Report by John Patrick Heeley

Lady Luck did the business for Wigan today to put them in the pay-offs for a place in Division One for the third successive season as they were held to a goalless draw against Bristol City despite hammering the visitors' goal throughout the 90 minutes.

Wigan knew before the game that a win was a must and at half time news of scores at other grounds confirmed this with Bournemouth 3-1 up at Reading and Stoke City 4 goals up at home to Swindon Town.

Latics welcomed back Andy Liddell from injury and manager Steve Bruce opted to throw him straight into the starting line up partnering Lee McCulloch in attack.

Simon Haworth was again relegated to the bench but with Neil Roberts and Lee Ashcroft keeping him company Wigan certainly had an attacking game in mind.

Latics hit the Bristol City goal from the outset and with little over 2 minutes on the clock Lee McCulloch raced forward and with a defender shadowing him all the way.

The former Motherwell striker got himself into the penalty area and before his opponent could do anything about it he toe poked a shot at goal.

Keeper Steve Phillips, who was in inspirational form, got down well to his left to deny McCulloch.

Two minutes later an Andy Liddell throw in down the left found Peter Beagrie who turned and cracked a shot at goal but his effort went well wide.

Beagrie and McCulloch combined with a good move down the left in the 7th minute as they pushed on goal but their efforts were thwarted as the visitors' defence headed behind for a corner.

From the corner kick Beagrie received the ball on the edge of the area and hit a bullet shot at goal but straight at Phillips who gratefully received it.

After 8 minutes Andy Liddell broke down the middle and slotted a ball through to McCulloch splitting the City defence. Bristol looked for the offside flag in vain as the Wigan striker raced clear on goal with only Phillips to beat but from only 12 yards out sidefooted wide.

Bristol City had their first attempt on goal a minute later when Scott Murray tried to curl a ball around Carroll from the right hand corner of the penalty area but his effort sailed wide of the far post.

With quarter of an hour gone Wigan were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Bristol penalty area.

Liddell looked like he was going to have a crack on goal but instead fooled everyone by rolling it back for Lee McCulloch to hit a rocket at goal which Phillips could only block but only as far as Arjan De Zeeuw who shoved the ball back across goal but Bristol cleared for a corner.

Wigan were all over City but still couldn't find that finishing touch and news was filtering through that Stoke City and Bournemouth were ahead in their games meaning that they would miss out on a play-off spot the way things stood.

Scott Green went close in the 18th minute when he received the ball inside the area but was denied by Phillips, who came out to block at close range and the flag for offside.

Six minutes later it was Beagrie's turn again to threaten the Bristol goal as he went on a jinking run though the City defence but fired wide with Phillips seemingly beat.

A minute later Liddell was caught offside down the right but still had a shot on goal despite the referee's whistle and received a yellow card for his troubles.

Bristol City striker Scott Murray joined Liddell in the ref's notebook a minute after following a foul on Kevin Nicholls on the touchline.

The visiting fans were in a jubilant mood but not because their side had anything to play for or had won anything but because their local rivals Rovers had been relegated earlier in the week.

A chorus of 'Gas Are Down' could be heard all around the stadium and a large banner spread out in front of the East Stand reiterated the fact.

In the 28th minute Liddell earned Wigan a corner down the right which was nodded down for Nicholls but his scissor kick went two yards wide.

Just before the half hour mark Scott Murray went on a rare attack into the Wigan area as he weaved his way through the defence but Arjan de Zeeuw nipped in to block his shot and clear the danger.

Roy Carroll was tested for the first time in the 32nd minute when he was forced to tipped an Aaron Brown shot to the far post behind and six minutes later came off his line to block a Lee Peacock effort with his feet.

Wigan went back on the offensive as the first half came to an end. Firstly Liddell was unlucky at the City post with Phillips closing in then Nicholls hit the woodwork and McCulloch managed to put the rebound over the bar from feet away.

Scott Green had a header tipped over the bar and then McCulloch laid a short ball in the area to De Zeeuw but the Dutchman couldn't do anything constructive with it.

As the seconds ticked away Wigan's failure to convert chances into goals was becoming frustrating and news that Stoke had gone 4-0 up and Bournemouth were leading 3-1 at Reading simply compounded this.

Martinez had a low drive blocked before McGibbon fluffed a chance at the right post.

Wigan continued the second half as they had left the first McCulloch volleying over the bar from yards out 5 minutes after the restart before Liddell was caught narrowily offside after Green had put a nice ball through the middle to him.

Man of the match Peter Beagrie lobbed a ball over to the far side of the penalty area searching out McCulloch but it was a tad too far for the Scot who could only nod tamely to Phillips as he leaned back to reach it.

Just after the hour mark Wigan though they had snatched the vital goal when Simon Haworth saw his header somehow cleared off the line by Simon Clist, a second half replacement for Robin Hulbert.

The Welsh striker who had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes got his second chance on goal a minute later when he got through clear on goal but was denied by Phillips who blocked his shot but only as far as Scott Green on the right side of the area but the Wigan number 12 failed to capitalise on it and eventually the ball was cleared but saw Bristol's Brian Tinnion and Louis Carey fighting with each other for whatever reason.

With 20 minutes remaining Haworth and McCulloch both beat the offside trap as a ball was floated across the face of goal but Haworth's header went just over the corner of goal.

Bristol City had another attempt at goal in the 74th minute with Scott Murray receiving the ball in the area but fired wide of the far post before Wigan's Andy Liddell was replaced by Lee Ashcroft.

Beagrie saw a shot parried away Phillips with McCulloch waiting to pounce at the post but it was too much to ask of the Scot and then Haworth's overhead kick was cleared away for a corner.

In the 78th minute Scott Green pushed down the middle before laying the ball off to Lee Ashcroft who hit a shot from the edge of the penalty area which Phillips couldn't control but ball went away to safety.

The mood was now getting desperate for Wigan as they entered the last 10 minutes knowing that unless they could hit the back of the net then their seasons was all but over.

Kevin Sharp raced down the left after 83 minutes and pulled the ball back across the edge of the area for Nicholls but the midfielder fired well wide.

Moments later Mickey Bell hit a tame shot at goal which didn't even test Carroll.

The nerves of the Wigan fans were being stretched to the limits as time ticked away and then the news everybody had been waiting for slowly filtered around the ground.

Reading had equalised in the 88th minute against Bournemouth meaning that all Latics to do was hold out which didn't prove too difficult as Bristol had rarely been anywhere near the Wigan goal throughout the game.

The atmosphere was electric around the ground and despite tannoy appeals the fans invaded the pitch as soon as the final whistle went sparking wild celebrations.

Reading had done Wigan a big favour but hopfully they won't be showing their gratitude next Sunday when the two sides meet at the JJB Stadium for the first leg of the play-offs.