Wigan beaten to the Punch
The ultimate game of two halves saw a similar duality in the display of the match officials, proverbial heroes for a bold decision to overrule a second-half penalty awarded to Sheffield United, then guilty of missing a blatant punch to the face of Chris Morgan, the United defender, by Lee McCulloch.
If Wigan Athletic had shown that sort of aggression and power in the preceding 90 minutes, they might have avoided a third consecutive home defeat and a stretch of 373 minutes without a goal at the JJB Stadium. As it was, a goal by Rob Hulse, the former Leeds United striker, was enough to lift the visiting team towards mid-table respectability.
The Independent
Jewell may not be so Kind next Time
Jewell finds himself fighting public apathy, reflected in tumbling attendances at the JJB, so it was with feeling that he reminded everyone that Wigan's standing in the table is not exactly precarious. "People are talking about the demise of Wigan Athletic but we've got two more points than Sheffield United," he said.
"I know where Paul is coming from when he says he is disappointed with the attendances," Warnock said, reflecting on comments Jewell made after only 15,000 turned out for the visit of Arsenal last week, 2,500 of whom were in the visitors' section. "We play Arsenal on 30 December and I'd be surprised if we don't get 33,000.
The Sun
Wigan 0 Sheffield United 1
Chris Morgan was flattened by a vicious haymaker from Lee McCulloch. But did he whinge? Did he whine? Not a bit of it.
Morgan, sporting a black eye that Mike Tyson would have been proud to have given him, insisted there were no hard feelings as far as he was concerned. McCulloch lashed out after they had been involved in the sort of grappling that seems to precede every corner these days.
The punch was missed by ref Peter Walton so McCulloch escaped disciplinary action — and Morgan is happy for it to stay that way.
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