Blackburn Rovers vs Wigan Athletic: goalless draw at Ewood Park inches Latics off the foot of the table (0-0)

Thanks for following tonight's Sky Bet Championship action on VAVEL UK. 

🏆 @LeeEvans94 awarded tonight’s @SkyFootball Man of the Match 👏#wafc 🔵⚪️💚 pic.twitter.com/wGFCudYJls — Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 23, 2019

⏱️ Full Time | Blackburn Rovers 0 Latics 0

A frantic second half comes to an end, as Latics put another point on the board. Two excellent saves from Christian Walton to keep out Morsy and Kipre.#wafc 🔵⚪️💚 pic.twitter.com/baiOwyEXRW — Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 23, 2019

FT: Bottom-placed Wigan Athletic hold in-form Blackburn Rovers to a goalless draw at Ewood Park, in what was a spirited, defiant performance from the struggling away side.

Wigan controlled what was a dire first half, with Rovers then coming firing out of the blocks after the interval and igniting an end-to-end, pulsating final fifteen minutes. 

Blackburn move into 8th, while the Latics inch closer to safety, moving off the bottom with only a point separating them from 21st-placed Luton Town.

95: In another tidy, classy midfield display, youngster Lewis Travis has picked up the man of the match award.

92: The ball breaks from the corner to Holtby, who fires low and hard to Jones' left-hand side. The Wigan keeper's agility was terrific, however, getting down rapidly to thwart the effort.

90: There will be seven additional minutes played at Ewood Park.

90: Morsy's shot from just outside the six-yard box is blocked bravely the sliding Derrick Williams.

89: Defender Chey Dunkley replaces winger Michael Jacobs in a clear attempt from Paul Cook to secure the valuable point.

83: The game is poised for a raucous final ten minutes, with both sides committing men forward in search of a winner. Do not take your eyes off this one !

79: Morsy cleverly shifts the ball onto his right-foot and bends his shot towards the far-right corner. Walton was equal to the task, and was forced into action just moments later as Kipré rose high from the ensuing corner to power a header towards goal.

76: Wigan put the ball in the Blackburn net but the goal is disallowed due to a foul on 'keeper Walton.

74: Holtby plays in Armstrong just inside the Wigan penalty area, with the forward then arrowing a rasping effort across goal that Graham glances onto the woodwork. First big Blackburn chance.

66: Blackburn's golden boy Bradley Dack has been stretchered off the pitch with what looks like a very serious knee injury. The deep-lying forward went down in sheer agony clutching his knee, with the paramedics rushing on moments later. Lewis Holtby has replaced him.

64: Lowe confidently drives forward from midfield to the edge of the Blackburn box, and unleashes a powerful effort just wide of the far-left post. Big chance for Wigan.

62: Joe Williams comes on for Gavin Massey.

60: The injured Corry Evans is replaced by Bradley Johnson in the Blackburn midfield.

53: Much-improved start to the second half for Blackburn, who have emerged from the interval with a new-found intensity and impetus going forward.

47: Tensions are boiling over here at Ewood Park as an off-the-ball tussle between Travis and Morsy leads to a clash of legs and Travis on the ground clutching his calf. The officials did not spot the incident, however.

⏱️ HT: #Rovers 0-0 #wafc

Level at the break at Ewood Park.#ROVvWIG 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/EUNPvfzN9m — Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) December 23, 2019

HT: The home side, seeking their sixth win in seven,  have stuttered in this first half, unable to gather any momentum against basement club Wigan. 

Indeed, the Latics have been the better side, controlling possession and looking the silkier, more fluid outfit in possession. The busy, tenacious Windass has been a real threat buzzing in behind the Blackburn defence. 

34: Massey intercepts Williams' ball and drives towards the Blackburn goal, eventually sending a ricocheted effort into the path of Lowe, who loops the ball over Walton but straight onto a Blackburn head on the goal line.

30: A floated cross from Downing finds the head of Lenihan, who rises above the pack and directs his header back across goal. Lack of power makes it comfortable for Jones in goal.

21: Lowe cuts back for Jacobs, who ghosts to the edge of the Blackburn penalty area. The effort on goal is feeble, however, and poses no problem for Walton.

20: Wigan controlling possession now, with the pace of Windass a real threat in behind the Blackburn defence.

