WIGAN ATHLETIC 1
NEWCASTLE UNITED 0
Premier League
JJB Stadium
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Kick off 3pm

Craig Hope reports from JJB Stadium ...

MATCH REPORT

NEWCASTLE United slipped to their fourth consecutive 1-0 defeat at the JJB Stadium on what was a disappointing afternoon for the Geordies.

The Magpies have went down by the odd goal on their previous three visits to Wigan and last season's matchwinner Ryan Taylor was again the hero for the Latics.

The 23-year-old stepped up in the 64th minute to curl a delightful free-kick above and beyond the United wall and into Shay Given's top corner for the only goal of the game.

Chances were at a premium throughout the 90 minutes and the visitors went closest when Mark Viduka saw an overhead effort from the edge of the area cleared from the goal-line by Titus Bramble with Chris Kirkland stranded.

SECOND HALF ACTION (click refresh for latest)

90+2min - Emre zips a pass into Oba Martins and goes for the return, the Turk fires goalwards but the ball strikes the back of Mark Viduka and Wigan clear before Mike Dean blows for full-time.

There will be three minutes added time.

89min - Aghahowa cuts in from the right and dummies one way and then the other before firing right-footed into Given's side-netting.

88min - Steven Taylor comes through the back of Bent and is shown a yellow card.

83min - Steven Taylor plays the ball back to Given but it's an awkward one and the keeper has to take a touch before clearing, Bent is racing in and the United stopper almost hooks the ball into his own net, luckily for the visitors it clears the crossbar and goes behind for a corner. Landzaat takes but the Magpies are able to clear.

82min - Landaat bursts into the area on the right and sees his low cross cannon into the air off Taylor, Given is right underneath it and does well to take under pressure from Bent.

80min - Smith is booked for a late slide on the clearing Kilbane, the United skipper never made contact but Dean decides the tackle is serious enough to warrant a caution.

78min - Damien Duff is replaced by Jose Enrique with N'Zogbia switching to left-wing.

77min - Emre switches play to Milner on the right who knocks the ball by Kilbane, the winger has the whole box to aim at and elects to pull back looking for Martins, the ball bobbles and runs through for Duff on the left of the penalty area, the Irish star takes a touch but when he gets his shot away it is charged down by Scharner and Wigan clear.

74min - Salomon Olembe replaces goalscorer Ryan Taylor.

72min - Ryan Taylor's obviously in the mood and has another go from 30 yards out, it's dipping and Given is scrambling to palm around his upright. Taylor goes across to the right flank to take but a diving Alan Smith heads away.

71min - Julius Aghahowa replaces Antoine Sibierski who receives a great reception from the Toon Army.

70min - United work the ball wide to Milner but his high cross spoons into the air and away for a goal-kick.

66min - Big Sam makes a change with Geremi making way for Oba Martins.

64min - WIGAN GOAL (1-0): Brown controls on his chest and tries to take aim for Given's target before being brought down by a sliding Smith 20 yards out and Wigan have a free-kick. RYAN TAYLOR steps up to curl above and beyond the United wall and into Shay Given's top corner - it was Taylor who scored the only goal in this fixture last season.

61min - Bramble surges down the left and is taken out as he tries to go between the challenge of Viduka and Milner for which Mike Dean blows for a free-kick. Taylor again takes for the Latics and this time it's Steven Taylor who heads away from the penalty spot.

58min - United only half clear from the resulting set-piece and Scharner volleys back towards goal from 25 yards out, the looping effort is gathered low by Shay Given at his near post.

57min - Milner sees yellow for a late tackle on Kilbane. Dean had waved play-on from the challenge with Emre then tripping Taylor for which the Turk is also shown a yellow card.

52min - What a let off for Wigan! Melchiot's back pass is short and Milner charges down as Kirkland attempts to clear, the ball spoons in the air off a Wigan defender and Viduka hooks back over his head towards goal, it looks destined for the back of the net with Kirkland stranded before Bramble recovers to head away at the last minute for a corner. N'Zogbia takes from the right but Wigan clear, the break is on for the hosts and Emre has to scamper back to guide the ball back to Given with Bent in pursuit.

