
90:00 + 4 FINAL WHISTLE. EVERTON 2 - 1 WIGAN ATHLETIC
90:00 + 3 Jo came close to capping a solid performance with a last chance through on goal. His shot sails inches over the bar, but the home fans show little interest as the referee blows the final whistle immediately afterwards.
90:00 + 2 PENALTY! Jo is brought down as he storms into the box by Boyce. Leighton Baines steps up to the spot, and fires home a much needed winner for the home side with a powerful spot-kick into the roof of the net.
88:00 Substitution. New signing Diniyar Bilyaletdinov makes his debut, replacing Steven Pienaar.
84:00 Booking. Paul Scharner's foul on Jo earns him a place in the referees notebook. Everton's free kick is subsequently wasted.
83:00 Free kick. Wigan win a central free kick 30-yards from the Everton goal. Jordi Gomez stands poised to strike, and finds a gap through the Everton wall. Tim Howard dives low to his left to gather the ball.
81:00 Substitution. Roberto Martinez brings off Hugo Rodallega in place of Scott Sinclair.
80:30 Everton pile on the late pressure and win a corner through good work from Fellaini and Tim Cahill. Corner finds the head of Jo at the far post, who can only steer the ball over the bar.
78:30 Great chance! Through ball from Fellaini hands substitute Jo a great chance to claim a winner, forcing a good save from Pollitt. Rodwell follows up, and overhits his shot which sails into the Park End stand.
78:00 Substitution. David Moyes replaces goalscorer Louis Saha with Jo, like for like chance in the centre of the attack.
76:00 Great Chance! Fabulous Tony Hibbert cross finds the head of Tim Cahill in acres of space on the Wigan penalty spot. Mis-directed header doesn't trouble Wigan's goalkeeper, a poor effort by Cahill's usual standards.
75:00 Booking. Charles N'Zogbia booked for Wigan for a mistimed challenge.
74:00 Free kick. Everton free kick taken by Baines from the wide right-wing, deep in the Wigan half. Crossed into the box and cleared.
73:00 Wigan Substitution, number 6 Hendry Thomas replaced by number 5 Won Hee Cho.
72:00 Jack Rodwell drags his shot wide from 20-yards, missing the Wigan net by around 3 feet. Good effort nonetheless from the youngster, as Everton pile on the pressure.
70:00 Substitution. Everton replace Leon Osman with Marouanne Fellaini. David Moyes appears to be switching to 4-4-2 in search of a winner, as Fellaini takes his place in front of the midfield.
65:30 Free Kick. Wigan free kick 30 yards out from the centre of Tim Howard's goal. Tame effort from Charles N'Zogbia fails to beat the one man wall of Tim Cahill.
63:00 GOAL! Louis Saha heads home from a Leighton Baines corner to bring the hosts level. A well directed header straight into the ground leaves a stranded Pollitt with no chance to rebalance the scoreline.
61:00 CHANCE! Wigan come inches from doubling their lead, when Jordi Gomez connects well with a Melchiot cross to rattle Tim Howard's woodwork. Let-off for Everton, who are starting to look unconvincing at the back.
60:00 As the hour-mark passes Wigan look to have found some new energy from taking the lead. Rain begins to fall on Goodison Park, and Wigan look very strong in attack.
57:00 GOAL! Wigan take the lead through Paul Scharner, who finds himself completely unmarked at the back post from a Charles N'Zogbia cross. Tony Hibbert looks bemused at the error, which is totally against the run of play, but David Moyes is left with decisions to make.
55:00 Chance! Lous Saha finds himself a yard in front of Maynos Figueroa as the ball is cleared from the Everton defence. The wigan left-back manages to put the Frenchman under enough pressure, and his outstretched leg can only steer the ball 2 yards wide of the Wigan post.
53:00 Waste! Wigan's Maynos Figueroa tries speculatively from the half way line and hands posession back to Tim Howard, who takes the goal kick long upfield.
51:00 Chance! Leighton Baines' cross causes problems for the Wigan goalkeeper, who flaps at it unconvincingly, leaving Boyce to clear.
49:00 Free kick. Everton win a free kick on the right wing deep in the Wigan half, which iis delayed while Hugo Rodallega slowly retreats a full ten yards. Dangerous Leon Osman free kick shows Everton's intent, which Wigan dubiously clear.
46:00 Bright start from the home side, Tim Cahill neatly controlling a Tony Hibbert cross to lay off Louis Saha and cause Wigan an early scare.
45:01 Everton begin the second half, this time attacking the Park end.
45:00 HALF TIME
45:00 The fourth official indicates a minimum of two minutes stoppage time, which are dominated by Everton posession in the midfield. One final chance as Louis Saha receives the ball on the edge of the Wigan penalty area, but his shot is relatively weak and is closed down.
41:00 Baines free kick is weak and floated gently into the arms of the Wigan Keeper.
