Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic failed to make it successive wins at Adams Park following a generally lacklustre display that saw them waste a number of goalscoring opportunities and fall foul of a 34th minute sucker punch through an Andy Rammell strike.

Wycombe goalkeeper Martin Taylor was also in fine form between the posts denying Wigan with a string of superb saves, keeping his side in the driving seat.

Paul Jewell's starting line up, although familiar, was subject to a number of positiional changes. Scott Green was switched to a much more defensive role on the right with Peter Kennedy joining in on the opposite flank.

Arjan De Zeeuw, who had been a major injury worry prior to the game, marshalled the Wigan defence and dealt with everything that the home side threw at them in the opening encounters.

Lee Ashcroft moved back into midfield on the left, Paul Dalglish took up his usual position on the right with Ged Brannan and new boy Tony Dinning in the middle.

Simon Haworth and Lee McCulloch provided height up front and goals should have materialised from the duo but alas that wasn't to be.

McCulloch was denied by Taylor early on as the former Derby County keeper tipped over his header from a Peter Kennedy cross.

Wigan seemed to be taking control of the game with Wycombe very rarely threatening the Wigan goal and when they did found Wigan's defence to be impenetratable.

The Chairboys in fact had to play a man down when Andy Rammell left the field for treatment to a head wound picked up in a clash with Wigan skipper Arjan De Zeeuw, the Wycombe striker returning after several minutes with a bandage wrapped around his head.

Stewart Kerr did well to block a Gavin Holligan effort from inside the area with his legs after the forward, signed from West Ham at the start of the season, had ran onto a through ball from influential midfielder Steve Brown after thirty minutes.

Wycombe were then dealt a blow when Brown, who had picked up a strain to his groin, was replaced by veteran Keith Ryan.

Wigan fell behind soon after when Michael Simpson floated over a superb ball finding ANDY RAMMELL in space at the far post and the 34 year old hammered past Kerr in the Wigan goal for his first goal since his side's FA Cup Fourth Round victory over Wolves back a the tail end of January.

Rammell was then denied opportunities of increasing his game's tally with De Zeeuw and Kennedy both diving in with challenges to stop the 34 year old striker in his tracks.

Wigan initially responded well and were unlucky to find Taylor again in inspirational form in the 40th minute when he blocked a McCulloch effort as the striker looked likely to be adding to his record of two in three games so far this season.

Wycombe soon stepped up a gear as Wigan's heads began to drop and the Buckinghamshire side nearly doubled the deficit just before the interval when Holligan put over the bar from a Danny Sendas cross.

Wigan could have, and should have, levelled five minutes after the restart when Lee Ashcroft received a Scott Green ball unmarked a matter of yards from goal but the Wigan number 10 fired miles over the bar with a rash shot when he should have hit the back of the net with ease.

Dalglish was twice denied by Taylor in a three minute period and in identical circumstances.

Twice the midfielder lined up 20 yarders and twice hit thunderous drives at goal only to see the Wycombe keeper make superb reaction saves on both occasions as it was becoming more and more apparant that it wasn't going to be Wigan's day.

Taylor was yet again called into action with less than twenty minutes remaining when he bravely dove into the middle of a muddle of Latics players as they tried to put the ball home from a corner and of course it was Taylor who came out on top with Ashcroft receiving a caution as a result of the ensuing melee.

Four minutes later it was that man Taylor again, this time denying Simon Haworth with an excellent fingertip save to put over the bar for yet another Wigan corner.

Wycombe substitute Richard Walker, signed on loan from Aston Villa on Thursday, had the 274 Wigan fans behind the goal with their hearts in their mouths when he curled a ball through a host of Wigan defenders crashing against the far post with time quickly running out for the visiting side.