Tranmere Rovers 1 Wigan Athletic 2 - Tuesday 23rd October 2001

Haworth double sinks Rovers

Report by John Patrick Heeley

What Paul Jewell put in his players' pre-match tea remains a mystery but whatever it was certainly did the trick as virtually the same side that was booed from the field only 3 days previously were given a standing ovation from their travelling army of fans, and totally deserved it was as well, after a passion fuelled victory over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.

To single an individual from the Latics side would be difficult but it would also be hard not to mention Simon Haworth.

His two goals aside, the Welsh striker seemed to cover every blade of grass and in the opening 45 minutes you would have been forgiven for thinking that he was playing in the heart of defence as he headed clear three or four times as the home side threatened the Wigan goal from various set piece moves.

The only real change to the Wigan starting line up to the one that failed so miserably against Wrexham at the JJB Stadium on Saturday was the inclusion of Lee Ashcroft as Arjan De Zeeuw missed his first game since the opening day of last season when he missed the trip to Swansea to be with family back in his native Holland following the death of his father.

The change forced a slight change in formation but the look was nonetheless similar in appearance - it was their attitude that had gone through a dramatic transformation.

Tranmere were the first to threaten their opponent's goal after only four minutes when they broke into the Wigan area but Pat McGibbon, who hardly put a foot wrong all night, timed his tackle perfectly to thwart the attack.

A couple of minutes later it was Wigan's turn to go on the offensive when Lee Ashcroft brought out a fine save from Murphy in the Tranmere goal when he received the ball on the edge of the area.

Moments later Liddell broke free before playing a one-two with Haworth but the Tranmere defence closed in on the Wigan number 7 before he got a chance to line up his shot on goal.

Liddell was involved in another move this time linking up with Scott Green who drove the ball down the right flank for Liddell to chase and under pressure by the corner flag from Gareth Roberts he managed to get a low ball across goal but all in vain as the Tranmere goalkeeper was the only player within twenty yards of it.

At the other end Stillie could only parry away a shot from 20 yards out and then former Everton striker Paul Rideout wasted a golden opportunity with a tame shot at goal from just outside the area.

Moments later Derek Stillie came out to clear a Gareth Roberts free kick and completely fluffed it with the ball going inches shy of his right post before landing behind for a corner, leaving the Wigan fans behind that goal with their hearts in their mouths.

Dinning then broke clear down the left two minutes later, beating the offside trap, before firing a shot across the face of goal which went wide of the far post.

The action then moved back down the other end of field with Sean Flynn firing narrowily wide from a Jason Koumas corner.

A mistake in midfield in midfield involving Tony Dinning and Scott Green almost cost Wigan heavily when Dinning attempted to connect with Green but his pass was a tad too short allowing Tranmere to snatch the advantage in the middle of the park.

Young Danny Harrison, making his debut in place of the suspended Mickey Mellon, raced forward on a jinking run but his shot from the edge of the area sailed just wide of the post.

Just before the half hour mark Stillie gave the Wigan fans another fright when he came off his line to punch away the ball from the head of Paul Rideout as the striker tried to get on the end of a corner from the right and the veteran striker got his head onto the end of Yates' cross from the right minutes later, this time seeing his effort sail inches wide of the post with Stillie diving desperately to his lefit to cover.

Ian Kilford did well five minutes before the interval when he broke free in the area to slip in a ball across goal forcing a corner before Liddell broke free down the right but his cross to the far post was headed wide of the mark and out for a goal kick without causing too much of a problem.

Jason Koumas went close again on the stroke of half time when he skipped a couple of tackles before hitting his shot narrowily over bar.

Wigan had soaked up the pressure in the first half and could count themselves slightly fortunate to have kept the home side from scoring but the second half saw them come out fired up and put Tranmere under the cosh.

Within seconds of the restart Haworth skipped the challenge of Graham Allen in the area but before he could line up a shot on goal Harrison slid in with a well timed tackle to take the ball from the Welshman's feet.

Three minutes later Sean Flynn fired into the side netting from a Koumas ball and then Rovers keeper Murphy was forced off his line at the opposite end to beat Dinning to the ball as he raced onto a Liddell through ball.

The lively Liddell was involved again when he ran onto a through ball from the Wigan half to reach the bye-line to slide across to Haworth but for all their efforts could only force a corner which forced a goalmouth scramble involving four or five players but Wigan could quite force the ball over the line.

Former Wigan hero Stuart Barlow rose to head against the woodwork as Wigan momentarily went to sleep with the rebound skittling agonisingly across the face of goal just before the hour mark.

Moments later Kilford was denied 5 yards out by Sharps who headed behind for a corner.

Wigan got the goal they deserved after 66 minutes when Andy Liddell raced down the right hitting a low ball across the area to the far post and SIMON HAWORTH slid in to divert it into the back of the net.

Liddell was forced off the field after picking up a worrying knock and was replaced by Scottish striker Lee McCulloch and the former Motherwell forward made an immediate impact when his clever pass to SIMON HAWORTH down the right allowed the lanky striker in to slide a shot under Murphy for his second goal of the night and his seventh of the season.

McCulloch headed straight at the keeper when he got on the end of a ball from the left before Senegalese striker SENYI N'DIAYE pulled one back minutes after coming on as substitute for Rideout.

The transfer listed forward, who hadn't had the best of receptions from his own fans, stuck out a leg to deflect a cross over the top of Stillie for what can only be described as a fluke goal.

It was scant consolation for Tranmere and Wigan almost extended their lead with Liddell combining with former Prenton Park hero Ged Brannan to feed Haworth inside the box.

Haworth controlled the ball before hitting a great shot forcing Murphy into a great diving save denying him a hat trick.

Tranmere put Wigan under pressure for the remaining few minutes of the game but the visitors held on for a well deserved three points and the rapturous applause from the army of travelling fans in the Cowshed Stand behind the goal.