From Latics' view, they maintained their unbeaten League record, and a draw against a Stoke side who will no doubt be amongst the promotion chasers this season, has to be seen as a point gained rather than two lost.

Following the switch of formations at Watford in midweek, Latics returned to their familiar 4-3-3 line-up, with Carl Bradshaw taking over at right back from the hospitalised Scott Green and Mark Bowen returning to the starting line-up in the opposite full back berth.

They enjoyed much the better of the early play, and were only denied in the 12th minute by the width of the woodwork.

A shot from Stuart Barlow following a corner was blocked by a defender and ballooned up into the air.

Arjan De Zeeuw was first to react with Ward deceived by the wind, but his header from close range smacked against the angle of post and bar before bouncing to safety.

O'Neill saw a first time volley from outside the box fingertipped around the post by Ward, before Latics went in front after 18 minutes.

Bowen arrowed in a low cross fo the left wing to the near post, Andy Liddell flicked it on towards goal, the ball struck Stoke defender Nicky Mohan on the shin and rolled into the net.

It would have been nice to credit the goal to Liddell, but his touch seemed to be going straight to Ward before Mohan's intervention.

Tempers flared five minutes later when Ian Kilford and James O'Connor were involved in a touchline tussle following a tackle by the Stoke midfielder.

The home crowd howled for Kilford to see red claiming he had kicked out at O'Connor, but after consulting the linesman on that side of the pitch, referee Steve Baines opted to give both players a stern ticking off instead.

A yellow card for both would probably have been the more sensible option to calm things down, but common sense wasn't Mr. Baines' strong point during the afternoon.

Barlow had the chance to double the lead in the 33rd minute when Bowen's through ball sent him clear, but the striker took the ball too wide as he rounded keeper Ward, and his cross into the middle was cleared.

At the other end, Graham Kavanagh curled a free kick wide, while O'Connor was also off target with a 20 yard shot.

The action hotted up for the wrong reason four minutes before the break, when a lunge by Sheridan caught Robinson high up on the leg.

The Stoke player departed the action on a stretcher with Sheridan fortunate to escape with just a yellow card.

Three minutes later, O'Connor followed him into the book for a late tackle on Bradshaw.

The second half began terribly for Latics when Stoke hit the equaliser after 48 minutes.

A 25 yard shot from Kyle Lightbourne was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Roy Carroll.

Kevin Keen sent over the resulting corner from the right, and LIGHTBOURNE rose high to head into the top corner from 10 yards.

Latics responded with Simon Haworth driving a low shot into the arms of Ward after Kilford had won a challenge on the edge of the box, while O'Neill cut in from the right wing before firing straght at the keeper.

As the second half ticked by, the game started to reach bubbling point, with challenges flying in all over the park.

De Zeeuw was yellow carded for a foul on Lightbourne, while O'Neill found himself spilling blood from a huge head wound after being caught by O'Connor's elbow.

The challenge though went unseen by Mr. Baines, much to the Irishman's visible disgust.

With the clock ticking into injury time - and there was six minutes of that - the game's real unsavoury moment arrived.

Ward had gathered the ball in the area and was preparing to kick up-field when a so-called supporter ran on to the pitch and aimed a punch towards the keeper.

Fortunately, it was a powder-puff right hook and the assailant was quickly overpowered by stewards.

Quite what the clown was thinking of, I don't know. Ward had done nothing wrong and I can only assume it was one too many shandies before the game.

There was still time for Latics to have a go at snatching a late win, with De Zeeuw heading a cross from Bradshaw over the bar, while Barlow flicked a header wide.