39:00 Great chance! A low Louis Saha cross puts the Wigan goal under more pressure. The ball is cleared, but only as far as Jack Rodwell who is fouled just inches from the edge of the penalty area. Pienaar and Baines stand over the free kick, which has to be re-taken after Hendry Thomas closes down the shot within less than 5 yards.
35:00 Substitution. Wigan replace Mohamed Diame with Jason Scotland.
33:00 Booking. A fierce challenge on Steven Pienaar by Wigan's captain Mario Melchiot leaves the South African on the floor requiring treatment. Two-fee wrapped around the Everton wingers legs, and the Wigan captain can hardly protest. Free kick taken by Leighton Baines, floating nicely into the box but cleared by the Wigan defence.
30:00 Great Chance! The half-hour mark passes and it's really all Everton so far. A great move, again down the left-hand side allows Tim Cahill to drive a powerful low cross across the box. A scramble in front of Pollitt's goal sees the ball ricochet off Louis Saha's outstretched boot, though he knew little about it, and rise quickly over the Wigan bar. That's the best chance so far, and you have to feel a break in the deadlock can't be far away.
25:30 Chance! A neat move down the left hand side leaves Pienaar in acres of space. His drive is a little weak and directed to close to Micahel Pollitt in the Wigan goal, but its a warning shot to the visitors, who need to address their weakness down the left hand side. Pienaar and Baines are causing them plenty of problems.
24:00 Free Kick. Another Everton free kick out to the left hand-side. Everton's left wing appears to be proving a handful for the Wigan defence. Leighton Baines' free kick appears to strike an arm in the Wigan wall, but the referee affords little time to the appeals and open play resumes.
19:00 Free kick. Emmerson Boyce brings down Phil Neville with a wreckless challenge five yards outside the Wigan box, to earn himself a yellow card. Pienaar takes the set-piece, which is ineffective and easily cleared.
18:00 Sylvain Distin shows great skill on the ball to gain 30 yards, before offloading the ball nicely to Phil Neville. Good signs for the home fans, who will be eager to forget about the loss of Joleon Lescott as quickly as possible.
15:00 Great Chance! Baines' corner finds Jack Rodwell in acres of space inside the Wigan box. His powerful half-volley is well parried by Michael Pollitt, for another Everton corner. Baines takes the corner, this time an outswinger, which is cleared harmlessly.
13:00 Free Kick. It's a heated encounter, and away side's sketchy defence hands Everton another cheap free kick in a dangerous position five yards outside the Wigan box. Pienaar's cross is weak and cleared quickly, but only as far as Leon Osman, who is able to win an Everton corner.
10:00 Corner. Wigan win a corner which is cleared by Tony Hibbert for a second. This time pushing in the box hands Everton a free kick, which is taken long upfield by Tim Howard.
7:00 Free Kick. Everton awarded a free kick 25 yards out after a mistimed challenge from Emmerson Boyce. Referee Probert insists the wall are a full ten yards and the ball is re-set twice before Steven Pienaar eventually lofts a ball over the Wigan defence. A glancing header from theWigan full-back hands the home side a corner.
5:00 First touch for Sylvain Distin who looks settled on the ball, clearing up a loose Wigan pass to set-up the next Everton attack.
2:30 Free kick not given. Steven Pienaar brought down 3 yards outside the edge of the box by Hendry Thomas. Convincing appeal from the Everton fans, but the referee waves play on.
0:00 Kick Off. Wigan take the kick off attacking the Park End in the first half, with Everton facing the famous Gwladys Street. Everton are set out in a 4-5-1 formation as expected, Roberto Martinez appears to have favoured a 4-4-2.
Everton line-up as expected for this afternoon's clash with Wigan Athletic, with a debut appearance for new signing Sylvain Distin, as the Blues seek out their first points of the season.
David Moyes opts for the 4-5-1 formation which proved so successful for The Toffee's last season, with Louis Saha leading the attack. Marouane Fallaini and Jo provide attacking options for the home side from the bench.
Full line-ups:
Everton: 24 Tim Howard, 2 Tony Hibbert, 3 Leighton Baines, 4 Joseph Yobo, 8 Louis Saha, 15 Sylvain Distin, 17 Tim Cahill, 18 Phil Neville (c), 20 Steven Pienaar, 21 Leon Osman, 26 Jack Rodwell.
Subsitutes: 1 Carlo Nash, 7 Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, 11 Jo, 19 Dan Gosling, 25 Marouane Fallaini, 34 Shane Duffy, 35 Keiran Agard.
Wigan Athletic: 12 Michael Pollitt, 6 Hendry Thomas, 7 Paul Scharner, 14 Charles N'Zogbia, 15 Jordi Gomez, 17 Emmerson Boyce, 19 Titus Bramble, 20 Hugo Rodallega, 25 Mario Melchiot (c), 27 Mohamed Diame, 31 Maynos Figueroa.
Substitutes: 3 Erik Edman, 5 Won Hee Cho, 9 Jason Scotland, 10 Jason Joumas, 16 Scott Sinclair, 22 Richard Kingson, 30 Marlon King.
Referee Mr L Probert.
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