Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic kept up their unbeaten home record but left it until injury time to reply to a James O'Connor headed goal for Stoke City in the 65th minute.

The visitors looked to have had the game sewn up when record signing Brynjar Gunnarsson turned an Andy Liddell cross into his own net.

Wigan Athletic will go into the New Year with their unbeaten home record still intact but they have Stoke City's record signing Brynjar Gunnarsson to thank after the defender intercepted an Andy Liddell cross and knocked it into his own goal as Latics striker Lee Ashcroft closed in.

Derek Stillie took his place in goal after Roy Carroll had complained of a sore foot less than two hours before the kick off and the Scottish keeper was in superb form pulling off a number of fine saves to deny the visitors.

Latics had their fair share of chances to open the scoring in the first half and midfielder Ian Kilford was involved in a number of them.

After only three minutes Kilford was set up following a good move between Andy Liddell and Keith Gillespie but his shot at goal went way over the bar.

Kilford wasted a shot on goal which was easily collected by Birkir Krisinsson in the Stoke goal before he was sent clear in the area but he took too long on the ball and allowed Gunnarsson time to get back to block his shot.

Wigan did find the net with only three minutes of the first half remaining.

Simon Haworth got his foot on the end of an Andy Liddell cross and found the back of the net. However the Welsh striker was controversially adjudged to be offside.

HALF TIME: Wigan 0 Stoke 0

Stoke dominated much of the second half and controlled the middle of the park and it wasn't much of a surprise when they took the lead on 65 minutes.

A cross from jorneyman Tony Dorigo found JAMES O'CONNOR in the area and his header left Derek Stillie with no chance as he scored his 7th goal of the season and added to his goal that won the corresponding tie last season.

Stoke nearly doubled their lead four minutes later when Bjarni Gudjonsson headed against the bar after beating the offside trap.

Stillie was called upon with a couple of outstanding saves to deny Peter Thorne and Graham Kavanagh and Thorne should have done better but lobbed his shot wide of the mark with the Wigan goalkeeper well beaten.

Latics stepped up a gear in the closing minutes and bombarded the Stoke defence before BRYNJAR GUNNARSSON put the ball past his own keeper with only time added on remaining to finish the game all square.

FULL TIME: Wigan 1 Stoke 1