There is four million quids worth of striker out there

Last updated : 01 February 2004 By Tony Scholes

Wigan boss Paul Jewell wasn’t at all keen on the conditions and thought the game could have been called off but saw his side fail to win again at home, they have now won just one of their last six home games.

"It wasn’t a good game of football but the players do deserve praise for their effort and commitment," said Jewell after the game.

"It is arguable as to whether the game should have been played I suppose. You don’t realise just how bad the pitch actually is until you walk on it yourself. At 1:30 I was beginning to wonder if it was going to be called off.

"On a pitch like that it is always easy to be a defender but it is difficult for strikers to create because the ball is always bouncing about."

Having thrown in his excuse about the pitch he then turned to the match itself and the Clarets’ performance.

"We have to give Burnley credit," he added. "They have come here and worked extremely hard, they played deep and made it very difficult for us to create chances and they probably had the best chance of the game when Robbie Blake went one-on-one with our keeper.

"I always thought one goal could win it as it was always going to be such a difficult game to create chances in and I am relieved that we didn’t lose. Come the end of the season it might be a valuable point. We were though desperate to win the game as we are in a good position.

"John Filan had nothing to do for most of the game in goal but he pulled off that cracking save from Blake who is in a good run of form at the moment. You fully expected him to slot it away but Filan stood up well."

Stan was happy enough after we had won the point and he will no doubt be much happier in recent weeks with the goals against column.

"I thought we fully deserved a point today against a very good side. Wigan are a strong, well organised and well drilled team and we stuck to our task well and deserved the point.

"We also had the best chance of the game and it fell to the one person who I would have wanted it to fall to, but their keeper made a good save.

"It was a typical derby game really, with no quarter asked and all of them worked very hard with the bit between their teeth."

Stan had special praise for his central defensive duo and also for debutant Neil Wood.

"I thought David May and Mark McGregor were resolute and they broke the hearts of the two strikers. There is four million quids worth of striker out there.

"And Wpody did very well. He has a terrific left foot and he’s not the most comfortable on the outside so we tightened things up and he was good, they all were."