Colchester United 2 Wigan Athletic 2 - Tuesday 26th October 1999

Latics leave it late to preserve unbeaten record

Report by Dave Seddon - Wigan Evening Post

Wigan Athletic kept their proud unbeaten record with a dramatic injury-time equaliser with practically the last kick of an absorbing struggle last night.

Deep into stoppage time in their 13th game of the season, striker Andy Liddell was at the near post to head home a cross from Ian Kilford who made a decisive run down the right flank to produce a perfect cross.

It was a desperately close call, but Wigan thoroughly deserved to keep their proud run going.

For most of the match they were in complete control and manager John Benson said afterwards: "We dominated and we did everything but win the game. We gave a superb performance."

Bottom-of-the-table Colchester, who haven't won a game in nine matches, surprised the Latics by their endeavour, skill and resilience, particularly in defence where there were some sterling individual performances.

Goalkeeper Simon Brown brought off a clutch of quite stunning saves to constantly frustrate rampant Latics, Liddell especially.

Wigan were invariably the superior side, with excellent accuracy in their passing, and they came up with some quite spectacular shooting just inches off target.

By contrast, Colchester overall had only three on target and yet scored from two of them.

The first came after only seven minutes when Stuart Barlow lost possession in Colchester's half to Lomana Tresor.

Lua Lua in turn found Carl Duguid and from his low cross STEVE GAVIN scored at close quarters.

Only five minutes later, BARLOW atoned when he came up with a brilliant Wigan equaliser, bursting through the middle onto a Kilford pass to score with a left-foot shot the run - his 12th goal of the season and surely one of the best.

Brown was already distinguishing himself in Colchester's goal with some superb stops, and early on he tipped over a fierce shot form Arjan de Zeeuw and later he saved brilliantly from Liddell. The outstanding Scott Green just cleared the Colchester bar.

But Colchester punished and surprised Wigan again after 38 minutes.

A long clearance from defence saw McGavin tee-up DUGUID whose fiercely-driven low shot from an angle went into the net under the body of the diving Derek Stillie.

From that point on, it was a contest between Wigan and the hard pressed Colchester defence.

Time and time again in the second half Colchester defenders put in last-ditch tackles to somehow keep Latics at bay.

Either side of the interval the inspired Brown twice denied Liddell, turning over the bar fierce shots at point-blank range.