Wigan - Burnley, English League Championship
2004-09-14 21.00 CET
Pick: Wigan
Stake: 3%
Odds: 1,60
Final reasons
Promotion hopefuls Wigan is playing some very good football for the moment. No matter who the opponents are they are the one ruling the game and only bad luck during the end in some games have cost them valuable points. Despite this they are still unbeaten and the squad seems to be full of confidence. To play away against Wolves, Sunderland, Millwall and West Ham and collect eight points must be a real boost for the players and to even be close to winning them all must be even more confidence raising. At home they are solid as usual and they have won both games since the opening day draw against Nottingham. We believe that a fully fit Wigan with the leagues most lethal striking pair will be too much for Burnley and therefore suggest a stake on 3% on a home win.
General comment about the game
Top team Wigan will take on mid table team Burnley at home on the JJB Stadium this evening. Wigan continues to impress and is still unbeaten after seven rounds. This is much due to a well organised play in all areas and two strikers in great form; Nathan Ellington and Jason Roberts. With their tally of eleven goals so far this season they must be considered as one of the most dangerous and clinical striking force in the league. Last weekend they played away against former premiership club and supposed top team Wolverhampton. Wigan made again a very good performance and it looked as if they would grab all three points. However, a last-minute equaliser from Wolves set the final result to 3-3. Best remembered is Wigan’s second goal for the afternoon; striker Ellington’s stunning shot outside the penalty area. Manager Paul Jewell was quite disappointed to only get one point from the game since he felt that they played excellent upfront and could have scored more goals. However, their defensive work was not so good during spells and they let in two unnecessary goals in second half. No new injuries in the Wigan squad today meaning they can continue with the same line up as they have done during the whole season.
Last season was a real disappointment for the Burnley faithful. Inconsistent performances and one of the worst defences in the league saw them finish just above the relegation zone. Their manager got sacked and was replaced by highly rated Steve Cotterill from lower division side Cheltenham. With him came some interesting and experienced signings. Most noticeable are defenders John McGreal (7 apps, 1 goal) from Ipswich, Frank Sinclair (7 apps) from Leicester and Michael Duff (7 apps) from Cheltenham, goalkeeper Danny Coyne (7 apps) from Leicester and midfielder Micah Hyde (6 apps, 1 goal) from Watford. It looks as the new signings will strengthen the team and tighten up their defensive work but they will probably find it hard to compete for a place on the upper half. The result so far this season has been mixed, so far they have the record 2/3/2. In some matches they have created a lot of chances but have failed to transform them into goals. The exception was in the last game when they beat relegation candidates Crewe with 3-0. But we must consider that Crewe made a below par performance. Burnley will once again be without midfielder Micah Hyde who serves his second of a three match ban. Otherwise there are no important players missing.
Recent games for home team
|
2004-09-11 |
Wolves-Wigan |
3-3 |
|
2004-08-30 |
Wigan-Cardiff |
2-1 |
|
2004-08-28 |
Sunderland-Wigan |
1-1 |
|
2004-08-21 |
Wigan-Brighton |
3-0 |
|
2004-08-15 |
West Ham-Wigan |
1-3 |
Recent games for away team
|
2004-09-11 |
Burnley-Crewe |
3-0 |
|
2004-08-30 |
Burnley-Gillingham |
1-2 |
|
2004-08-28 |
West Ham-Burnley |
1-0 |
|
2004-08-21 |
Burnley-Wolves |
1-1 |
|
2004-08-14 |
Watford-Burnley |
0-1 |
Home table
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Wigan |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
6-2 |
7 |
Away table
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Burnley |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1-1 |
4 |
Links for this game
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// SportsObserver 040914