14: Wigan showing signs of life going forward. Unable to create any meaningful opportunities, however. Quiet start to the match.

9: Blackburn on top in the opening stages here at Ewood Park.

4: Penalty appeal for Blackburn as Downing's superb cross is met by the onrushing Graham, who is slide-tackled forcefully by Naismith. Referee Gavin Ward waves away the appeals.

1: The match gets underway.

🔜🆚 @Rovers #wafc 🔵⚪️💚 — Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 23, 2019

📸 Time for some festive football under the lights!

Come on #Rovers! 👊 #ROVvWIG 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/KzFsoYvUgV — Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) December 23, 2019

🗞️ TEAM NEWS | Latics name the same XI for the third consecutive game!

➕ David Marshall and @JoeWilliams0812 return from injuries to make the bench.#wafc 🔵⚪️💚 — Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 23, 2019

📋 Team News#Rovers make 7 seven changes this evening.

⬅️ Adarabioyo, Bell, Johnson, Holtby, Bennett, Brereton
Gallagher.

➡️ Williams, Downing, Evans, Rothwell, Dack, Armstrong, Graham.

Latest from @10betSports 🔞: https://t.co/FNCKpmviML#ROVvWIG 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/x1nOxJvHEM — Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) December 23, 2019

Do not miss a detail of the match with the live updates and commentaries of VAVEL. Follow along with us for all the details, commentaries, analysis and lineups for this Blackburn vs Wigan match.

If you want to watch the game on TV, your options are: Sky Sports.

If you want to watch it on the internet, VAVEL UK is your best option !

At times last season, the only thing keeping Wigan afloat was there formidable home form, yet this season, even that has disintegrated. The Latics are winless in since October, a run stretching to ten matches. And while others around them have acted decisively and changed manager, Wigan have stayed loyal to Paul Cook, quite possibly to their detriment. 

They have tamely drifted into the depths of the relation zone, hitting rock-bottom after Barnsley's win at The Den yesterday. Such wretched form undoubtedly leaves Cook's position in charge under lots of scrutiny, particularly with fellow relegation fighters Huddersfield and Barnsley benefiting greatly from a managerial change. They can, however, move out of the drop zone should they tak all three points at Ewood Park on Monday.

 

 

After throwing away a two-goal lead in a damning 3-2 Lancashire derby defeat to Preston North End, Blackburn dropped to 17th, and there was an acceptance within the club that Tony Mowbray's reign was dwindling to a stale end, that it was time for a new era.

Yet less than two months later, Blackburn find themselves with 16 points from six games, and with the chance to move into 7th with a win by two or more goals tomorrow against rock-bottom Wigan.

Forward Bradley Dack has no doubt had a part to play in this resurgence, netting four goals in his last five matches. Behind him is the tidy young midfielder Lewis Travis, who has emerged as a fulcrum in that midfield, putting in a number of impressive performances. And at centre-half is Darragh Lenihan, undoubtedly in the best form of his Blackburn career so far.

 

 

Predicted starting XI: (Jones [GK], Robinson, Naismith, Kipré Byrne, Morsy, Evans, Massey, Windass, Jacobs, Lowe)

Predicted Starting XI: (Walton [GK], Nyambe, Lenihan, Adarabioyo, Bell, Travis, Johnson, Armstrong, Dack, Rothwell, Graham)

The away side face a number of absentees for Monday’s fixture, with Joe Williams (hamstring), goalkeeper David Marshall (neck), Danny Fox (groin) and striker Keiffer Moore all unlikely to feature. 

Centre-half Charlie Mulgrew is also ruled out due to the agreements over his loan deal from Blackburn.

Rovers head into the clash buoyed by the return of talisman Bradley Dack, who missed out on the 2-0  victory over Bristol City through injury. Centre-back Derrick Williams is also in contention to return to the match day squad, after over a month on the sidelines through injury. “Derrick Williams is back on the training pitch and had his first day back with the group on Wednesday,” manager Tony Mowbray told the club website. 

The Blackburn vs Wigan match will be played at Ewood  Park in Blackburn, England. The kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 BST.

Welcome to VAVEL.com’s live coverage of the 2019 Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic. My name is Toby Bowles and I’ll be your host for this game. We will provide you with pre-match analysis, roster updates, and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.