MX23RW : Thursday, March 28 22:43:26| >> :120:34980:34980:
[monks data]
Wigan logo
Europa League | Group Stage
Nov 28, 2013 at 8.05pm UK
 

1-2

Barnett (7')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Hazard (37'), Malanda (88')

Live Commentary: Wigan Athletic 1-2 Zulte Waregem - as it happened

Live text commentary from the Europa League as Wigan Athletic hosted Zulte Waregem in Group D and lost 2-1.
2

Wigan Athletic were defeated at home by Zulte Waregem, which has left qualification for the next round out of their hands.

The hosts opened the scoring early on with a fine strike from Leon Barnett, but were pegged back by Thorgan Hazard as Lee Nicholls spilled the ball into his own net.

Both sides had chances to win but it was Zulte who claimed victory late on through a brilliant strike by Bernard Malanda.

Read how the action unfolded below.


Sort:
Newest
Oldest
Hello all! Welcome to our coverage of Wigan against Zulte. Not much time for anything other than to bring the teams right across. One moment.

WIGAN XI: Nicholls, Crainey, Rogne, McCann, McClean, Gomez, McManaman, McArthur, Boyce, Powell, Barnett

ZULTE XI: Bossut, De Fauw, Colpaert, Habibou, Kums, Hazard, Skulason, Conte, Duplus, D'Haene, Malanda

KICKOFF: Wigan get us underway here then at the DW. It's a lively crowd and they are right behind their team.

CLOSE! Good early chance there for Wigan! Jordi Gomez swings in a brilliant cross from a left-hand side free kick and Boyce, unmarked, just could not reach it with his header and the away side survive.

Good defending at the other end from Rogne, who just about manages to get the ball over the bar as Malanda looked to turn the ball in. Nothing comes from the corner and Wigan survive the first threat on their goal.

GOAL! Wigan 1-0 Zulte (Leon Barnett)

A rare goal from Barnett and rarer still that it was a shot. From a corner the ball is cut back to Gomez by McManaman, but the Spaniard scuffs his shot and it falls to Barnett who sweeps it into the bottom corner from about 15 yards. Great finish.

Lots of set pieces coming in form all angles at the moment for Wigan, but still just the one huge chance that led to a goal. They are bright on both flanks at the moment and are really on top.

SAVE! Almost 2-0 for Wigan there. The ball comes into the box, with McArthur having the first shot before it fell to McManaman whose powerful effort was well saved at close range by Bossut.

CHANCE! Good play there from the visitors. Duplus is set free down the left and he looks up before crossing low to the edge of the box where Kums cannot turn his shot on target and sees it go wide.

Another corner from the right for Wigan and it was easy for Bossut to claim. Hazard leads a break at the other and and finds Habibou, but the shot goes wide when he might have done better just outside the box.

SAVE! What a chance there for Wigan as they break three-on-two. He's wide left in the box and the option really was to put it far post for Gomez, but he went for goal and although well struck the keeper is down to turn it wide. It needed to be perfect to beat a keeper at his far post from there.

It has just got a little scrappy at the moment. Powell is penalised for a foul going up for a header and he gets a talking to by the referee. It was harsh as there was not much in it.

BOOKING: Skulason goes into the book for leaving his foot in on McCann. That's a good spot by the referee, at first glance I didn't see anything wrong with it.

Great header away from McArthur from a corner. It comes back to Hazard, who beats one before seeing his cross blocked behind by Crainey for another corner.

Boyce wins a free kick in a bruising aerial battle. Wigan won't mind if this one gets physical - they have a number of tough players on the field tonight, especially in defence.

CLOSE! It's almost a second for Barnett. Gomez brilliantly wins the ball back before clipping it wide to McClean, whose cross is met at the far post by Barnett but deflected just wide of goal.

GOAL! Wigan 1-1 Zulte (Hazard)

Against the run of play, we're level. Zulte had threatened on the break already and this time Hazard buries the effort - although that is a ricket by the young keeper Nicholls. Hazard's strike is alright, but it's spilled in and really should not have been.

BOOKING: Nick Powell goes into the book for a huge show of dissent. He thought the ball had gone out and went right into the face of the assistant referee, but it hadn't and he's in the book.

Another decent counter-attack from Wigan. It's Powell as pretty much the only player in the attack before Gomez joins him in support. Eventually it's played wide to Crainey, whose cross is blocked behind.

CLOSE! Brilliant movement from Rogne, who gets in front of his man but glances his header from Gomez's corner beyond the far post.

HALF-TIME: Wigan 1-1 Zulte

So Wigan have played very well but find themselves level at the break. Really they should be ahead, but young goalkeeper Nicholls spilled in a Hazard shot which keeps things very tight in the group as it stands.

Even so, there is plenty of encouragement for the hosts. Owen Coyle's side have been a real threat down both flanks and from set pieces, but the slight bit of sloppiness at the back has so far cost them.

