Report by John Patrick Heeley

Paul Jewell's men notched up their 11th straight league win and stretched their unbeaten run to 21 games with goals from skipper Jason De Vos and Andy Liddell ensuring all 3 points came Wigan's way yet again. Joe Keith pulled one back for Colchester in stoppage time from a hotly disputed penalty.

Captain marvel Jason De Vos headed home his 7th goal of the season to set Wigan on their way to an 11th consecutive league win as they paid Steve Whitton's Colchester United back for the defeat inflicted up them way back at the end of August.

Andy Liddell added a second from the spot midway through the second half after De Vos had been adjudged to have been manhandled in the Colchester area by defender Alan White and Latics were well on their way to a seemingly simple victory.

However the main talking point of the game arrived in time added on by West Midlands official Andy Penn, in his first season as a Football League referee, as the visitors were awarded a highly dubious looking penalty, which the lively Joey Keith duely converted to set up a tense final few minutes.

Paul Jewell had named the same squad that had collected all three points at Ashton Gate 8 days previously with Nathan Ellington continuing alongside Andy Liddell in attack after previous concerns about the former Bristol Rovers striker's shoulder.

Wigan dominated the early exchanges with Colchester hardly putting a foot in the Latics half of the field. Despite Wigan's possession however they were limited to half chances for the majority of the opening 30 minutes or so with their opponents defending in numbers.

Nathan Ellington saw his effort easily collected by U's keeper Simon Brown when he got on the end of a Gary Teale cross to the near post in the opening few minutes.

Colchester did however threaten Filan's goal when Karl Duguid found Scott McLeish in the area but the Colchester striker's header lacked power and gave the Wigan keeper no problem as he held onto it comfortably.

Gary Teale caused problems in the 26th minute when he looped a ball from the right over Brown and was threatening to go in by the far post but fortunately for Colchester it stayed out and Wigan had nobody around to send it home.

Moments later at the other end McGleish again tested Filan when he was put through by Mark Warren but he found the Aussie keeper upto the task as he read the shot well and got down to save.

Wigan broke the deadlock as the game approached the break and it was that man again JASON DE VOS who got the goal with one of his trademark headers from a set piece. Gary Teale sent over a corner which the big Canadian burst in to power home leaving Brown stranded on his line.

Ellington went close to increasing Wigan's lead during injury time after he'd picked up the ball from a poor clearance but his shot from 15 yards out sailed narrowily wide.

Wigan piled on the pressure in the second half and could have been 2 or 3 goals to the better but for the Colchester defence and some fine goalkeeping.

The Duke was unfortunate within 10 minutes of the restart when his powerful header from a Liddell cross was tipped on to the far post by Brown and out for a corner. Liddell himself then went close from the corner kick when his header flashed across goal going just beyond the far post.

De Vos saw was unlucky not to double his tally for the afternoon when he got his head on the end of another corner but striker Adrian Coote was on hand to nod over the bar at the back post.

Wigan increased their lead with just over 15 minutes of normal time remaining when the referee spotted an infringement in the Colchester area and immediately pointed to the penalty spot.

Lee McCulloch earned a free kick 30 yards out after he was fouled by Karl Duguid. Gary Teale then sent the ball into the middle of a crowded box and Alan White was pulled up for holding back De Vos leading to the referee's decision.

ANDY LIDDELL raced to claim the ball before placing it on the white mark and firing into the roof of the net for his 11th league goal of the campaign.

Wigan were coasting home and had opportunities to increase their lead further as the visitors pushed men forward in a bid to claw their way back into the game.

Tony Dinning saw another one of his efforts go astray after he collected an Andy Liddell ball in the 83rd minute.

The controversial moment arrived as the clock ticked towards stoppage time when Scott McLeish sent substitute Simon Atangana clear on goal who raced forward going one on one with Filan. The Cameroon forward, making only his 4th appearance in a Colchester shirt, pushed the ball wide as he appeared to be trying to round Filan but as the Wigan keeper dove to retrieve the ball Atangana dramatically went to ground.

The referee hadn't blown and in fact it was his assistant running the line in front of the 100 or so travelling Colchester fans that waved his flag to attract the referee's attention.

Penn pointed to the spot and Jason De Vos was booked as he vented his anger towards the assistant referee. Paul Jewell had Dave Beasant stripping by the bench as he believed, like many others inside the ground, that Filan was going to be given his marching orders, which technically he should have, but thankfully all that the referee produced was a yellow.

The Wigan keeper chose well as he dove to his left for the penalty kick but the shot by JOEY KEITH squeezed in by the post for only the second goal that Filan has conceded in 11 games.

Paul Jewell raced onto the pitch at the final whistle to drag his keeper off the field before he said something to one of the officials he may regret but had a few choice words himself before he reached the tunnel.