LIVE MATCH CENTRE
26 December, 2012
| Everton |
FT
21
|
Wigan Athletic |
Leon Osman 52'
1 - 0
Phil Jagielka 77'
2 - 0
2 - 1
Arouna Koné 82'
HT:
0 - 0
Goodison Park (Attendance: 38,749)
Everton
Tim Howard
24
Philip Neville
18
Phil Jagielka
6
Sylvain Distin
15
Leighton Baines
3
Leon Osman
21
Darron Gibson
4
Thomas Hitzlsperger
16
Steven Pienaar
22
Victor Anichebe
28
Nikica Jelavic
7
Substitutes
John Heitinga
5
Bryan Oviedo
8
Steven Naismith
14
Jan Mucha
1
Apostolos Vellios
27
Magaye Gueye
19
Ross Barkley
20
Wigan Athletic
26
Ali Al Habsi
17
Emmerson Boyce
5
Gary Caldwell
31
Maynor Figueroa
23
Ronnie Stam
16
James McArthur
6
David Jones
10
Shaun Maloney
22
Jean Beausejour
4
James McCarthy
2
Arouna Koné
Substitutes
9
Franco Di Santo
14
Jordi Gómez
12
Mike Pollitt
21
Ramis
19
Mauro Boselli
15
Callum McManaman
25
Román Golobart
Referee: Lee Mason
90'
Game Over
Everton 2-1 Wigan Athletic
90'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic)
90'
Foul
John Heitinga fouled by Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic)
90'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
90'
Offside
Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
90'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
90'
Shot
James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic)
90'
Foul
Franco Di Santo (Wigan Athletic)
90'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
90'
Cross
Franco Di Santo (Wigan Athletic)
90'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
90'
Shot
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
89'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
89'
Foul
Franco Di Santo fouled by Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
89'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
88'
Foul
Steven Naismith fouled by Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
87'
Foul
James McArthur fouled by Leon Osman (Everton)
87'
Throw-In
Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic)
87'
Corner Kick
Bryan Oviedo (Everton)
86'
Shot
Steven Naismith (Everton)
86'
Throw-In
Philip Neville (Everton)
85'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
84'
Shot
Jordi Gómez (Wigan Athletic)
84'
Throw-In
Emmerson Boyce (Wigan Athletic)
83'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
82'
Shot
Bryan Oviedo (Everton)
82'
Goal
Arouna Koné (Wigan Athletic)
82'
Shot on Target
Arouna Koné (Wigan Athletic)
82'
Shot
Franco Di Santo (Wigan Athletic)
81'
Cross
James McArthur (Wigan Athletic)
80'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
80'
Shot
Bryan Oviedo (Everton)
80'
Cross
Leighton Baines (Everton)
80'
Free Kick
Leighton Baines (Everton)
80'
Substitution
Jordi Gómez on for Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
79'
Foul
Nikica Jelavic fouled by Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic)
79'
Throw-In
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
77'
Goal
Phil Jagielka (Everton), Assist by Philip Neville
77'
Shot on Target
Phil Jagielka (Everton)
77'
Cross
Philip Neville (Everton)
77'
Corner Kick
Bryan Oviedo (Everton)
77'
Cross
Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
77'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
76'
Shot
Franco Di Santo (Wigan Athletic)
76'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
76'
Throw-In
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
76'
Cross
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
75'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
75'
Throw-In
Leighton Baines (Everton)
74'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
74'
Throw-In
Leighton Baines (Everton)
74'
Cross
Bryan Oviedo (Everton)
72'
Offside
Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
72'
Substitution
Franco Di Santo on for David Jones (Wigan Athletic)
72'
Foul
Leon Osman fouled by Arouna Koné (Wigan Athletic)
72'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
71'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
71'
Shot
Leighton Baines (Everton)
71'
Cross
Philip Neville (Everton)
71'
Throw-In
Philip Neville (Everton)
70'
Substitution
Bryan Oviedo on for Victor Anichebe (Everton)
70'
Substitution
John Heitinga on for Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
70'
Foul
Phil Jagielka fouled by Arouna Koné (Wigan Athletic)
70'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
69'
Cross
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
69'
Throw-In
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
68'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
68'
Throw-In
Leighton Baines (Everton)
67'
Cross
James McArthur (Wigan Athletic)
66'
Shot
Arouna Koné (Wigan Athletic)
66'
Cross
Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic)
65'
Cross
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
64'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
62'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
62'
Cross
Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic)
62'
Corner Kick
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
60'
Offside
