Report by Dave Seddon - Wigan Evening Post

WIGAN'S proud unbeaten league record had to come to an end sometime, but why last night of all nights?

Since August, John Benson's lads have ticked along very nicely, stringing together a run of 15 wins and nine draws.

They've got on with the task in hand without too much fuss, and it's only recently that the nation have woken up to the fact that Latics are going places - probably into Division One next season.

So what happens when the Sky TV circus rolls into town? They produce a below par display and see their record broughtto an end by a late goal. Sods law!

Why couldn't this result have happened on a normal Saturday matchday, instead of an evening when armchair fans around the country were glued to their television sets eager to see how a side had managed to come this far without losing.

Lee Duxbury was the man to break their hearts, climbing high to head home the winner in the 86th minute.

Yet the real architect of Oldham's surprise, but just about deserved victory, was the brother of one of Latics' substitutes.

Veteran midfielder John Sheridan was the difference between the sides, pulling the strings in the centre of the park from the first to the last minute.

Younger brother Darren could only watch in frustration from the sidelines as his 35 year old sibling produced a display which belied his age.

But while praise his heaped on Sheridan's shoulders, let's have three cheers for Latics.

There haven't been too many sides who have remained undefeated for so long from the start of the season, and the club record was matched and then beaten during this remarkable sequence.

Now's the time to rally round and help them set off on a similar run as they bid to climb out of Division Two.

For the visit of "the other Latics", manager Benson named an unchanged starting line-up, although skipper Carl Bradshaw was forced to limp off with a calf injury after just 21 minutes to be replaced by top scorer Stuart Barlow.

The early play saw Andy Liddell test Gary Kelly with a stinging volley in the sixth minute, which the Oldham 'keeper did well to push around the near post at the expense of a corner.

At the other end, Steve Whitehall curled a 20 yard free kick around the wall and straight into Roy Carroll's arms, while the visitors went much closer in the 18th minute.

Whitehall sent over a corner from the right which Andrew Holt met with a header at the far post.

Carroll got down well to block and Mark Allott's follow-up was deflected off a Wigan boot for another corner.

From that flag-kick, the ball was worked to Sheridan on the left, and he rolled a low cross the edge of the box to Andrew McNiven who blazed high over the bar with a first time shot.

Bradshaw's early departure saw Scott Green move to right back with Liddell taking up the winger's role on that flank.

The substitution didn't knock Latics out of their stride, and Barlow's introduction gave the visitors' defence something to think about.

Simon Haworth was denied by Kelly in the 26th minute when he found himself room on the right hand side of the box and fired in a shot which zipped off the playing surface.

But Kelly was equal to it, sticking out a glove to push the ball around the near post.

After the interval, Haworth was a coat of boot polish away from connecting with Liddell's centre, while Kelly came to his side's rescue again after 55 minutes.

Liddell beat Duxbury to a loose ball in his own half, galloped forward over the half-way line before finding Barlow with a square pass.

Barlow cut inside into the boxbut his right footshot was beaten away by Kelly for a corner.

The now traditional downpour at the JJB Stadium arrived during the second half, and with it, Oldham seemed to grow in stature and began to boss the proceedings but with out really threatening the home goal.

Latics still managed to create chances when they got the opportunity to go forward, with a 25 yard first time shot from Haworth dropping a whisker wide of the target in the 78th minute.

Sixty seconds later at the other end, Allott fired a low effort from 15 yards inches the wrong side of the post after Neil Adams' cross had picked him out.

The visitors' pressure grew in the final 10 minutes as they sensed victory was there for the taking.

McNiven drove a long range shot into Carroll's midriff, while the keeper did well to twice block efforts from Holt in the 84th minute as the ball zipped off the wet turf in the area.

But the goal which sunk Latics and ended the unbeaten finally arrived just as the clock ticked on to 86 minutes.

Pat McGibbon was pulled up for a push on Matthew Tipton out on the right flank, 35 yards from goal.

Adams swung the free kick into the box, and DUXBURY rose above substitute Ian Kilford to power a header over Carroll from eight yards.

Late pressure from Latics saw referee Graham Frankland wave away a penalty appeal for a challenge by Mark Hotte on Alan McLoughlin, while Kelly managed to gather Liddell's cross with Barlow and de Zeeuw waiting at the far post.

Time and time again this season, Latics have managed to salvage a game after going behind, but last night proved one match too far.