A last gasp penalty earned Wigan Athletic a 1-1 draw with Liverpool reserves in a specially arranged friendly at the reds' Academy this afternoon. Ray Putterill (pictured) had given Liverpool the lead from the penalty spot midway through the second half after Mikel San Jose had been fouled, but keeper Dean Bouzanis was adjudged to have fouled a Wigan player in the dying seconds of the game and Dave Cottrell leveled the scores.
The two sides had been scheduled to meet for a competitive fixture last night in the FA Premier Reserve League North, but that game fell foul of the weather and the two clubs moved swiftly to arrange this game to give their players much needed run outs.
Wigan included several experienced players in their line up, but there was little to choose between the sides throughout the game. Krisztian Nemeth produced Liverpool's best effort of the first half, but his shot was saved comfortably by Nash.
Gary Ablett made five changes at half time, with Jay Spearing replacing Gerardo Bruna, Ronald Huth coming on for Jack Hobbs, Putterill taking the place of Ryan Flynn, Jordy Brouwer on for Nemeth and Bouzanis came on in goal for Peter Gulacsi. Flynn would later re-appear as a substitute for Nabil El Zhar.
Bouzanis made one superb save to deny Cottrell after Spearing had been caught in possession, and shortly after Liverpool went in front after San Jose was wrestled to the ground as he tried to get to a corner from Damian Plessis. Putterill expertly put the penalty away, much to the annoyance of the watching Steve Bruce who yelled at the ref "would you have given that at the other end?"
The answer was clearly yes, as right on full time Bouzanis was penalised when he was beaten to the ball and caught the striker on the head with his hands. It was a soft pen, and not one you'd usually see given but technically it was a foul and the referee will argue he got it right. Ablett saw it differently however, and was quick to let the official know.
A draw was a fair reflection of the game, as neither side got going in the windy conditions and it was a disappointing game.
Team: Gulacsi (Bouzanis); Darby, San Jose, Hobbs (Huth), Insua; El Zhar (Flynn), Plessis, Bruna (Spearing), Flynn (Putterill); Nemeth (Brouwer), Pacheco:
We will have a full report from the game on the site over the weekend