Arouna Koné (Wigan Athletic)
60'
Shot
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
59'
Foul
Leon Osman fouled by Arouna Koné (Wigan Athletic)
59'
Throw-In
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
59'
Cross
Leighton Baines (Everton)
59'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
58'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
57'
Cross
James McArthur (Wigan Athletic)
56'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
56'
Cross
Leon Osman (Everton)
55'
Throw-In
Leighton Baines (Everton)
52'
Goal
Leon Osman (Everton), Assist by Victor Anichebe
52'
Shot on Target
Leon Osman (Everton)
51'
Throw-In
Leighton Baines (Everton)
51'
Cross
Philip Neville (Everton)
50'
Cross
Steven Naismith (Everton)
49'
Shot on Target
Leon Osman (Everton)
49'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
48'
Shot
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
46'
Throw-In
Leighton Baines (Everton)
46'
Start Half
46'
Substitution
Steven Naismith on for Darron Gibson (Everton)
45'
Half Over
Everton 0-0 Wigan Athletic
45'
Throw-In
Philip Neville (Everton)
45'
Foul
Gary Caldwell fouled by Victor Anichebe (Everton)
45'
Throw-In
Leighton Baines (Everton)
44'
Cross
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
44'
Cross
Philip Neville (Everton)
44'
Shot
Darron Gibson (Everton)
44'
Free Kick
Darron Gibson (Everton)
43'
Foul
Steven Pienaar fouled by Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic)
42'
Foul
Leon Osman fouled by Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
41'
Throw-In
Philip Neville (Everton)
41'
Corner Kick
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
41'
Cross
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
41'
Corner Kick
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
40'
Corner Kick
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
40'
Corner Kick
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
39'
Corner Kick
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
39'
Shot
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
39'
Cross
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
38'
Foul
Leighton Baines fouled by Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
38'
Cross
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
37'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
36'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
35'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
35'
Cross
Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic)
34'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
33'
Shot
Phil Jagielka (Everton)
32'
Corner Kick
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
32'
Shot
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
31'
Throw-In
Philip Neville (Everton)
31'
Shot on Target
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
30'
Foul
Steven Pienaar fouled by James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic)
30'
Cross
Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
30'
Throw-In
Philip Neville (Everton)
28'
Cross
Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic)
27'
Throw-In
Philip Neville (Everton)
26'
Cross
Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
25'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
24'
Foul
James McCarthy fouled by Victor Anichebe (Everton)
24'
Shot on Target
Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic)
24'
Free Kick
Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic)
22'
Foul
James McCarthy fouled by Darron Gibson (Everton)
22'
Cross
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
20'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
20'
Shot
Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
20'
Cross
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
20'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
19'
Shot
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
19'
Cross
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
19'
Cross
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
19'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
18'
Foul
James McCarthy fouled by Victor Anichebe (Everton)
17'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
16'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
16'
Throw-In
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
15'
Foul
Shaun Maloney fouled by Steven Pienaar (Everton)
15'
Corner Kick
Darron Gibson (Everton)
14'
Corner Kick
Darron Gibson (Everton)
14'
Shot on Target
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
13'
Foul
Darron Gibson fouled by James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic)
12'
Foul
James McArthur fouled by Philip Neville (Everton)
12'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
11'
Corner Kick
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
11'
Cross
Leon Osman (Everton)
9'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
8'
Shot
James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic)
8'
Corner Kick
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
