Barclays Premier League
Wigan Athletic v West Ham United
JJB Stadium
Wednesday 4 March
7.45pm
Referee: Stuart Attwell
MATCH REPORT I ZOLA PRESS CONFERENCE I CARLTON COLE I HIGHLIGHTS
Full time: Wigan Athletic 0-1 West Ham United
97 min - Will the final whistle ever be blown?! Neill takes a throw-in and Attwell brings proceedings to an end. What a superb result that is for the Hammers, but the night has been tainted by the injury suffered by Collison.
96 min - The unlikely combination of Spector and Lopez almost lead to a second for the Uruguayan, but a fine tackle denies him at the last. West Ham have a corner and choose to keep the ball there.
95 min - Under two minutes left now and Wigan are throwing men forward in search of an equaliser. Poor control from Valencia hands West Ham a throw-in.
94 min - Another through-ball rolls through into the safety of Green's arms.
92 min - Savio is booked for time-wasting.
90 min - There are going to be six added minutes.
88 min - Parker is replaced by Walter Lopez.
87 min - Kirkland denies Noble with his legs after the midfielder had been played in by Savio following a superb driving run from Parker.
84 min - Rodallega's over-head kick flies well wide.
82 min - Rodallega heads into Green's arms.
80 min - Melchiot rampages forward and crosses, but the ball ricochets off Upson and Parker and into the arms of a grateful Green.
79 min - After prolonged treatment, Collison is carried off on a stretcher down the tunnel.
78 min - Jonathan Spector is on for Collison, who is receiving treatment from a team of paramedics. Meanwhile, Bramble is replaced by Ben Watson for Wigan.
77 min - Shocking luck for Collison. He controls the ball on his chest before collapsing in a heap on the touchline. It looks like his right knee.
76 min - That proves to be Di Michele's last involvement. He is replaced by Savio. The on-loan Torino man has really put in a shift for his team tonight.
74 min - Ilunga romps forward down the left and feeds Noble, who dummies cleverly, only for Di Michele to send his first-time shot miles over the top.
73 min - James Tomkins and Kovac have both been rock-solid tonight. Tomkins has won numerous important headers and it was his interception that led to Cole's superb goal. Meanwhile, Kovac has been all over the park and also looked very strong in the air.
72 min - Another superb turn from Parker takes him away from Scharner, but his flick is just too far in front of Collison or else the 20-year-old would have been in.
71 min - Rodallega catches Upson as he runs on to Scharner''s through-ball.
70 min - Parker stings Kirkland's palms with a low shot that the goalkeeper spills. Boyce mops up the rebound and clears the danger. Seconds later, Figueroa's long-range effort is well held by Green.
68 min - Collison follows up a neat piece of skill by running on to Neill's pass, but Boyce sticks out a leg to prevent the Wales international from bearing down on goal. Just over 20 minutes to go and the Hammers are getting stronger as the game goes on.
67 min - West Ham are inches away from making it 2-0. Di Michele spins away from his marker brilliantly before swapping passes with Neill. The Italian looks up and whips the ball into the danger area, but it is just too far in front of a lunging Noble.
64 min - Wigan make two changes. Brown and Zaki are replaced by Paul Scharner and Hugo Rodallega.
63 min - Bramble lashes miles over the top from Mido's knockdown.
60 min - Another booking, this time for Valencia for a foul on Ilunga. Captain Neill takes advantage of the break to receive some words of instruction from manager Zola.
59 min - I know there is still half-an-hour to go here, but if the results stay the way they are up and down the country, West Ham will be four points clear of Wigan and Fulham in seventh and just six points behind Everton.
58 min - Wigan are still marginally on top here.
56 min - Figueroa lashes a left-foot shot well over the crossbar from 25 yards.
55 min - The two sets of fans are right into this game. Meanwhile, Parker rejoins the action.
53 min - Parker is taken to the touchline after a good three minutes of treatment. He tries a short jog along the sideline before receiving another check-up from the Hammers' medical staff.
51 min - Parker is left writhing in agony by Cattermole's challenge. The midfielder is sent-off for a knee-high tackle on the England man. So it's going to be ten against ten for the remaining 39 minutes.
50 min - Figueroa's fine cross-field ball finds Valencia, but the winger's cross is atrocious and flies out on the full for a throw-in on the opposite side of the pitch.
48 min - Neill is the fourth West Ham player to see yellow after a sliding challenge on Cattermole.
48 min - Another corner for Wigan, this time as 'Zogbia plays the ball off Neill. The January signing from Newcastle United crosses and Collison hooks the ball clear.
47 min - Valencia crosses, Boyce flicks on but Bramble can only mis-control the ball wide of the far post. That was a let-off.
46 min - West Ham are out first, followed by Wigan and finally referee Attwell. Wigan get us under way and immediately force a corner off Upson.
Wigan Athletic 0-1 West Ham United
45 min - The half-time whistle goes.
45 min - There are going to be three added minutes. Mido glides a header wide from 'Zogbia's cross.
42 min - Cattermole twists and turns on to his left foot before firing a low shot wide of the far post. West Ham could do with the half-time whistle here.
41 min - Wigan are on top here. Valencia hammers a low cross against Ilunga's shins and the ball goes out for a corner. 'Zogbia crosses and Boyce flicks a header well wide of the far post.
40 min - Close call for Wigan as Mido heads Valencia's near-post cross on to the post and out for a goal-kick.
