Wigan Athletic 1-1 Fulham: Dempsey Penalty Salvages Draw For Fulham

By Lewis Jones

This was always going be a game where there wouldn’t be too much between the sides, and after a ding-dong battle, those pre-match predictions were realised, as the two mid-table sides fought out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the DW Stadium.

Emmerson Boyce had given Wigan the lead early on, but a penalty conceeded by Titus Bramble was put away by Clint Dempsey. The second half was dominated by the home side but unfortunately they ran into a human brick wall, Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

The first chance of the game fell to Hugo Rodallega - as he let fly from the edge of the box after good work by the lively Charles N’Zogbia but the ball was heroically blocked by Paul Scharner. N’Zogbia was once again involved and it was the Frenchman who was Wigan’s main threat throughout the opening exchanges - it was his cross that found both Rodallega and Titus Bramble at the back stick, but neither could convert the chance.

The opening period of the game was predictably a cagey affair, but the game kicked into life when Erik Nevland hit the post with Fulham's first meaningful attack of the game. The evergreen Bobby Zamora chipped a lovely ball through the heart of the Fulham defence and his Norwegian strike partner looped a header over the despairing Chris Kirkland, but the pall cannoned back off the woodwork.

Minutes later Fulham were left to rue Nevland’s miss as Emmerson Boyce gave Wigan the lead, the defender’s second of the season. Fulham’s John Pantsil gave away a needless corner kick and Scharner knocked the resulting corner across the six yard box and Boyce was on hand to smash the ball home.

The home side looked high on confidence and went close again, this time through Rodallega, as his snap-shot was pushed away by Mark Schwarzer. Fulham always looked dangerous on the counter, though, especially through winger Damien Duff. The Irishman caused problems in the Wigan area time and again and it was his delivery that dropped to Nevland, who once again failed to convert an excellent chance.

Fulham did finally draw level just before half-time and it was thanks to another clumsy mistake in the career of Bramble. American Clint Dempsey was fouled in the box by the centre-half, and it was that man Dempsey that stepped up to convert the penalty to draw the Cottagers level.

The pattern to the second half repeated the first – Wigan dominated possession but Fulham always looked threatening and Kirkland had to be alert not once - but twice, to deny first Dempsey and then Greening, the second was a real top class save from a keeper who still must believe he can make England’s World Cup squad.

Kirkland’s opposite number, Schwarzer, was not to be upstaged by the Englishman’s heroics as he produced a wonderful performance to keep Fulham at bay in the final third of the match. First he made a diving save from a powerful Scharner drive. Schwarzer was a man mountain for Fulham; he made another wonderful save from a Hendry Thomas header following a Rodallega corner.

N’Zogbia was the next man to be denied by the big Aussie - N’Zogbia, who was a constant menace on the left wing, went on a mazy run which saw him beat four Fulham players before Schwarzer once again clawed the shot away for a corner. From the resulting set-piece, Schwarzer continued to frustrate the Latics as he tipped over another Scharner header. 

With time running out, it was always a danger that Fulham could steal the points and as the game wore on, Fulham looked the more likely to break the stalemate. Duff went close with a rasping drive that stung the fingers of Kirkland. Bramble then atoned for his previous mistake to deny Zamora on a couple of occasions with a couple of brilliant last ditch headers and blocks.

N'Zogbia had a chance to win the game for Wigan in the final seconds with a 25-yard free-kick but his effort was poorly struck and, not for the first time, Schwarzer dealt with the situation to ensure the game finished 1-1.