50min - Beye is knocked off his stride on the right by Taylor and United are awarded a free-kick. Emre sweeps over from the touchline but Bramble heads away amid a crowded penalty area.

49min - Taylor springs Milner clear with a lofted pass out to the right-wing, the England Under-21 star attacks the by-line but his cross is too close to Kirkland who plucks from the air at his near post.

46min - Sibierski steals a yard on Emre and is tripped by the Turk midway inside United's half. Ryan Taylor delivers right-footed, Faye stoops to head away from the challenge of Bent before Scharner is penalised for a high boot on Geremi.

Newcastle get the second period started with neither side having made any changes.

FIRST HALF

45+2mins - Bent is wrestled to the floor by Smith and Dean gives a free-kick 40 yards out. Ryan Taylor elects to cross but Faye powers a header clear before the man in black blows for the end of what was a poor first-half from both sides.

There will be two minutes added time.

43min - Landzaat has space 30 yards from goal and decides to have a go, his effort is high, wide and not very handsome and ends up among the Toon Army.

40min - Ryan Taylor rifles a long throw from the right into the area, Sibierski challenges with Smith and the ball drops free, N'Zogbia is there for United to boot clear.

35min - Milner takes control of Given's long downfield punt but is scythed down by Kilbane as the young winger tries to find a Magpie team-mate 25 yards from goal. Emre has a go from the free-kick but his effort strikes the wall.

32min - Brown is the first man in the book for a late challenge on Emre.

31min - Milner gets away down the left and digs out a cross from the by-line, the far post ball is headed behind by Kilbane under pressure from Geremi. Emre takes from the right flank and Bramble heads away unchallenged, the ball runs as far as Beye but his shot deflects off Brown and skids through to Kirkland.

30min - Newcastle surivive a scare when Given's clearance only goes as far as Taylor, the young winger immediately returns into the area but Bent is unable to control and United clear.

28min - Melchiot crosses from deep aiming for Sibierski on the penalty spot, the Frenchman climbs above Taylor to nod on looking for the run of strike partner Bent, the header has too much weight and Given is able to claim underneath his crossbar.

24min - Duff tries to work an angle for a shot on the left of the penalty area but his effort is charged down by Melchiot before Landzaat completes the clearance.

23min - Landzaat shot cannons off Faye on the edge of the area and from the loose ball Milner trips Scharner. Taylor takes from deep but Given is able to gather with ease.

21min - Newcastle enjoy a spell of attacking possession but when Beye goes by Kilbane on the right his cross fails to find a black and white shirt - it was a good opening but sadly United were unable to capitalise.

20min - N'Zogbia tries to switch the play looking for the run of Geremi but Kilbane reads the ball and heads back to Kirkland.

17min - Brown tugs Viduka midway inside Wigan's half and United have a free-kick. Emre lifts a delicate ball into the area looking for Viduka, Bramble heads clear from the Aussie and the ball runs for Duff, the Irish winger is unable to dig out a cross and the Latics clear the danger.

16min - The home side shout for a spot-kick when Smith and Sibierski collide inside the area from Scharner's long pump into the box - it's a very hopeful appeal and Dean rightly waves away the protests.

13min - Emre makes a needless trip on Landzaat 40 yards out and Taylor swings in the resulting free-kick, it's a wicked delivery which Mike Dean decides has flicked off the head of Beye for a corner. Viduka clears at the near post from Brown's flag-kick, the loose ball is picked up by Valencia who skips by Emre's challenge on the left-wing, he crosses but Smith is again back helping out and heads clear.

12min - Sibierski gets the better of N'Zogbia on the left and crosses, Smith is back defending for United and hacks away from the penalty spot, the ball only goes as far as Scharner who controls and takes aim for Given's target, the 25-yard strike deflects off Geremi and the ball runs through to Given.

