Gaz Johnson

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Sept 15, 2008

GAZ JOHNSON THE feeling outside the ground at 5.00 on Saturday was one of huge disappointment at only leaving the JJB with a point.

However, after thinking it through, I realised we were lucky to keep our unbeaten run on the road going.

I feel we got the tactics wrong on Saturday with Dean Whitehead playing in the same role Teemu Tianio completely dominates.

If we had had Andy Reid in the middle with his strength and creativity, the game may have ended up as a comfortable victory for us.

MAN OF THE MATCH: George McCartney CHRIS FLYNN THESE were two points dropped.

I know last season we lost 3-0 at Wigan, but we went to the JJB Stadium with a new side this time and I really felt we could win.

We started well but, once Titus Bramble had given us the lead, instead of trying to push on and scoring more goals, we sat back and allowed Wigan to come back at us.

I could not believe how deep we defended in the second half, which just invited Wigan to get at us - and eventually they equalised from a cross which we defended poorly.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Kieran Richardson STEPHEN HUTCHINSON A POINT away from home against a good Wigan side will do me - for the moment, at least.

When I say for the moment, that is because once our team gels as a unit we will take off - but for now our players need to wise up to each others' play.

We rode our luck at times in an entertaining game, but there is still a lot to look forward to because our club has harmony running through it. I would love it if we could just put a winning run together, because we Sunderland fans have had to endure a lot over recent years.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Nyron Nosworthy GORDON MABON WE walked away from the JJB on Saturday slightly despondent at our inability to have taken three points after leading for so long.

However, looking back, it was a good point considering how poorly we played in the second half.

We soaked up the pressure in the first 15 minutes after half-time, but when the opportunity to finish the game arose Djibril Cisse did not take his chance to score the goal which would have effectively put the match beyond Wigan. After this, it was only a matter of time before Wigan scored.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Teemu Tainio JOHN HOUGHTON I KNEW I could rely on Titus to add to his own-goal tally - I complain about our defenders, but thankfully none are at his standard!

Again we could not hang on to a one-goal lead. I always expect us to concede at least a goal a game, so why can we not press on and go for the jugular?

Roy Keane forgets we are not up to the same standard Manchester United were back when he played! I suppose on Saturday it was just a matter of when, not if, Wigan would score.

MAN OF THE MATCH: El Hadji Diouf JENNIE JACKSON TWO pieces of comic defending settled this result.

The first when ex-Mag Titus Bramble headed past his own goalkeeper to put the Lads in front in the first half.

Then, late on in the game, when three Sunderland players failed to clear the ball to allow Wigan's Amr Zaki to score with a tap-in.

There were solid debuts from Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney, but we were really under a lot of pressure in the second half, with Jason Koumas causing us all sorts of problems.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Nyron Nosworthy