Report by John Patrick Heeley

It was top versus bottom at the JJB Stadium as Wigan, with a 100% start to the season, took on Brian Horton's Port Vale who had yet to pick up a point from their opening 4 games.

The type of game with upset written all over it and that's exactly how it turned out with the Potteries side taking all three points for the third successive meeting between the two sides and depriving Wigan of their place at the top of Division Two into the bargain.

Paul Jewell opted for the same side that two days earlier had beaten Notts County at Meadow Lane with Peter Kennedy still unavailable with an achilles problem picked up in Belfast playing for Northern Ireland the previous week.

Mike Flynn and Ian Breckin were both given the nod ahead of Jason Jarrett and Ged Brannan who took their places on the bench with Steve McMillan continuing in place of the injured Kennedy.

Looking for a record fifth consecutive victory from the start of the season Wigan started well and forced their first corner after only one minute with Scott Green working well down the right flank.

The corner found Jason De Vos but his header sailed over the crossbar, as did the second Wigan corner, only two minutes later.

Ian Breckin picked up his first booking as a Wigan player after 10 munutes when he was pulled up for a challenge from behind.

The referee had allowed play to continue but called over the former Chesterfield defender once the action had stopped.

A minute later and Wigan had their first attempt on target when Ellington and Liddell combining well down the left with the latter sending a ball over to the centre of the Vale penalty area which Scott Green got his head on the end of but Mark Goodlad in the visitors' goal had no problem in collecting.

Latics were extremely fortunate not to have been a goal down in the 15th minute when Marc Bridge-Wilkinson saw his effort parried away by Filan and with the goal gaping wide open the rebound was headed well wide of the mark by Ian Armstrong.

Ellington forced yet another corner with 18 minutes on the clock when his header from a Scott Green cross took a deflection just wide of the upright and behind.

Wigan were having the better of the game at this point and it seemed to be when they would break Port Vale's resolve and not if but Brian Horton's side held firm.

Goodlad denied Liddell with a fine save after the Wigan number 7 had picked up a throw in from Steve McMillan on the edge of the penalty area in the 22nd minute.

Port Vale's Stephen McPhee caught Wigan on the break three minutes later and the former Coventry City player looked to be clear through on goal until McMillan ran across the penalty area with a well timed interception.

Ellington was put through down the right touchline a minute later but his tame shot on goal was easily collected by Goodlad.

Sam Collins, signed from Bury during the summer, became the second name to go into the referees book in the 35th minute following a clumsy challenge on Ellington.

Lee McCulloch hit a thunderous shot on goal in the 37th minute after a long Flynn throw from the left found him on the edge of the area but his effort was charged down by a packed defence.

Ellington went close from a free kick with 5 minutes of the first half remaining after he had been brought down 20 yards out. His low shot from the resulting kick beat the wall and looked to sneaking it's way in by the post until Goodlad got down to his left to turn behind for a corner.

With seconds ticking away towards the interval Wigan found themselves behind for the first time this season and totally against the run of play. Bridge-Wilkinson received the ball from McPhee before laying it off to IAN ARMSTRONG who set himself up for a cracker of a shot into the top far corner.

The second half saw Wigan chasing the game but still couldn't find a way through no matter what they threw at the visitors.

Port Vale played some decent football for the first 15 minutes of the half before Wigan upped the tempo and on the hour mark went close with an Ian Breckin header which hit the side netting and 7 minutes later Ellington headed straight at the keeper after collecting the ball from a Mike Flynn centre.

Lee McCulloch probably couldn't believe his luck when he saw his header saved right on the line by Goodlad at full stretch in the 72nd minute and three minutes later the former Forest trainee easily saved a De Vos header from a Scott Green free kick.

Wigan were creating plenty of chances as the game entered the last twenty minutes and Teale, a 62nd minute replacement for Matt Jackson, went close to opening his account for the season with a looping header which went narrowily over the bar.

Just how Wigan didn't score in the final few minutes is anybody's guess but it definitely wasn't for the lack of trying.

With three minutes of normal time remaining McCulloch blasted hopelessly wide from 10 yards following a melee in the Vale area and Jarrett put his shot just wide from outside the area a minute later.

Goodlad found his way into the book for blatant time wasting as he took an eternity to take the resulting goal kick and was followed by Bridge-Wilkinson a minute later for a foul on Green.

The Middlesbrough official wasn't quite finished brandishing the card as substitute Liam Burns was cautioned for a foul on Jarrett.

Five minutes of stoppage time was signalled by the fourth official and Latics hit Vale with just about everything including keeper John Filan who came forward for a corner after hovering dangerously around the half way line.

Wigan had three shots cleared off the line and Liddell had another shot deflected behind from 10 yards as the home side tried in vain to get an equaliser and at least keep their unbeaten record intact.