Live Commentary

Last Updated at 2:47 pm, December 12th 2009

1. FT

   The referee blows his whistle for full-time to end a really entertaining game. Wigan have drawn 2-2 at Stoke but the Latics wasted a late chance to win the game as Rodallega's penalty was saved by Sorensen.

2. 90+5

   Gomez fires the ball across the Stoke six-yard box but the hosts are able to clear the danger as Rodallega fails to find space.

3. 90+4

   Wigan win a free-kick on the edge of the right hand side of the Stoke box after Faye's challenge halts N'Zogbia's run.

4. 90+3

   Wigan are on top as N'Zogbia nearly creates space for a shot until Stoke bundle the ball away from danger.

5. 90+2

   We are in the second of five minutes of additional time.

6. 90+1

   A goalmouth scramble in the Stoke box ends with the hosts clearing the danger as Rodallega looks to find space.

7. 90

   Huth was booked for the challenge on Gomez that led to the penalty.

8. 90

   Rodallega's penalty is awful as his weak effort is knocked away from the centre of the goal by Sorensen's legs.

9. 89

   Gomez falls to the ground under a very poor challenge from Huth to give Wigan the chance to take the lead. Stoke have reason to feel unhappy, however, as Gomez was clearly offside.

10. 88

    Tuncay and Etherington leave the ball to each other on the edge of the Wigan box and the away side are able to usher them away from danger.

11. 87

    Rodallega wastes a decent chance to set Scotland clear as his attempted through ball is easily gathered by Sorensen.

12. 86

    Melchiot's attempted through ball to Sinclair is headed away from danger by Shawcross.

13. 85

    N'Zogbia concedes a free-kick deep inside the Stoke half as he pulls the shirt of Wilkinson.

14. 84

    Figueroa fails to keep Gomez's neat pass in play on the left flank to give Stoke the chance to start a new attack.

15. 83

    Stoke make their expected change as Beattie takes the place of Fuller. Could the striker create more headlines by bagging a goal?

16. 82

    Scotland's weak cross from the right is easily gathered by Sorensen as the Stoke goalkeeper keeps his composure after Figueroa's superb strike.

17. 81

    It looks like the time is nearly here for Beattie to be introduced by Stoke.

18. 80

    Etherington's superb cross from the left narrowly evades Tuncay and races out of play for a goal-kick. Great entertainment in this match at the moment.

19. 79

    Scharner's long ball forward races away from Scotland and is easily gathered by Sorensen inside his box.

20. 78

    Wigan make their second change of the match as Jason Scotland replaces Koumas.

21. 77

    Tuncay fails to control Whitehead's attempted lofted through ball and Wigan clear the danger.

22. 76

    It has been an amazing few minutes in this match. Figueroa's sensational strike was quickly cancelled out by Shawcross but the Wigan's defender goal will be remembered for some time.

23. 75

    Wilkinson is booked for a dangerous challenge on Melchiot on the left flank. The Stoke defender was not far away from picking up a red card.

24. 74

    GOAL SHAWCROSS! Stoke quickly equalise as a corner from the right is headed home by Shawcross from the edge of the six-yard box. Poor play from Kirkland as he got nowhere near the ball.

25. 72

    GOAL FIGUEROA! Figueroa scores one of the goals of the season as he catches Sorensen off his line and sends a free-kick from just inside the Wigan half over the head of the goalkeeper and into the left hand corner of his goal. That was an incredible strike from the defender!

26. 71

    Tuncay's half-volley from just inside the Wigan box is deflected over the top of the bar by Scharner. The resulting flag-kick is headed wide of Kirkland's near post.

27. 70

    Etherington's cross from the left is turned narrowly wide of Kirkland's far post by a flicked volley from Whelan. The Stoke sub should have done better with that chance.

28. 69

    Not as much action in this half but this match is still entertaining. Both sides have been evenly matched and should have enough quality to stay clear of trouble at the end of the season.