7'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
6'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
6'
Cross
James McArthur (Wigan Athletic)
5'
Foul
David Jones fouled by Steven Pienaar (Everton)
4'
Throw-In
Ronnie Stam (Wigan Athletic)
4'
Cross
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton)
3'
Foul
Gary Caldwell fouled by Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
3'
Cross
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
2'
Goal Kick
Tim Howard (Everton)
2'
Throw-In
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
1'
Throw-In
Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic)
1'
Goal Kick
Ali Al Habsi (Wigan Athletic)
1'
Shot
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
1'
Cross
Philip Neville (Everton)
1'
Start Half

Everton held on to secure a valuable victory against a resolute Wigan side which keeps David Moyes' men well in the hunt in fourth place. A good, honest display from both sides in difficult conditions saw the home side dominate most of the match, though the visitors made the most of their possession, Shaun Maloney in particular threatening to deny the hosts the spoils. Victor Anichebe and Steven Pienaar came close for Everton in the opening half-hour, each having shots deflected away, before a shower of Thomas Hitzlsperger corners on half-time saw Wigan triumph in a succession of goalmouth melees. Leon Osman broke the deadlock on 52 minutes when his 20-yard shot took a wicked deflection off Gary Caldwell and wrong-footed Ali Al Habsi. No more than he and his side deserved, having dominated exchanges after the break, Hitzlsperger most unlucky to see a trademark thunderbolt canon off the upright. Maloney had a good shout for a penalty turned down moments later, when Osman appeared to catch him, and the Scot continued to rally his side, only to see Phil Jagielka put things further from reach. He met a whipped Phil Neville cross at the back post and thumped a well-directed header past Al-Habsi with twelve minutes to play. Everton looked on course to secure their first clean-sheet in fourteen home games, but poor defending two minutes later allowed Arouna Kone to poke home a consolation for the Latics. Cue a frantic finale but no joy for gallant Wigan. They can't continue to hold their own with the top sides and not take their chances, whilst Davis Moyes will be more than satisfied going into a crucial clash with Chelsea on Saturday.
The ball falls to James McCarthy on the right-hand corner of the area but he can't make the most of it and lofts over the bar. That's the final chance and the game ends a little fractiously with Gary Caldwell going into the referee's notebook.
Leon Osman can't find a way through and Wigan come again as we enter four minutes of injury time with the visitors in possession. A cross comes in and Franco Dio Santo is adjudged to have handled it so the home side come away.
What can Wigan do to rescue this? They've arguably been worth a point in light of their battling midfield display but will they once again be the nearly men. Roberto Martinez will know as well as anyone that there's no points for style and it looks like they will yet again be pipped at the post at the hands of a more clinical side.
So Everton STILL can't manage a clean-sheet at home, though Oviedo immediately skews a chance to seal it wide as he ran through. The hosts re-establish some dominance and win a corner which Oviedo forces Wigan to clear from a dangerous area.
As I was saying surely that's it! Cue Kone forcing Jagielka and Distin into some hapless defending and the striker pretty much bullied them into the opportunity to stab it home from five yards. He grabs the ball and retreats to the centre circle...
2-1!!! Arouna Kone! There's life in this yet!
A fine header from Jagielka as he rose high over his man and met a whipped Phil Neville cross on the edge of the six-yard box to plant it firmly past Ali Al-Habsi. A clinical Everton move that has surely seen off Wigan with only ten minutes remaining.
Phil Jagielka! 2-0 Everton!
Beausejour looks for Di Santo with a deep cross that he can't reach. From Everton's point of view, Wigan are holding a higher line now and giving them more space. The pace of the game has slowed considerably.
So David Moyes tries to sure up his defenses and add a little pace up-front, whilst Roberto Martinez replaces a midfielder with a striker. That's a reflection of the flow of the game, and the visitors will know they will have the opportunity to level this up, and Di Santo could be the man to take that chance.
It's Brian Oviedo and Jonny Heitinga for Anichebe and Distin for Everton, and then Franco Di Santo enters the fray for Wigan and David Jones exits.
McCarthy seeks out Kone in the middle and Phil Jagielka has to divert the ball dangerously back into the arms of Tim Howard. Then Beausejour flashes it across the face of goal. The Goodison faithfully have gone quiet as they know full-well their team are on the back-foot at the moment.
