By Alan G
March 26 2006

Wigan Athletic slumped to another 2006 home defeat after West Ham came from behind to snatch a dramatic, last-gasp winner.

Latics started brightly with Gary Teale driving a long range effort into the arms of Shaka Hislop, but then the match started to deteriorate and displayed little sparkle until just before half time, when Lee McCulloch smashed in a spectacular long range effort past the despairing dive of Hislop.

Before then, Jason Roberts had a half chance with a swivelling shot that flew over the bar while at the other end Dean Ashton played in Reo-Coker who saw his goalbound shot blocked by Leighton Baines.

An eye injury to John Filan, sustained in a collision with Marlon Harewood meant Mike Pollitt started the second half between the sticks, and he was soon picking the ball from the back of the net after a long ball from Hislop forced Paul Scharner into a poor header back to Pollitt, who hesitated, allowing Harewood to nip in, take the ball around the ‘keeper and slot home.

 

Immediately before this, Henri Camara almost made it 2-0, but shot straight at Hislop.

Scharner almost redeemed himself after his dreadful error when his powerful header from a corner was cleared off the line by Scaloni.

McCullough almost bagged again with a stinging volley that Hislop did well to repel and Camara almost won it in a goalmouth scramble, but his effort was hacked to safety with five minutes remaining.

As both teams went in search for the winner, the game opened up, and substitute David Thompson had a fine chance to win it at the death, but his header from close range just drifted wide of the post.

And two minutes into stoppage time, some dreadful Latics defending saw substitute Sheringham square for West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker to tap in and steal all three points

Paul Jewell:

"We've not been great at home since the turn of the year, it's something that needs to be addressed for next season because it's going to be a lot tougher than this one - if that's possible.

"We are eighth in the table and have done brilliantly, but our goal difference this season is minus two. That means we are either conceding too many goals, or not scoring enough, or maybe a bit of both."

Jewell has hinted drafting in a proven goalscorer for next season could be a priority during the close-season.

The Latics defeat to West Ham left Jewell's eighth-placed side with a goal difference of minus two.

"Other than the four we scored against Manchester City and the three against Charlton, we have found it a struggle to score goals at home," Jewell conceded.

"But we knew it would be difficult coming into this league because the hardest thing in football is putting the ball in the back of the net."

"But we are actively trying to improve the squad for next season, although I will only bring players in that will improve the squad. I don't want to play the numbers game."

Latics: Filan (Pollitt 45), Chimbonda, De Zeeuw, Scharner, Baines, Teale (Thompson 70), Bullard, Kavanagh (Ziegler 75), McCulloch, Roberts, Camara.
Subs Not Used: Jackson, Johansson.

Booked: Kavanagh, McCulloch, Thompson.

Goals: McCulloch 45.

West Ham: Hislop, Scaloni, Collins, Gabbidon, Konchesky, Benayoun (Newton 90), Reo-Coker, Mullins, Etherington (Zamora 71), Harewood, Ashton (Sheringham 81).
Subs Not Used: Walker, Clarke.

Goals: Harewood 52, Reo-Coker 90.

Att: 18,736

Ref: D Gallagher (Banbury).