29. 68

    Sinclair fails to win a corner on the left flank as his cross is easily cleared by the Stoke defence. No major impact yet from the Wigan sub.

30. 67

    Tuncay is caught offside on the edge of the Wigan box as James Beattie, who has been in the news this week, warms up on the sidelines.

31. 66

    Sorensen's long ball forward races out of play for a Wigan throw on the left flank. Both sides continue to struggle in their bid to maintain possession for a sustained spell.

32. 65

    Tuncay takes the resulting free-kick and he sends his effort from the left hand side of the box narrowly over the top of the bar.

33. 64

    Scharner concedes a free-kick on the left hand side of the Wigan box as he takes Etherington out with a sliding challenge. He is also correctly booked.

34. 63

    Stoke make their first change of the game as Glenn Whelan replaces Diao.

35. 62

    Both sides continue to be evenly matched. Defences are looking a little bit shaky with Tuncay and Rodallega the two men capable of creating a bit of magic.

36. 61

    Fuller is unlucky not to win a free-kick on the edge of the Wigan box as he tumbles under a push. The tempo of this match is starting to rise.

37. 60

    Fuller's low effort from eight yards slides wide of Kirkland's left hand post and narrowly evades Tuncay's dive towards the ball.

38. 59

    Koumas' lofted free-kick is headed well wide of Sorensen's left hand post from eight yards. Wigan on top at the moment.

39. 58

    Diao is the third Stoke player to be booked this afternoon as he produces a poor challenge on Gomez just inside his side's half.

40. 57

    Tuncay continues to be Stoke's most dangerous player as his run forward is halted by a strong challenge from Bramble in the Wigan box.

41. 56

    Gomez's corner from the left is met by a strong header from Scharner to send the ball narrowly wide of Sorensen's far post. Good start to this half from Wigan.

42. 55

    Huth knocks the ball away from N'Zogbia on the left flank and behind for a corner.

43. 54

    Sinclair's low effort from just inside the Stoke box is gathered with ease by Sorensen. Wigan are creating space in the final third but their end product is poor.

44. 53

    Wigan waste another decent attacking position as N'Zogbia sends an awful cross from the left straight out of play for a goal-kick.

45. 52

    Huth's lofted header is claimed on the edge of his six-yard box by Kirkland as Stoke fail to attack the loose ball.

46. 51

    We have a break in play as Bramble receives some treatment. He will be able to continue.

47. 50

    Tuncay's corner from the right is headed clear of danger by Bramble as Stoke make a bright start to the half.

48. 49

    Rodallega and Faye have a slight disagreement after an aerial tangle and the referee tells them both to get on with the match.

49. 48

    Koumas' cross from the left drifts over the top of the bar for a goal-kick.

50. 47

    Wigan make their expected change as Sinclair replaces Boyce. Scharner will now drop back to defence.

51. 46

    The action is back under way but Wigan are starting the second half with only 10 men as they prepare to bring on Scott Sinclair for Boyce.

52. Stoke are now 6/4 to win this match with Sky Bet, Wigan are 14/5 and you can back the draw at 6/5.

53. HT

    The referee blows his whistle for half-time. The score is 1-1 after an entertaining opening period and that is a fair reflection on the game so far. Thoughts can be sent to nick.hext@bskyb.com.

54. 45

    Fuller finds himself in space on the edge of the Wigan box but he can only send a poor effort drifting a long way wide of goal.

55. 45

    Tuncay, who has been the best player in the first half, is unable to keep Faye's long ball in play on the right flank.

56. 45

    Figueroa's cross from the left is easily gathered by Simonsen inside his six-yard box.

57. 45

    We are in the second of four minutes of additional time at the end of this half.

58. 45

    Tuncay is the second Stoke player to be booked this afternoon.

59. 45

    Koumas' free-kick from the left is headed clear by Wilkinson. Plenty of action as this half has progressed.

60. 44

    The latest of Delap's long throws is from the left and this time Kirland is equal to the challenge as he easily gathers the ball on the edge of the six-yard box.

