By Longsider
February 1 2004

Wigan 0 Burnley 0
Sporting Life


Burnley failed to shake off their Wigan hoodoo as they shared the spoils in a goalless draw at the JJB Stadium.

The Clarets have managed a sole victory over Wigan in their history - a 3-0 win in 1983 in the old Third Division - and rarely threatened to buck that trend during an uninspiring encounter on Saturday afternoon.

The stalemate may mean Burnley, notorious for their porous back line in 2003, have conceded only three goals in five games.

But it will be promotion-chasing Wigan - 2-0 victors over Burnley at Turf Moor in August and 4-2 winners against Preston on their last outing a fortnight ago - who will be the more disappointed of the two sides.

Spurred on by the ever-impressive Jimmy Bullard, the Latics dominated for much of the match without fashioning the number of clear chances their possession warranted.

The hosts enjoyed much the better of the early stages but Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen was not tested by long-range efforts from Bullard and Nathan Ellington.

Though Glen Little had a left-footed shot blocked at the other end of the pitch, Burnley were fortunate not to fall behind when Jason de Vos' header from Bullard's corner was scrambled clear.

The influential Bullard forced Jensen into a fine, low stop with a well-struck free-kick shortly after, and the midfielder was again the supplier when de Vos had his header comfortably saved.

John Filan, Jensen's opposite number, did well to keep out Ian Breckin's miscued clearance in the 21st minute, and showed considerable awareness and pace off the mark to deny Ian Moore a clear goalscoring chance.

Jason Roberts fired wide when well placed after Burnley failed to clear another Bullard corner, and Wigan's superiority continued as Lee McCulloch saw a shot beaten away by Jensen.

Wigan's pressure looked to have told as half-time approached when de Vos bundled the ball home following Bullard's delivery, only for the 'goal' to be disallowed for an infringement in the penalty area.

It was Bullard, unsurprisingly, who went closest for Wigan after the restart, testing Jensen with a 25-yard curler, but Wigan were thankful for Filan's fine save from Blake to preserve the status quo.

It said much for the shortage of goalmouth action that yellow cards for Blake, David May and Tony Grant in a nine-minute spell were the major incidents until Bullard tried his luck with another set-piece, comfortably held by Jensen.

The former Peterborough midfielder continued to pepper Jensen's goal from distance, while Roberts and Andy Liddell also went close for Wigan.

Debutant Neil Wood's long-range strike seven minutes from time, caught by Filan, was the nearest Burnley came to a winner.


Teams:

Wigan: Filan, Eaden, Breckin, De Vos, Baines, Teale, Jarrett, Bullard, McCulloch (Liddell 70), Jason Roberts, Ellington.

Subs Not Used: Walsh, Jackson, McMillan, Flynn.

Booked: Baines.

Burnley: Jensen, Roche, May, McGregor, Camara, Little (Orr 88), Grant, Chaplow, Wood, Blake, Ian Moore.

Subs Not Used: Rachubka, Branch, West, Chadwick.

Booked: Blake, May, Grant, McGregor.

Att: 11,147

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).