Wrexham 1 Wigan Athletic 1 - Tuesday 19th October 1999

Stalemate at The Racecourse

Report by Dave Seddon - Wigan Evening Post

Roberto Martinez deal of difficulty remembering his last goal in Wigan's first team.

He finally came up with the answer as he stood in the dressing room corridor at the Racecourse Ground reflecting on his long range strike which had just helped earn Latics a point last night.

"It must have been the one at Wycombe two seasons ago," smiled the Spaniard as it eventually dawned on him.

That was 21 months ago, but his strike in North Wales was well worth the wait as Martinez ended his personal goal drought.

He curled home a peach of a shot from 25 yards to fire Latics ahead early in the second half.

But a 61st minute penalty from Welsh international Neil Roberts brought Wrexham level and earned them a share of the spoils.

As at Reading on Saturday, Latics performed below their best for long stages of the game last night, although they did create the better chances.

Manager John Benson was again at a loss to explain the display, but perhaps he can point to injuries to three key players as some excuse.

Roy Carroll, Simon Haworth and Carl Bradshaw all left the field during the game, with Carroll's ankle injury looking the most worrying.

The keeper was stretchered off after landing awkardly catching a cross and the ligament damage is expected to keep him on the sidelines for a month.

Derek Stillie was summoned from the bench in his place, but the former Aberdeen gloveman's first main task was to pick the ball out of the net after being beaten by Roberts' spot kick.

Whatever the merits of the performances over the last few days, Latics can still boast four points out of six from two away games.

Their unbeaten start to the league campaign is still intact, and now the task facing Benson's boys is to produce the displays to accompany the results.

Perhaps a new signing would give them that extra bit of spark, especially with these fresh injuries.

And in all fairness, they aren't a million miles away from getting things right.

A brisk opening to the game at the revamped Racecourse Ground - the derelict Mold Road Stand has been replaced with a spanking new 3,500 seater stand since Latics' last visit - saw chances at either end.

In the ninth minute, Gareth Owen's cross found Karl Connolly in space at the far post, but he hit his shot into the ground allowing Carroll to save.

Six minutes later, Pat McGibbon headed an inswinging corner from Darren Sheridan against the bar with the Wrexham defence all at sea.

But the home side swiftly broke upfield, and Paul Barrett burst into the Latics' box only to see his shot deflected behind.

Haworth departed the action in the 21st minute after feeling the hamstring strain which bothered him so much last season, and was replaced by Martinez.

Latics were again denied by the woodwork just before the half hour mark.

Sheridan's free kick delivered from the right wing caused all kinds of problems in the penalty area, and home skipper Brian Carey flicked a header against his own bar.

Carroll saved well from Connolly after the striker had been left unmarked at the far post, before Bradshaw limped off with a groin strain in the 36th minute.

On came Andy Porter, with Ian Kilford switching to the right back berth.

The change seemed to unsettle Latics for a while, and Michael O'Neill was forced to clear Carey's header from Darren Ferguson's corner off the line.

But the half time team talk from Benson fired them into life and they went ahead in the 50th minute.

Stuart Barlow forged down the left wing before squaring a pass inside to MARTINEZ. The fans' favourite brought it under control before curling a right foot shot around Dearden and into the far corner.

Game on, we thought, but Latics came back down to earth in a six minute spell soon afterwards.

In the 55th minute, Carroll gathered a cross at the far post but landed heavily on his right ankle.

It was immediatly obvious that the Northern Ireland Under 21 keeper was in some pain, and after a couple of minutes of treatement, he was stretchered off.

Stillie took over the gloves, but found himself beaten just after the hour.

A delightful slide-rule pass from the impressive Ferguson found Connolly in the box and he went down under the challenge of the otherwise faultless Arjan De Zeeuw.

Referee John Brandwood pointed to the spot and Neil ROBERTS stepped up to send Stillie the wrong way.

Both sides could have snatched victory in the closing stages, with Latics going close in the 71st minute.

Martinez sent over a corner from the left, Stuart Barlow met it with a low shot which cannoned off a defender's boot in the crowded box and deflected on to the top of the bar.

At the other end, a 20 yard shot from Owen whistled past the woodwork, while Stillie parried an 88th minute shot from Ferguson around the post.