Wigan Athletic 2-2 Everton FC – final whistle match report

Nikica Jelavic celebrates his goal for Everton FC at Wigan

EVERTON FC required a late equaliser at Wigan Athletic for the third successive season as Leighton Baines’ penalty grabbed the Blues a deserved point.

For long spells it looked like being a frustrating afternoon for David Moyes’ men as first-half mistakes meant the Goodison Park side chased the game for long spells.

But their improvements after the break found reward with just three minutes remaining when Baines fired home a penalty following a foul on Kevin Mirallas.

Goals from Arouna Kone and Franco Di Santo in the first-half punished an unusually lacklustre Blues but Nikica Jelavic’s  goal in the 11th minute – which cancelled out Wigan’s opener a minute earlier – always gave Everton hope heading into the second period.

And after hammering on the Wigan door for much of the half, Moyes’ found the breakthrough when Baines smashed a penalty beyond Ali Al-Habsi.

The goal comes after Victor Anichebe’s late leveller here last season, as well as Baines penalty heroics in the corresponding fixture in April 2011.

The point sees Everton drop down to the third in the Premier League table following Manchester City’s win earlier in the day but after their poor opening, Moyes will be glad they managed to take something from the game.

It was Shaun Maloney’s trickery that tied Seamus Coleman in knots and lead to the first goal when his cross was headed home by Kone.

Everton will rightly point to suspicions of offside but they will be more concerned by the ease with which Wigan made the chance.

But in line with a hectic period of the game, the Blues made an instant response.

A minute after going behind, Jelavic got them level when he nodded home Steven Pienaar’s deflected shot at the back post.

Nikica Jelavic’s Premier League stats this season

Despite restoring parity, Everton failed to find a foothold in the game as Wigan were sharper and more careful in possession.

And mid-way through the half, the Lattics restored their lead when Kone’s power caused John Heitinga problems before squaring the ball to the on-rushing Di Santo to slam past Tim Howard.

Everton were showing little of the fluidity that has defined much of their early season play but they remain determined if nothing else and Al-Habsi pulled off a fine save to deny Leon Osman.