61. 43

    Tuncay's low corner from the left is scrambled away from danger by Diame at the near post.

62. 42

    Delap's long throw from the right is headed clear by Scharner as Stoke put Wigan's defence under pressure.

63. 41

    N'Zogbia's free-kick from 35 yards goes narrowly wide of Sorensen's left hand post. Great effort from the Wigan midfielder as his side look to bounce back from Tuncay's equaliser.

64. 40

    Wigan win a free-kick in a shooting position as Gomez falls under Tuncay's loose challenge.

65. 39

    Tuncay is full of confidence at the moment as he sees his bicycle kick from eight yards blocked by Wigan. Delap's long throw caused confusion in the build up to the effort.

66. 38

    The Stoke fans are now right behind their side as Fuller looks to storm forward down the right flank.

67. 37

    GOAL TUNCAY! Tuncay finds himself in space on the left hand side of the Wigan box and he fires a driven effort under the body of Kirkland from six yards. Great finish from the striker to equalise for Stoke.

68. 37

    Fuller fails to take control of Etherington's cross from the left and Wigan are able to scramble the ball clear.

69. 36

    Rodallega shows his frustration as he is penalised for a handball on the edge of the Stoke box. Correct decision from the referee.

70. 35

    Wigan work a short-corner from the left and see a good shout for a penalty turned down as Huth pulls at Scharner's shirt in the box. Wrong decision from the referee.

71. 34

    Faye is the first player to be booked in this match as he bundles Gomez to the ground on the right flank.

72. 33

    N'Zogbia makes his way into the Stoke box and fires a decent effort wide of Sorensen's right hand post from 18 yards.

73. 32

    Good atmosphere at this game as the Stoke fans urge their side forward. The hosts have improved in the last five minutes.

74. 31

    Wigan win a free-kick in their own box as Tuncay runs straight into Kirkland as the goalkeeper looks to gather the ball.

75. 30

    Robert Huth's lofted cross from the left is cleared by the Wigan defence as Stoke look to use their aerial threat to cause problems.

76. 29

    Charles N'Zogbia's cross from the left is gathered at the second attempt by Sorensen after he initially drops the ball on the edge of his six-yard box.

77. 28

    Wilkinson stays strong as he battles with Mario Melchiot on the right flank and knocks the ball out of play for a throw.

78. 27

    Time for another Delap long throw as Fuller is first to the ball with a header over the bar from six yards. Decent chance for Stoke.

79. 26

    Whitehead's attempted through ball to Ricardo Fuller is easily gathered by a Kirkland. Simple afternoon for the Wigan goalkeeper so far.

80. 25

    Figueroa's lofted cross from the left drifts just over the head of Scharner and out of play for a goal-kick.

81. 24

    Delap's long throw from the left is volleyed away from danger by Scharner as Wigan's defence continues to deal with Stoke's aerial threat.

82. 23

    Boyce does well to clear the ball away from Tuncay as he gets back in the action.

83. 22

    The Stoke fans are becoming a little restless. They are unhappy with a few decisions from the referee and Gomez is getting plenty of stick.

84. 21

    Boyce is back on the field with plenty of blue strapping across his forehead.

85. 20

    Wigan win a free-kick on the left flank as Gomez is bundled to the ground by a silly challenge from Andy Wilkinson. The resulting set-piece is easily headed clear by Stoke.

86. 19

    Decent spell of possession from Wigan as they play with 10 men. That goal appears to have given them plenty of confidence.

87. 18

    Play is back under way but we are still without Boyce. He was caught by a high boot from a defender as he headed the opener for Wigan.

88. 17

    Sorensen is fine to continue but Boyce is off the field with what appears to be a nasty cut to his head.

89. 16

    We now have a break in play as Boyce and Sorensen receive treatment after colliding as Wigan scored their opener.

90. 15

    GOAL BOYCE! Gomez's free-kick from the left is met by a powerful header from Rodallega. Sorensen knocks the ball straight up in the air and Emmerson Boyce is on hand to head home the rebound to give Wigan a 1-0 lead.