9min - Wigan build down the left and Bent is fouled by Faye midway inside United's half. The free-kick is worked short but is wasted when Scharner's long pump runs through to a grateful Given.

4min - Sibierski clashes heads jumping between Smith and Faye and receives lengthy treatment from the Wigan medical staff before gingerly climbing to his feet.

2min - Valencia trips Emre on halway, N'Zogbia clips the free-kick into the area looking for Viduka and Scharner heads clear.

1min - Wigan are straight on the attack and Sibierski is penalised for a foul on Faye from Melchiot's long throw.

Wigan get the game underway attacking the end where the 5,000-strong contingent of the travelling Toon Army are housed.

TEAM NEWS

SAM Allardyce makes five changes to the side which drew 2-2 with Derby at the weekend for the Boxing Day trip to Wigan.

Out go central defensive pairing David Rozehnal and Claudio Cacapa with Steven Taylor and Abdoulaye Faye coming in.

In midfield, Damien Duff starts his first game for more than eight months while Geremi and Turkish playmaker Emre are also recalled.

That means no place for midfield duo Joey Barton and Nicky Butt with Nigerian striker Oba Martins also missing out.

Of that quintet, Cacapa, Butt and Martins are named among the United substitutes while Barton is not risked having picked up a slight ankle injury.

David Rozehnal does not make the matchday squad and Michael Owen will have to wait until the weekend trip to Chelsea for a possible return from his injury absence.

Former Magpie Antoine Sibierski returns to the Latics side having not started a game since October with Titus Bramble also included.

TEAMS

WAFC: Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot (c), Paul Scharner, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Antonio Valencia, Denny Landzaat, Michael Brown, Ryan Taylor, Marcus Bent, Antoine Sibierski
Subs: Mike Pollitt, Emmerson Boyce, Salomon Olembe, Josip Skoko, Julius Aghahowa

NUFC: Shay Given, Habib Beye, Charles N'Zogbia, Steven Taylor, Abdoulaye Faye, Geremi, Emre, Alan Smith (c), Damien Duff, James Milner, Mark Viduka
Subs: Jose Enrique, Claudio Cacapa, Oba Martins, Steve Harper, Nicky Butt

Referee: Mike Dean
Attendance: 20, 304

FACTS AND FIGURES

United @ JJB - Premiership Years

2005/06: 0-1
2005/06: 0-1 (League Cup)
2006/07: 0-1

Wigan;

1. Won one of the last 15 Premier League matches; 5-3, home to Blackburn on 15 December.

2. Not kept a clean sheet in 15 Premier League matches since prevailing 3-0 at home to Sunderland on 18 August; it's the longest such run by any club in this division.

3. Conceded more goals in the last 10 minutes of Premier League matches than any other club (10).

4. Accrued only 13 points after the first 18 matches; their tallies in the two previous seasons at this stage were 31 and 22 points respectively.

5. Only top seven clubs, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Chelsea have left the JJB Stadium with maximum points this season.

6. A home clash with Aston Villa is scheduled to follow this match on Saturday, before the visit to Liverpool on 2 January.

Newcastle;

1. Picked up eight points out of 12, since losing away to Blackburn on 1 December.

2. Won seven of 18 Premier League games under Sam Allardyce.

3. Failed to score in one of their last 13 league outings; the 0-3, home defeat by Liverpool on 24 November.

4. The 0-1 win at Fulham in the most recent away game, was their first triumph in seven on their travels, since the opening day triumph at Bolton.

5. Scored one goal in each of the last five on the road.

6. Not kept a clean sheet on their league travels for over 13 months, failing to keep the opposition at bay in 21 games since a goalless draw at Manchester City on 11 November 2006.

7. A Visit to Chelsea follows this on Saturday, before the home clash against Manchester City on 2 January.

REF WATCH

Mike Dean - Took charge of the 1-1 draw with Arsenal earlier in the month and the 2-2 draw at Boro back in August.

TICKETS NEWS

This fixture is sold out.

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