Nathan Ellington rescued a deserved point for 10-man Wigan who had Jason
Roberts sent off midway through the second half.
A draw was no more than Paul Jewell's promotion-chasers deserved after
refusing to throw in the towel after Roberts saw red for his lunge at John
Halls, with Ellington firing his 15th goal of the season in the 84th minute.
Ade Akinbiyi had stunned the visitors on the stroke of half-time when he swept
home John Eustace's cross from the edge of the penalty area completely against
the run of play.
Wigan dominated from the start. Gary Teale sent a first-minute volley from the
edge of the penalty area flashing wide and watched his carbon-copy effort from
Alan Mahon's cross whistle past the opposite post four minutes later.
Mahon fired a left-footer over the crossbar soon after, but Gifton
Noel-Williams responded for the home side, forcing Wigan keeper John Filan into
a smart save from Halls' cross.
Stoke keeper Neil Cutler did well to hold Jimmy Bullard's stinging 35-yard
free-kick and parried Roberts' goalbound shot from the edge of the area as Wigan
chased the breakthrough.
Eustace ensured Filan stayed on his toes when he fired on target from 20 yards
and Bullard let fly left-footed again at the other end, but was not quite as
accurate.
Bullard soon found his range though and this time a right-footer had Cutler
scampering across his line to turn the ball away.
Darel Russell was booked for his challenge on the jet-heeled Teale, who then
limped off following another foul by Clive Clarke with Andy Liddell sent onto
replace him.
Mahon fired wide again from distance as half-time approached, but it was Stoke
who made the breakthrough when Akinbiyi struck right on the whistle.
Wigan went straight on the offensive after the restart. Bullard, Nicky Eaden,
Liddell and Mahon fired over a succession of crosses, while Roberts missed
another gilt-edged chance when he dragged his shot wide from six yards.
Akinbiyi, brimming with confidence, tested Filan with a long-range strike,
before Cutler denied Ellington at the other end, while Roberts spurned another
chance moments later when he blasted over the crossbar.
Paul Williams did well to block another rocket from Mahon, who then saw his
25-yard free-kick fumbled by Cutler.
But Wigan could not find a way back into the game and their task became harder
when Roberts let his frustration get the better of him.
Wigan's recent record signing scythed down Halls in the 76th minute and was
shown a straight red card.
But still the visitors pressed. Liddell and Bullard delivered useful balls
into the box and Ellington headed Mahon's cross wide.
Ellington then made amends, grabbing the equaliser Wigan deserved with six
minutes left.
Lee McCulloch - moments after replacing Jason Jarrett - forced Cutler into a
brilliant fingertip save and the Stoke keeper brilliantly denied Ian Breckin's
header from the resulting corner, but when Bullard fired the ball back over to
the far post Ellington was on hand to smash home from close range.
Teams:
Stoke: Cutler, Thomas, Williams, Clarke (Hill 83), Halls,
Russell, Eustace, Hoekstra (Commons 65),
Noel-Williams (Svard 61), Asaba, Akinbiyi.
Subs Not Used: Foster, Iwelumo.
Booked: Williams, Russell.
Goals: Akinbiyi 45.
Wigan: Filan, Eaden, De Vos, Breckin, McMillan,
Teale (Liddell 43), Jarrett (McCulloch 81), Bullard, Mahon,
Ellington, Jason Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Mitchell, Jackson, Walsh.
Sent Off: Jason Roberts (76).
Booked: Bullard.
Goals: Ellington 84.
Att: 14,927
Ref: P Prosser (Gloucestershire).
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