Nikica Jelavic injures himself in the process of sliding in to win the ball which had run away from Maynor Figueroa. He gets up and Wigan come again with Beausejour and then Maloney surging upfield. A stop-start passage of play has allowed Wigan to regroup and Phil Neville has to dive in crucially to rob Kone at the near post.
Shaun Maloney is almost single-handedly carrying the fight to the home side on the Wigan left. Twice since that appeal he has run at the Everton defence and worried them. The visitors seem to have regained their composure and will take heart from the fact that the Toffees have not kept a clean sheet here for thirteen games. We have an exciting final half hour in prospect.
Wigan's one bright spark, Shaun Maloney, is incensed as Lee Mason waves his penalty appeals away. The Scotsman received it on the left of the penalty area and went to ground as he tried to beat Osman. It was touch-and-go, no doubt about that. It could have gone either way.
Suddenly things are starting to fall for David Moyes side. Jelavic is released and almost finds space for a shot as Wigan scramble desparately clear. Then Osman looks for Jelavic again with a cross from the right that the striker can't connect with. Jelavic has looked a little unsure of himself today when in good positions.
Finally we have a goal and Osman did just as he had moments ago. He cut inside and squared up to the goal, fired off a shot and Gary Caldwell was the unlucky man to deflect it cruelly past Al-Habsi. No chance for the keeper but richly deserved for one of the home side's best performers on the day.
Osman finally!
That Hitzlsperger shot really was a peach. It curled away from the keeper and only just flew off-target. Leon Osman jiked his way through a crowded penalty area moments later but stabbed it weakly at Al-Habsi. The conditions are dominating to a large extent. Ambitious play that would have come to something on another day is slipping from the players grasp at the last moment on the slippy surface.
Shaun Maloney beats a couple of men but pushes it just too far for himself and Tim Howard gathers at his feet. Then Thomas Hitzlsperger belts a 40-yard rocket onto Ali Al-Habsi's right upright. What a strike from the German!!!
Here we go again at Goodison. David Moyes has brought on Gary Naismith for Darron Gibson, no doubt hoping that his attacking instincts can help break down Wigan's stubborn rearguard. The Toffees wear their home blue and white whilst the Latics don their change all-black.
So no goals in a slippery and entertaining encounter on Merseyside. Everton have had the lion's share of possession and the better of the chances, though neither side would argue that they have quite done enough to warrant the lead. An errant Steven Pienaar shot and some valiant but profligate work from Victor Anichebe have yet to engineer any clear-cut openings for an elegant but misfiring toffees eleven, for whom Thomas Hitzlsperger started. Indeed the German showed his renowned dead-ball skills late in the half with five pinpoint corner balls. The Latics summed up their first-half performances by holding firm and breaking well. You'd expect the hosts to find a way through in the second half but there's no guarantees. Join us shortly...
That's it, we're goalless at the break.
A free-kick 35 yards out is wasted by Gibson as the wall does it's job and Wigan finish the half the stronger after a frenetic period of home pressure.
Five Everton corners in succession allow Thomas Hitzlsperger the chance to cause all manner of pandemonium in the Wigan area. Each one is delivered fantastically to the back post and somehow the visitors survive with some heroic headed clearances. Maloney arguably cleared the final one with his arm but the referee gives nothing.
Stam comes again and fires in a dangerous low cross which Everton scramble clear, and the Dutchman clashes with Leighton Baines before the home side engineer a good opening. An Anichebe one-two gives Jelavic a sight of goal, he's crowded out, but it falls to the Nigerian again whose shot is deflected narrowly wide.
A little joy for Wigan as Ronnie Stam and then Jean Beausejour threaten down the flanks. Roberto Martinez will be happy to have contained the best that Everton have thrown at them up to now and will perhaps have a better game plan after the break.
Everton continue to press and maintain possession. Hitzlsperger tries his luck from distance only for the ball to be charged down. Wigan are allowing them plenty of room up to the forty-yard line where a tight press is making it difficult to work angles in advanced positions.