91. 14

    Titus Bramble's long ball forward is easily cleared away from danger by Abdoulaye Faye as both sides struggle to enjoy a sustained spell of possession.

92. 13

    Rodallega's driven free-kick from 30 yards is easily gathered by Sorensen in the centre of his goal. The Wigan striker looks to be the most exciting player in this game.

93. 12

    Maynor Figueroa's bid to storm down the left flank ends as Delap produces a strong challenge. No major defensive worries for either side so far.

94. 11

    The ball races away from Matthew Etherington on the left flank and he is unable to keep possession.

95. 10

    Another long throw from Delap produces plenty of confusion in the Wigan box as the ball hits Tuncay and bounces away from danger. That, as always, is a major attacking weapon for Stoke.

96. 9

    Jordi Gomez's free-kick from 30 yards causes no worries for Stoke as the wall are easily able to clear the danger. Scrappy start to the game but Wigan look a bit more dangerous in the final third.

97. 8

    Charles N'Zogbia tumbles under a clumsy challenge from Salif Diao to give Wigan a free-kick in a shooting position.

98. 7

    Rodallega continues to look like he will be Wigan's most dangerous player as he sees his weak effort from the edge of the box blocked.

99. 6

    The latest long throw from Delap is initially cleared but Dean Whitehead takes control of the loose ball and sends a weak effort drifting wide of Kirkland's left hand post.

100. 5

     Tuncay's free-kick from the left hand side of the Wigan box is blocked by the wall and out of play for another throw-in.

101. 4

     Hugo Rodallega has the first shot of the game as his weak effort from the edge of the box is easily gathered by Thomas Sorensen.

102. 3

     Delap's latest long throw is easily claimed inside his six-yard box by Chris Kirkland. Wigan's defence will have to stand tall against Stoke's aerial threat.

103. 2

     Tuncay's bustling run down the right flank is halted by a strong challenge from Mohamed Diama. The resulting long throw from Rory Delap is headed away from danger by Paul Scharner.

104. 1

     The action is under way as Jason Koumas wins an early free-kick for Wigan on the halfway line.

105. Something I have never seen before is happening as the stewards are forced to change their jackets from orange to yellow so they do not clash with Wigan's away kit. Football can always surprise you.

106. Here is some more information about today's teams: Stoke striker James Beattie - alleged to have had a dressing-room bust-up with manager Tony Pulis after last week's defeat at Arsenal - is named as a substitute for the visit of Wigan. Pulis said he had drawn a line under the incident and if the 31-year-old recovered from a knee injury he would be in the squad, and he duly takes his place on the bench. Stoke's three changes see defender Ryan Shawcross (injury), midfielder Dean Whitehead (suspension) and striker Ricardo Fuller return at the expense of Danny Collins, Liam Lawrence (ill) and Mamady Sidibe. Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland recovers from the back spasm which forced him off in last week's 3-2 defeat to Birmingham so the only changes see Jordi Gomez replace the suspended Hendry Thomas and Jason Koumas come in for Jason Scotland in a 4-5-1 formation. Stand-in keeper Mike Pollitt's father died in midweek so his place on the bench is taken by Richard Kingson.

107. Here are the teams for today's match: Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Huth, Delap, Diao, Whitehead, Etherington, Fuller, Sanli Subs: Simonsen, Higginbotham, Whelan, Beattie, Sidibe, Pugh, Collins

108. Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble, Figueroa, Gomez, Koumas, Diame, Scharner, N'Zogbia, Rodallega Subs: Kingson, Amaya, Cho, Scotland, Sinclair, De Ridder, McCarthy Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

109. Stoke are 11/10 to win today's match with Sky Bet, Wigan are 12/5 and you can back the draw at 12/5.

110. Welcome to our live coverage of today's early Premier League game between Stoke and Wigan. Both sides will want points in the bag before the busy Christmas schedule. Send me your thoughts ahead of kick-off at nick.hext@bskyb.com.