Two points dropped at Saltergate

Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan remained at the top of Division Two despite picking up only one point from their trip to Saltergate.

Results elsewhere meant that Latics moved 1 point clear at the summit but there are a few more teams joining the leading pack.

Injury and suspension meant that Paul Jewell's options were limited to say the least as he took his side to Derbyshire to face Dave Rushbury's Chesterfield.

Lee McCulloch joined Peter Kennedy and former Spireite skipper Ian Breckin on the sidelines with Ged Brannan returning to the squad after recovering from the twisted ankle that kept him out of the side that won through to the second round of the Worthington Cup at Northampton.

Tony Dinning, who had warmed the bench for the previous two outings, began his three match suspension for the red card he received at Colchester.

Brannan moved into the right back position and Scott Green moved into the right side of midfield with Jason Jarrett and Paul Mitchell continuing in the middle.

Both sides had half chances to break the deadlock but in the end neither looked like scoring and in the end a draw was the fair result.

The first of those chances fell to Chesterfield with Mark Hudson, on loan from Middlesbrough, creating space for himself before firing straight at John Filan in the Wigan goal.

Wigan's best chance of the opening half came from Nathan Ellington, who had marked his debut for the club with a superb goal at Saltergate back in April, the former Bristol Rovers striker charged into the area before rattling his shot into the side netting.

Steve McMillan had an appeal for a penalty waved away, the Wigan defender taking a tumble just inside the area has he attempted to break through on goal.

The second half proved somewhat brighter but a goal still looked a million miles away as both sides battled it out in midfield with Jarrett and Mitchell continuing to impress with their partnership in the middle of the park. Tony Dinning will have a tough fight on his hands to split the pair up once his suspension is over after next week's home game against Peterborough.

McMillan had another penalty turned down around the hour mark when he was again brought down just inside the area and Jason Jarrett befell the same fate when he barged into the area only to be ground by a Chesterfield defender,

The second half had an extra six minutes added to it after Chesterfield striker David Reeves, on loan from Oldham, collided with the assistant referee running the line alongside the newly redeveloped Compton Street Stand.

The injured assistant was helped from the field by the Chesterfield physio and his place taken by the fourth official. The delay however was compounded by the fact that another qualified person was required to marshall the technical areas and hold up the board and this seemed to take an eternity before someone was finally found.

Both sides could have nicked it in the final moments of the game with former Torquay United midfielder Chris Brandon bringing the best out of John Filan with a decent effort and Nathan Ellington racing down the right before firing a low shot across Carl Muggleton which the keeper did well to get down to his right and save with Jason Jarrett free at the far post.