Everton 2-2 Wigan

By Phil McNulty

Andrew Johnson is mobbed after scoring Everton's first goal

Wigan came from behind twice to earn a battling point at Everton.

Everton's Andrew Johnson hammered home his fifth goal of the season from close range after 49 minutes.

Paul Scharner's header put Wigan level, but James Beattie edged Everton ahead again from the spot in the 66th minute after Gary Teale fouled Leon Osman.

But Wigan, who were grateful to keeper Chris Kirkland for two brilliant saves from Osman, were quickly on terms again thanks to a sweeping Scharner finish.

Interview: Everton boss David Moyes

Interview: Wigan boss Paul Jewell

Everton were unchanged as they attempted to build on the 3-0 Merseyside derby win against Liverpool.

And they made a lively start, with in-form Johnson once again the danger man, firing in a shot that was blocked by Kirkland.

Lee Carsley then headed Tim Cahill's cross wide before the Australian was involved in an incident that saw two Wigan players given yellow cards by referee Alan Wiley.

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Cahill chased keeper Tim Howard's long clearance into the penalty area, but Kirkland and Arjen de Zeeuw reacted angrily to his challenge, sparking angry exchanges that led to both being booked.

Antonio Valencia wasted the best chance of the half four minutes before the interval when he was played in by Emile Heskey but pulled his shot across the face of goal.

Everton had held a slight edge in a fiercely-contested first 45 minutes, and Mikel Arteta almost gave them the lead in injury time with a 20-yard free-kick which was well saved by Kirkland.

Johnson, almost inevitably, broke the deadlock after 49 minutes as Wigan's resistance was finally broken.

Cahill was allowed to escape down the left flank, and his cross was only half cleared and Johnson swooped to hammer home from eight yards.

It was the catalyst for a spell of sustained Everton pressure, with Kirkland twice saving brilliantly from Osman and Johnson shooting inches wide.

But Wigan survived and equalised after 63 minutes, when Joseph Yobo's clearance was blocked and former Everton winger Kevin Kilbane, making his Wigan debut, provided a perfect cross for Scharner to power a header beyond Howard.

Everton were then gifted the lead again four minutes later when Teale needlessly bundled Osman to the ground when there was little danger.

Beattie had only been on the pitch six minutes after replacing Carsley, but he stepped up confidently to give Kirkland no chance.

But Everton were guilty of slack defending again as Wigan equalised almost instantly.

Kilbane played the ball into the Everton area and Scharner again arrived unattended to sweep a finish past Howard.

Wigan were playing with renewed hope, and it took a fine save from Howard to turn aside a powerful drive from Andreas Johansson.

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Everton manager David Moyes:
"The galling thing is I don't think Wigan had hardly any opportunities. What they got came from our mistakes and I won't allow it to happen.

"We have enough players now and if people make mistakes then they will not be playing, it is as simple as that.

"I felt we deserved a win. But the bigger picture is that we are still unbeaten in five games and have won three games. I would have settled for that at this stage.

"There was a point after our second goal that we had several chances very quickly to have gone two goals ahead.

Wigan manager Paul Jewell:
"I was disappointed with the mistakes we made to give goals, and with the official.

"We committed too many silly fouls, as was shown with their penalty. We claw our way back into the game and then throw it away with a silly foul like that.

"We have got to learn. We lost the ball in our own half for their first goal, and then gave them their penalty with a silly foul.

"Everton didn't have to work too hard for either of their goals, we must learn we cannot just gift teams goals.

"As for the referee Alan Wiley, teams like us commit one foul and get a booking and so-called big clubs can do three fouls before the book comes out.

"I'm delighted with the point, it shows character, but we should not have been fighting like that to get back into a game."

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Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Naysmith (Nuno Valente 77), Osman, Neville, Carsley (Beattie 60), Arteta, Cahill, Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Wright, Weir, Van der Meyde.

Booked: Neville.

Goals: Johnson 49, Beattie 66 pen.Wigan: Kirkland, Boyce, Hall, De Zeeuw, Baines, Valencia (Teale 61), Landzaat (Wright 82), Scharner, Kilbane, Heskey, Johansson.
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Jackson, Cotterill.

Booked: Kirkland, De Zeeuw, Valencia, Heskey, Baines.

Goals: Scharner 62, 68.

Att: 37,117

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).