By Stuart Kidson
March 25 2004

APOLOGIES AGAIN FOR THE VERY LATE POSTING. THIS IS DUE TO A TROJAN VIRUS INFECTING MY PC AND PREVENTING ITS USE. BE CAREFUL OF ANY .EXE FILES NAMES RASAUTO OR HISTORYKILLER, THESE ARE FOR POP UP AD SOFTWARE AND ONCE YOU DELETE IT APPEARS AGAIN THANKS TO SELF CREATING CAPABILITIES. West Bromwich Albion (2) v Wigan Athletic (1)
The Hawthorns, Tuesday 16th March 2004
Nationwide League Division One

Another late strike by Danish international Thomas Gaardsoe kept Gary Megson's Albion side neck and neck with Norwich City as the race for the Championship entered its final stages. Gaardsoe is no stranger to last minute goals this season, before Tuesday nights he had done a similar thing against Derby County on Boxing Day and then again against Sheffield United 4 weeks ago.

This game in particular was important to both clubs for several reasons. It would keep Wigan in touch with the top two, it was a battle of two managers who are great friends off the pitch and it had the added attraction of two former players for each club wanting to beat their old employers. Jason Roberts, now at Wigan, wanted revenge on Megson for making comments about the fact that the striker had mispelt his name on his transfer request and Geoff Horsfield wanted to pay back his late winner for the Latics against his current employers earlier in the season.

The game saw several changes to the starting line up that had beaten Crewe the Saturday previously in front of Sky TV cameras. Neil Clement and Lee Hughes were both recalled to the starting line up with Rob Hulse and Mark Kinsella taking their place on the bench. The Baggies started the game in Megson's favored 3-5-2 formation but early pressure by the Latics saw Megson change to the 4-4-2 system.

The Lancashire side applied early pressure on the Baggies and were awarded with three early corners. Russell Hoult had to be on the ball each time but the visitors came closest to opening the scoring on the second of the three when blustery conditions almost helped the ball cross the line. Hoult was on hand to prevent the visitors taking the leads though with his parry.

Albion's change in formation had helped them to stem some of the early pressure and slowly the home side began to see more of the ball and the contest evened out a little as Wigan were denied a free reign in midfield. Hughes tried his luck from 30 yards with a well struck shot, but John Filan was more than aware of the path of the ball and held with ease.

There was little to differentiate between the sides, but Wigan boss Paul Jewell had certainly done his homework on the Baggies and given instructions to his players to give no quarter in the tackles.

Nathan Ellington almost notched another against The Baggies when he beat Darren Moore to a cross from Liddell but his effort was always rising and sailed over the crossbar. Horsfield then struck a blow for the Albion when he got in behind the Latics defence and sent a poor ball across the face of goal for Hughes. Had the delivery been better there was no doubt that Hughes would have tapped in from such close range but the ginger haired was unable to make contact.

Sean Gregan had been on the end of several spirited tackles by the Wigan side from the kick off but one particular challenge from Lee McCulloch meant the former Preston midfielder required lengthy treatment from Baggies Physio Nick Worth before being able to continue.

Albion's first real effort on goal came when Koumas sent Hughes clear 8 minutes before the break. Hughes was one on one with the keeper, who was rushing from his line. Rather than simply going round the onrushing Filan, Hughes tried to lob the ball from the edge of the box and his effort went wide of the upright.

Gaardsoe had to be quick to deny Wigan two chances to go into the break ahead when he first miskicked a clearance straight to Neil Roberts inside the Baggies area. The Dane threw himself in the path of the ball twice as the Wigan player shot at goal from the initial mistake and then the rebound. At the other end Clement managed to find himself with space to meet Koumas's cross, but the former Chelsea wing back could only direct his powerful header straight at Filan.

Half time saw Horsfield replaced by Delroy Facey and the Bolton loanee was unlucky not to break his Hawthorns duck on two separate occasions, but it was Ellington that was causing real problems at the other end. Timely challenges by both Haas and Moore stopped the former Bristol Rovers hit man from really testing Hoult.

Koumas produced another of those mazy runs which set Albion pulses racing but his shot was straight at Filan as yet another attack faltered. At the other end McCulloch sent a 30 yard volley towards goal but the ball did not drop in time and went over the crossbar.

Megson replaced Koumas with Mark Kinsella in the 69th minute and within minutes the game burst into life with two penalties, 4 minutes between each. First Wigan was awarded a spot kick after Haas handled the ball inside the box. Liddell calmly slotted the ball past Hoult to give the leaders the lead. Albion have been making a habit of coming from behind in recent weeks and this game was no exception.

Robinson fed a long ball over the top which Hughes raced onto. Filan came racing off his line and clipped the strikers ankles with his hand has Hughes went round him. Referee Mr. H. Webb wasted no time in showing Filan the red card and pointing to the spot. Former Bradford keeper Gary Walsh made his way onto the pitch at the expense of Roberts, but his first touch of the ball was collecting it from the back of the net after Hughes had blasted it straight down the middle.

With a one man advantage Albion now looked to have control of the game for the first time and Gaardsoe almost made the numerical superiority count when he shot from distance but his effort went wide.

As the game entered the dying minutes many Albion fans would have settled for the draw against Wigan, but Gaardsoe had other ideas. Lloyd Dyer picked up the ball from Kinsella and sent a deep cross into the box. Hughes headed the ball back across the goal where Gaardsoe was on hand to shoot towards the bottom right hand corner of the net to send the home fans wild. Albion had come from behind again to secure the win.

Wigan were unlucky not to get something for their hard work and for long periods of the game they were the more dominant side as they learnt from Eric Black's comments a week or so before about Albion being physically stronger. Jewell made sure his side were not going to be out muscled in any area and it almost paid off.

The baggiesworld.co.uk Man of the Match went to Lee Hughes

Teams
Baggies Hoult, Moore, Gaardsoe, Clement, Haas, Johnson, Gregan, Koumas, Robinson, Hughes, Horsfield
Subs Murphy, Hulse, Dyer, Kinsella, Facey

Latics Filan, Eaden, De Vos, Brecklin, Baines, Liddell, Bullard, Jarrett, McCulloch,
N. Roberts, Ellington
Subs Walsh, Mitchell, Jackson, Farrelly, Flynn