It has been a really exciting game because both teams have looked susceptible to the counter-attack. Wigan should have had at least one more, with Rogne's header their best effort since the goal.

There isn't a lot more Coyle can say to his side other than keep it up. If they do then justice would see them win the game. He might want to see a bit more caution against the Zulte counter, but then that's not really his style.

Here we go for the second half. No changes at the break.

Bit of a niggly start to the half, with the referee not allowing anything go. Neither side has got themselves on top of the second 45 yet, but there's a long way to go with plenty of drama possible.

Great defending from Duplus, who gets really tight to McManaman and blocks his cross after a couple of stepovers. He has realised that he matches the winger for pace, so isn't giving him so much room any more.

This time it's Duplus on the attack getting in behind McManaman, but the winger is back really well to clear behind his own goal for a corner. Both teams look like they could score whenever they attack.

Brilliant from McLean there. He drives down the left and cuts in as he tries to get into the box, but while he holds off one challenge he's brought down by Malanda, who went through the back of him with a foul.

BOOKING: McLean goes into the book and he will miss the next game. It's a completely unavoidable yellow as well as he boots the ball after giving away a free kick. Silly and he will miss a game that Wigan may well need to win.

SAVE! Good stop from Bossut there. The ball pings around in the box and falls to Powell, whose powerful strike is pushed away well by the visiting keeper. It was straight at him, in fairness, and Powell may wish he had put that either side of him.

WIGAN SUB: Off comes Gomez, who had faded in the last 10 or so minutes. On for him is Marc-Antoine Fortune, whose last European goal was in 2009. He has just over 25 minutes to change that.

Dangerous free kick here wide right for Hazard. Instead of crossing into the middle it takes a nick off the one-man wall and Nicholls pushes it wide of his near post. That might have been creeping in.

Zulte put the ball out of play with Powell down holding his head. There wasn't much in the challenge from Conte and the youngster is back up and fine to continue. It's getting to the point that one goal might win this.

ZULTE SUB: Idrissa Sylla is on for Conte to inject a bit of freshness into the midfield. He played well, Conte, but again faded this half.

Both sides are beginning to look a little impotent in attack, especially Wigan who were full of pace earlier on. Zulte are remaining patient and the ball goes out of play again following another injury to Powell - Sylla flew in with his knee as the players went up for an aerial challenge.

CLOSE! Wigan are just starting to get on top of this. McCLean does well to get in a cross and it's headed out to McArthur, who takes a touch and shoots just wide of the far post. Really good effort.

It's getting a little stretched in the last 10 minutes here. McClean continues to threaten down the left, but this time they work it inside via Fortune to McArthur. This time his shot is blocked and Zulte go right up the other end on the break.

WIGAN SUB: McManaman continues his return to fitness and this time has managed 84 minutes. Espinoza comes on for him, can he make the difference?

BOOKING: McArthur becomes the next player booked for a foul on Kums as Zulte looked to break. Sensible foul that and he can't really have any complaints about the decision to book him.

GOAL! Wigan 1-2 Zulte (Malanda)

What a magnificent strike from Junior Malanda! Sylla does well to control in the box and turn the ball back to the edge of the box where Malanda wraps his left foot around it and fires it into the top corner. A goal worthy of winning any game.

Three minutes will be added on here, Grant Holt is on for McArthur for the hosts and Cacares for Kums.

Coyle looks gutted on the sidelines as his team look as though they will drop to third in the group. Just a minute left for a dramatic equaliser...

FULL-TIME: Wigan 1-2 Zulte

So Zulte take the crucial wins that means progression to the next round is in their hands. Wigan will need a win and a favour from Rubin Kazan in a fortnight.

Thanks for joining me tonight as Wigan suffer a harsh defeat. Stick around on site for reports and reaction to tonight's football. Until next time, it's goodbye from me.

ID:120833: cacheID:120833:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:18323:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Wigan Athletic manager Owen Coyle prior to kick-off against Doncaster on August 20, 2013
Read Next:
Coyle eyes big European tie
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
QWest Ham650115
QFreiburg640212
3Olympiacos62137
4Backa Topola60151

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
QBrighton641113
QMarseille632111
3Ajax61235
4AEK Athens61144

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
QRangers632111
QSparta Prague631210
3Betis63039
4Aris Limassol61144

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
QAtalanta642014
QSporting Lisbon632111
3Sturm Graz61144
4Rakow61144

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
QLiverpool640212
QToulouse632111
3Union SG62228
4LASK61053

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
QVillarreal641113
QRennes640212
3M. Haifa61235
4Panathinaikos61144

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
QSlavia Prague650115
QRoma641113
3Servette61235
4Sheriff Tiraspol60151

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
QB. Leverkusen660018
QQarabag631210
3Molde62137
4Hacken60060


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!