A typical all-action display from Steven Pienaar so far. He's everywhere at the moment, intent on finding a gap through a resolute Wigan defence. Taking a pass from Leon Osman he slices a deflected shot out for a corner which is cleared.
Jones to McCarthy to Maloney down the middle for the Latics but they can't quite find the killer pass through to Kone and Everton clear. Their squad is living on the edge injury-wise at the moment but you wouldn't know it. Anyone who comes into the side seems to be able to do a job. In this case, Billy Jones is equipping himself manfully out there.
Once again Victor Anichebe lunges in and Lee Mason makes it quite clear to the Nigerian that that is his last chance. The pitch is slippery out there and it's difficult to control the ball. The crowd are enjoying a rambunctious boxing Day encounter, neither side giving an inch. It's been good to watch two honest teams playing the right type of football.
Arouna Knone is at the centre of a fine Latics break which wins them a free-kick 25 yards out. Shaun Maloney strikes a great effort that Tim Howard has to parry away from his right-hand post.
Again Pienaar and Osman combine well to hoist the ball in, but it's cleared and Wigan break. A closely contested midfield battle has seen Everton dominate despite some uncharacteristically poor touches that have denied them further dominance.
Victor Anichebe dives in wrecklessly whilst attempting to win a through-ball and referee Lee Mason decides he only needs a talking to. Then Steven Pienaar delivers a dangerous cross which Nikica Jelavic can't reach but Anichebe is there to guide Osman's return cross just wide.
We're underway here at Goodison Park. Thomas Hitzlsperger starts for the Toffees and he has already threatened from a corner ball which Sylain Distin couldn't quite connect with. At the other end Leon Osman did well to block a James McCarthy shot. A largely even encounter has seen Everton begin to exert some dominance in the last few minutes.
With one point from four matches, Wigan Athletic have seen a brief rally after a poor start ebb away. Despite a series of battling performances and an attractive style of football, they are yet again in danger of another scrap to avoid relegation unless they can find some form pretty quickly. By the time February is out they will have faced five of the six teams around them and their fate will surely be much clearer. Ever pragmatic though, manager Roberto Martinez will surely reason that any day is a good day to gett back to winning ways, and his side are by no means incapable of ending a winless seven years at Goodison. They'll have to do so without James McCarty though, who joins Antolin Alcarez and Ben Watson amongst a host of injuries to key players. Ivan Ramis may make a return, not having played since their last win on November 24th.
Tough to beat, the Toffees have lost only once in fifteen Premier League games, but that run has included nine draws. They maintain an unbeaten home record, and came back to beat West Ham on Saturday in satisfactory fashion, though manager David Moyes may feel that dropping points at lower-ranked sides such as Reading, QPR and Wigan has cost his side a more commanding league position. Indeed, the visit of Roberto Martinez's side will be just the kind of closely-contested encounter that has troubled them so far this term, with Chelsea and Newcastle to follow in the space of seven days. Thankfully, injuries are thin on the ground, with only Seamus Coleman a slight doubt and Kevin Mirallas once again consigned to the treatment table for, in Moyes' words, “a little while”. Marouane Fellaini will return from suspension for the Newcastle game, though the club's successful appeal against Darren Gibson's dismissal at the weekend means he is available.
The Boxing Day fixtures represent the return legs of those played on the weekend of the 6th and 7th of October, with only West Ham's visit to Arsenal curtailed by transport disputes. Those matches returned 34 goals, including four at the DW Stadium, where Leyton Baines' 87th minute penalty against his old club rescued a point for the Toffees after Franco Di Santo had put the home side ahead following two goals in as many minutes early on from Arouna Kone and Nikica Jelavic. Wigan were as tough to beat that day as they have been all season long, but continue to suffer from an inability to turn some fine performances into points and thus remain in the bottom three. Everton, on the other hand, are arguably having their best season under David Moyes and will hope to kick on in the new year and claim the fourth and final Champions League position they currently share with three other clubs. The Latics have won only once in seven league visits to Goodison Park.