Report by John Patrick Heeley

It's half time between Wigan and Reading for a place in the play-off final to be held at Thr Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on May 27th and it's all square giving Wednesday's second leg that bit more appeal about it with both sides having everything to play for.

For the second successive weekend Wigan dominated a game but again failed to convert their numerous chances into goals which in fact has been the story of their season and one of the reasons that they found themselves in the play-off lottery for the third season on the trot.

Reading's strike partnership of Jamie Cureton and Martin Butler had amassed league 50 goals between them during the season, a figure which is just 3 short of Wigan's total in it's entirity. Sums it up really!

However, Wigan's solid defence marshalled by the ever dependant Arjan de Zeeuw limited the visitors to a handful of chances and when they did get through Roy Carroll was on hand to deny them.

Some of the best action, however, could be seen down on the touchline with Wigan manager Steve Bruce and Reading's assistant gaffer Martin Allen exchanging a few cross words across the technical area.

So much so in fact that the fourth official took up a position between them to make sure that tempers didn't get out of hand and stewards were called in to calm down a group of Wigan fans behind the dug out who were obviously frustrated by the behaviour of the Reading number two.

Steve Bruce kept faith with the starting line up that began the game against Bristol City the previous weekend and made only one change to his bench with fit again Darren Sheridan coming in to replace Stefan Bidstrup.

Wigan immediately went on the offensive and went extremely close to grabbing a vital goal as early as the fourth minute when Lee McCulloch nodded on a Kevin Sharp cross from the left finding Scott Green whose header was saved by Phil Whitehead in the Reading goal but appeared to be dropping over the line only for the keeper to somehow claw it away as he lay on the floor. Scott Green insisted after the match that the ball had indeed crossed the line and from my seat in the West Stand I would totally agree with him.

Six minutes later Reading had their only real chances on goal firstly Adrian Viveash set up Barry Hunter whose bullet header forced Roy Carroll into a superb reaction save to tip behind.

The resulting corner was sent over by Sammy Igoe finding the head of Phil Parkinson who again found Carroll in superb form tipping over the bar from close range.

On the quarter of an hour mark Martin Butler went close as he hit a shot on the turn marginally wide of Carroll's post

Roberto Martinez was denied by Whitehead at the other end of the park when the keeper made a fine save from the Spaniard's volley and then man-of-the-match Kevin Nicholls was thwarted by Jim McIntyre has he homed in on goal.

Andy Liddell saw two opportunities go begging in the latter stages of the opening period. His first, from close range, was cleared off the line by former Walsall defender Viveash and then almost immediately got a second chance to break the deadlock but his chip over the keeper went inches over the bar and landed on the roof of the net.

Simon Haworth entered the contest nine minutes in the second half, replacing Lee McCulloch who had suffered a dead leg in a collision with Whitehead, and almost immediatley made an impact on the game when he got on the end of an Andy Liddell through ball in the area but could only manage to put it over the crossbar.

Ten minutes later he saw another chance go begging when he picked up a loose ball in the Reading area only to see his shot blocked by Viveash allowing Whitehead to gratefully collect.

Lee Ashcroft, who'd come on as a replacement for a tiring Andy Liddell, dove to meet a Carl Bradshaw cross but his header was superbly put over by that man Whitehead again.

Pat McGibbon saw his header go over the bar from a Kevin Sharp free kick as Wigan continued to push forward.

When referee Mr. Pearson signalled the end of the game it prompted another pitch invasion by the home fans with a small number putting a black mark against the day by racing over to the East Stand housing the 3,000 or so travelling Reading fans and taunting them.

For what reason I don't know but let's hope we don't see it happen again as the next set of fans may not be as restrained as those from Reading.

Well it's off to the Madejski Stadium for what's promises to be a close fought battle.

Wigan need to score a goal that's for sure but like the local bus service one's bound to turn up sooner or later and when it does there'll be another one not far behind.