Wigan off to a Hull of a start in Carling Cup campaign

Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic earned themselves a place in the hat for the Second Round of the Carling Cup thanks to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Peter Taylor's Third Division Hull City.

Wigan didn't have it all their own way with Hull giving a good account of themselves. Following an opening half that saw the visitors put under the cosh, Hull came out battling after the break and showed just why they are the bookies favourites for the Division Three title.

Lee McCulloch gave Wigan an early lead, finding the back of the net with only six minutes on the clock, but it took Jason Jarrett to settle the game with less than 4 minutes of normal time remaining.

Paul Jewell made 4 changes to the line up that began the game at Millwall three days earlier with captain Jason De Vos set to be sidelined for 3-4 months with a reoccurence of his foot injury and goalkeeper John Filan rested after coming away from the New Den with an injured finger.

Ian Breckin stepped into the breach in place of De Vos while Gary Walsh made his JJB Stadium debut between the posts. Jason Jarrett and Peter Kennedy were also given the nod ahead of Tony Dinning and Gary Teale who both dropped to the bench.

McCulloch started where he ended the afternoon in the capital, by partnering Neil Roberts in a central attacker's role, while Andy Liddell moved out onto the right wing with Kennedy giving the job of running the opposite flank.

Latics got off to the perfect start when Andy Liddell found LEE McCULLOCH on the right and the Scot fired a low shot beyond keeper Alan Fettis.

Wigan continued to push forward, tightening their grip on the game, and were almost two up within minutes when Roberts and Bullard combined to set McCulloch up with a shot on goal but this time the Wigan number 10 blasted over the bar and into the empty stand behind.

The woodwork prevented Ian Breckin from scoring his first ever goal in a Wigan shirt just before the half hour mark, the former Chesterfield centre half looping a header against the bar from a Kennedy free kick.

Hull always looked dangerous when going forward with Australian Danny Allsopp particularly threatening and the former Notts County forward almost sent his side into the break on level terms but luckily for Wigan his effort sailed narrowily over the bar.

The second half began with McCulloch and Breckin both nodding against the bar but then Hull took the impetus and went close on a number of occasions.

First up Northern Ireland international and former Motherwell midfielder Stuart Elliott sent a header narrowily wide of the mark just before the hour mark.

Matt Jackson then came to Wigan's rescue when Gary Walsh found himself lost at sea with a Jason Price effort heading for the back of the net but fortunately the Wigan defender was alert enough to get back and nod over the bar at the expense of a corner.

Gary Walsh, who had been pretty sound in goal when required, was tested properly as the game entered its final 10 minutes with Ben Burgess sending a downwards header to the far post but Walsh was equal to the task, smartly getting down to deny the former Stockport County striker.

Any chance of Hull forcing extra time were virtually wiped out 5 minutes later when the visitors failed to clear a Neil Roberts cross from the right.

The ball landed at the feet of JASON JARRETT who hammered it home for his third goal since joining Wigan in March 2002, the first of those coming at the same stage of this competition at Northampton last September.