Report by John Patrick Heeley

The major talking point of this top versus bottom clash came six minutes into the second half when the visitors had their appeals for a blatant penalty waved away by Scarborough official William Burns.

Derek Stillie was put under pressure from a bad back pass from Andy Liddell and Bristol Rovers' Ansah Owusu, currently on loan from First Division Wimbledon, was quick to react.

As the young Hackney lad looked destined to open his account for Rovers, Derek Stillie made a tackle that was more suited for the 'other' sport played in Wigan, bringing the striker to the ground.

Amazingly the referee rejected all cries for a spot kick and play continued.

Wigan Athletic went into this game as odds on favourites to take all three points but found it hard work against a battling Bristol Rovers side currently struggling to hold on to their place in Division Two.

Bristol Rovers hadn't scored a single league goal since their 2-2 home draw against Reading on Boxing Day and hadn't won a league game since they beat bottom of the table Oxford at The Manor Ground as far back as the first weekend in November.

Wigan were parading their two newest recruits to the cause in the starting line up. Ged Brannan, who moved from Scottish Premier League side Motherwell for a fee of £175,000 on Thursday, and Peter Beagrie, only arriving the previous day from Bradford City, both started and it was hoped that their influence and experience would add weight to a regularly lacklustre midfield.

Lee Ashcroft was still missing through injury and Wigan manager Bruce Rioch opted to play Neil Roberts from the offset alongside fellow Welshman Simon Haworth, pushing Andy Liddell out wide again on the right of midfield.

Peter Beagrie showed that he still has a lot to offer, even at the ripe old age of 35, when with little over 5 minutes gone he beat his man down on the left wing and whipped in a peach of a cross into the heart of the Rovers' defence but Haworth and Roberts couldn't quite get on the end of the ball and make it count.

That was the first of a number of intelligent moves created by the former Manchester City and Everton midfielder but his debut was to be cruelly cut short as he strained an abductor muscle and was replaced by Brian McLaughlin for the second half but he looks every bit a decent signing for Wigan.

Simon Haworth could have maybe done better when he fired wide with just Rovers keeper Nick Culkin to beat after a decent move between Beagrie and Bidstrup in midfield had set him up.

Bristol Rovers did have their share of cracks on goal, former Skonto Riga midfielder Vitalis Astafjevs tried a couple from distance and Mark McKeever, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, fired wide from just outside the area.

But it was on loan midfielder Ansah Owusu who caused Wigan the most problems and was unlucky late in the first half not to give the visitors the lead. The 21 year old lobbed Stillie only to his effort sail inches wide of the post.

At the other end of the field Andy Liddell stole in with the ball from the right wing and showed everybody what we know he's capable of by smashing a low drive from 20 yards but just as Owusu's effort a few minutes earlier, it went marginally wide of the post.

HALF TIME: Wigan 0 Bristol Rovers 0

The second half started off with the main topic of conversation for after the game and Derek Stillie will be thanking his lucky stars that he remained on the pitch after flooring Owusu.

The North Yorkshire referee apparantley said after the game that he hadn't seen the offence but everybody else in the ground did and what about his assistant running the line down the right wing?

Just as the dust was settling from that incident Wigan had a good chance to take the lead through Stefan Bidstrup but his shot on the turn from just inside the area was well saved by Culkin in the Rovers' goal.

Wigan's best chance of the game however fell to Neil Roberts who somehow missed an open goal from a matter of feet after Brian McLaughlin had done all the hard work getting to the byeline to slot a neat little ball across the face of goal but Roberts miskicked the ball and sent it behind for a goal kick.

Rovers had chances to end Wigan's unbeaten home record in the dying moments of the game through Mark McKeever who looped a volley over the bar and striker Nathan 'Duke' Ellington, who'd only been on the pitch a matter of minutes, raced onto a pass from McKeever but put his shot wide of the mark.

Results elsewhere meant that Wigan remained second but top placed Millwall are being given the breathing space they want as the promotion race really heats up.

FULL TIME: Wigan 0 Bristol Rovers 0