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  • Wigan Athletic 1-1 Stoke City: Tuncay strong header

    Tuncay scored a second-half header as Stoke came from a goal down to rescue a point with a 1-1 draw at Wigan in the Premier League.

    Paul Scharner put the hosts ahead when he headed home unmarked after only 14 minutes as Wigan made the early running.

    But Tuncay levelled with 15 minutes remaining and Stoke were unlucky not to grab the winner when Mamady Sidibe hit the bar moments later.

    The draw sees Wigan move five points clear of the relegation zone, three points behind Stoke who are 11th.

    Wigan were playing their first game in front of their own fans since being unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by League Two's Notts County.

    After steadying what threatened to become a sinking ship with a draw at Sunderland on Saturday, they began this game full of scrap and battle.




    And it paid early dividends as Scharner found space in a crowded penalty area to head powerfully past Thomas Sorensen.

    Stoke have made a name for themselves in the Premier League for causing panic in opposition defences from set-pieces, but the boot was firmly on the other foot as they struggled to deal with corners and free-kicks into their own six-yard box.

    Sorensen almost palmed a corner into his own net before Scharner was again left unmarked to head narrowly wide five minutes before the interval.

    Stoke were much more competitive after the break and should have drawn level on when Tuncay failed to connect with a header back across goal from Robert Huth when six yards out.

    An outrageous overhead kick from Hugo Rodallega that Sorensen was forced to tip over the crossbar was as close as Wigan came to extending their advantage while all the second-half chances fell to the visitors.

    Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland made a great save with his feet to deny second-half substitute Ricardo Fuller before Tuncay was again guilty of missing his kick in a goal-scoring position.

    But the pressure eventually told as Tuncay made up for his earlier profligacy to pop up unmarked six yards out to head a cross from the right into the back of the net.

    And it could easily have got worse for Wigan as minutes later Sidibe looped a header away from Kirkland, but against the bar.

    The Wigan keeper made another fine stop from another second-half substitute James Beattie in the dying minutes but the Latics hung on to secure a point.
    Toby Davis / Eurosport

    Source: uk.eurosport.com

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