Derby County 2 Wigan Athletic 2

Last updated : 11 October 2003 By Footymad Previewer

A fightback by Derby County may have denied Wigan the chance of reclaiming top spot in Division One, but it was ref Phil Prosser who proved to be a dubious man of the match.

Prosser seemed to revel in an ill-gotten spotlight as a host of decisions left both teams shaking their heads in disbelief.

Twice he marched free-kicks forward ten yards for perceived dissent, creating a goal for the visitors on one occasion and nearly teeing them up for a winner on the other.

He was the only person in Pride Park who saw a penalty offence as he handed the Rams a route back into the match and some of his bookings were bizarre in the extreme.

Derby could have been two goals clear inside three minutes, but when Lee Morris twice tested goalkeeper John Filan and really should have scored, with his second chance from just six yards.

His miss proved costly as within seconds Wigan had taken the lead.

From a position several yards outside of the corner of the penalty box, Andy Liddell curled a low shot which deceived goalkeeper Andy Oakes and bobbled into the net.

Derby were stunned and could have fallen further behind when Liddell found space in the penalty area, but glanced a header narrowly wide from Jimmy Bullard's right-wing cross.

A brace of fierce long-range strikes from Nathan Ellington gave further indication that Wigan were gunning for victory and they looked to have achieved a matchwinning lead in the 31st minute.

Michael Johnson was adjudged to have fouled Geoff Horsefield and when he remonstrated with Prosser, the ref promptly booked him and advanced the free-kick to the edge of the area.

Liddell gratefully accepted a second opportunity and smashed a fierce shot into the top corner after his team-mates had helped crumble the home side's wall.

But with Wigan firmly in the ascendancy, Prosser made his most telling contribution when he awarded a penalty after Ian Taylor fell in the area when clearly he had jumped on to the back of one of the Wigan defenders.

Still the drama was not over as Prosser made Taylor retake his penalty after he spotted some encroachment, but the midfielder held his nerve to score at the second attempt.

Despite a number of glorious openings in the second half, Wigan could not beat Oakes in the home goal.

But Derby upped their work rate noticeably and deservedly drew level when man of the match Tom Huddleston won possession and released Morris, who finally got the beating of Filan at the third attempt.

Wigan nearly won it in stoppage time when again Prosser moved a free-kick to the edge of the area, but this time Liddell's curling shot was parried by Oakes.