Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic played some of the best football see at the JJB Stadium for a long while but were rocked by a late, late equalising goal from Notts County following their first real assualt on Wigan's goal.

Latics took the lead with a 69th minute Carl Bradshaw penalty and dominated the game throughout.

It took 442 minutes of play but Wigan Athletic finally did it and scored a goal. Albeit not from open play but the manner in which the team conducted themselves throughout the game showed the watching fans just how they all knew they could perform.

The 69th minute penalty superbly struck by Carl Bradshaw had looked to have given Wigan a much needed victory but it wasn't to be as a slight lapse in concentration moments after the fourth official had signalled 2 minutes of stoppage time allowed the visitors to pounce and grab an undeserved point.

Colin Greenall again gave starts to the recent recruits from Motherwell and Simon Haworth was resigned to start from the bench, which is more than he was given on Saturday. Still no signs of Roberto Martinez and Kevin Sharp on the team sheet but McGibbon returned to join Haworth on the touchline.

Greenall reverted to a more conventional 4-4-2 formation with new boy Lee McCulloch partnering Neil Roberts in the striking line. Lee Ashcroft (left) and Andy Liddell (right) played alongside Ged Brannan and Darren Sheridan in midfield. Roy Carroll's goal was guarded by Arjan de Zeeuw, Stuart Balmer, Carl Bradshaw and Steve McMillan.

For the vast majority of the game Wigan pressed forward leaving a lonely Wigan keeper Roy Carroll hardly anything to do. However, despite the number of surges forward and the goalscoring opportunities, Latics could not find that elusive goal as shots went high, wide or simply didn't give Darren Ward in the County goal too much problem to deal with.

McCulloch went close to opening his account for Wigan when he got his head to a Darren Sheridan corner kick, one of many in the early exchanges, with barely 10 minutes on the clock.

In the 10th minute Ward couldn't quite handle a McMillan strike from outside of the area which took a slight deflection and only managed to put behind for a corner after he had got down well to his left to save.

Liddell had a shot well saved by Ward a minute later after de Zeeuw had set him up.

Arjan de Zeeuw then did something unusual and almost scored with his feet. A scissor kick from 6 yards out went wide of Ward's right hand post.

The game was all Wigan with Notts County offering nothing at all in the way of a contest and only managed a corner kick with 5 minutes of the first half remaining.

In the final few minutes of the half Brannan saw an header cleared of the line and Neil Roberts went agonisingly close with a header after he dove to meet an Andy Liddell cross, sending it a whisker wide of the post.

Notts County did waken up a little bit after the break and went close with a couple of chances but it was Wigan who broke the deadlock half way into half.

A Liddell cross found Neil Roberts inside the area and as the Welshman rose to meet it he was met with what seemed like an innoccuous challenge from defender Richard Liburd.

West Midlands referee Andy Hall pointed straight to the spot and was immediately surrouded by bemused County players.

CARL BRADSHAW stepped up to take the penaly and score only his second goal of the season.

Wigan still pressed forward for a second but just as many a match previous it didn't come despite a concerted effort from the home side.

Notts County never looked like troubling Wigan who looked good for their first home victory since the visit of Oldham on January 20th.

However, just as fourth official Mr. McGee had raised his card to indicate two minutes of stoppage time was to be added the visitors were awarded a free kick against Carl Bradshaw for his challenge on Liburd down on the left wing level with Wigan's penalty area.

Gary Owers whipped in the resulting kick into the middle of the box and leading goalscorer Mark Stallard flicked it over Carroll to the far post to an unmarked NICK FENTON who nodded the ball into an empty net.

Rough justice you may call it and mirrored exactly what happened a little over a month ago against Walsall, but the performance alone surely raised a few eyebrows and gave hope for the next few weeks as the season nears it's conclusion.