37 min - From joy to disbelief for Cole, who is sent-off for a challenge on Boyce. The striker appeared to have his eye on the ball all the way. The two teams are engaged in a melee as the sets of players disagree over the decision. After two minutes of messing about, Brown is booked. Parker appeared to be particularly unhappy with the midfielder's role in Cole's dismissal.
36 min - Parker is the third West Ham player booked for a challenge on Brown.
34 min - GOAL! Cole scores an absolute belter of a goal. Tomkins wins the ball in midfield and feeds Ilunga, The left-back passes to Parker, who finds Di Michele. The Italian plays an instant one-two with Noble before laying the ball off to Cole, who curls a delightful shot into Chris Kirkland's far corner.
32 min - Parker does brilliantly to spin away from three Wigan players. The fans respond with a rendition of 'Super Scotty Parker'. Seconds later, Di Michele's attempted curler hits Collison, who is standing in an offside position.
30 min - Upson does well to hold of Mido as he attempts to latch on to Zaki's chip and Green is out to mop up the danger.
29 min - Cole follows his team-mate into Attwell's notebook after bringing down Michael Brown. 30 seconds later, Upson's header falls to Cattermole, but his low shot flies harmlessly wide.
27 min - Noble picks up his sixth yellow card of the season for a late tackle on Lee Cattermole.
26 min - West Ham are starting to take control of this game. Another neat piece of interplay ends with Ilunga clipping a ball over the Wigan defence, but it is just too strong for Di Michele.
24 min - Titus Bramble receives a talking to from referee Stuart Attwell for a foul on Cole.
23 min - A lovely turn sees Di Michele spin away from his marker, but he runs into Collison as he shapes to shoot and the chance evaporates.
20 min - There is great hilarity in the press box at the irony of it snowing in the first Wets Ham fixture since the Premier League reverted back to using the white ball after four months of playing with a yellow one. Meanwhile, Di Michele is penalised for being offside.
17 min - A first sight of goal for Cole as he races on to Collilson's through ball. The big striker knocks the ball past Kirkland but it rolls out for a goal-kick. That was a decent chance.
16 min - After what seems like an eternity, Mido strikes a low, powerful shot that Green does well to keep out. The ball squirms away, but Green reacts quickly and pushes the ball away from the on-rushing Antonio Valencia. The England goalkeeper then rises high to claim the resulting corner.
15 min - Neill is penalised again for a challenge on Zaki in a dangerous position just four or five yards outside the penalty area. This one is in a more central position, though.
13 min - The Wigan fans obviously like Zaki. They have already sung two different tunes in honour of their leading scorer.
11 min - Neill is penalised for barging into Amr Zaki about seven yards outside the penalty area. The Egyptian picks himself up and curls a free-kick over the wall, forcing Robert Green to tip the ball over the crossbar. A superb Upson header clears 'Zogbia's corner.
8 min - Not much goalmouth action so far...
6 min - A lovely turn by Parker sparks a spell of sustained possession for the Hammers that only ends when Di Michele curls a left-foot shot well wide of the target. Noble, Kovac, Cole and Lucas Neill were all involved in what was a promising passage of play.
5 min - Cole latches on to Di Michele's pass, but Emmerson Boyce gets back to challenge and the chance is lost.
4 min - The lively 'Zogbia leaves Kovac for dead with a nifty drop of the shoulder, only to hoof his pass to Mido out for a goal-kick. The snow has virtually stopped.
3 min - After a couple more hairy moments, Ilunga clears to Mark Noble, but his attempted through ball to Carlton Cole is overhit and floats out for a goal-kick.
2 min - Just for a change, the travelling Hammers are outsinging their hosts. Herita Ilunga's loose clearance leads to Charles 'Zogbia forcing a corner off Lucas Neill. The Frenchman takes and Radoslav Kovac heads clear.
1 min - Scott Parker and David Di Michele kick-off...
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Noble, Parker, Kovac, Collison, Di Michele, Cole. Subs: Lastuvka, Lopez, Spector, Payne, Stanislas, Sears, Savio
Wigan Athletic: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa, Valencia, Cattermole, Brown, 'Zogbia, Zaki, Mido. Subs: Pollitt, Edman, Watson, Scharner, Rodallega, Kapo, SIbierski
Gianfranco Zola has made just one change to the West Ham United side that beat Manchester City 1-0 at the Boleyn Ground on Sunday, replacing the injured Valon Behrami with Mark Noble, who missed the weekend fixture through a one-match suspension. Teenagers Josh Payne and Junior Stanislas retained their places on the substitutes' bench.
The two teams are going through their pre-match warm-ups on the pitch here at a chilly JJB Stadium. The stands are not exactly full, but there are still 15 minutes to go until kick-off, after all.
Wigan has miraculously escaped the snow that has fallen on large areas of the north today. Nearby Blackburn has seen a covering of the white stuff, while the M62 motorway over the Pennines has been hit by the severe weather too.
West Ham United like playing at the JJB Stadium. On six previous visits, the Hammers have tasted victory four times and drawn once. Wigan's only home win over West Ham came last season, when Kevin Kilbane's first half header was the only goal of the game.
The pitch here at the JJB looks in really good nick and should really suit West Ham's slick passing style of football. A win tonight and the Hammers would go four points clear of their opponents. Of West Ham's other closest rivals, Fulham entertain Hull City, while Bolton Wanderers are at Stoke City.
Just a few short minutes until kick-off now and we await the entry of the two teams...and here they come!
The JJB is not exactly full tonight. West Ham have brought well over 1,200 supporters to what is their third long away trip in the space of 11 days.
I spoke too soon - it's snowing!!
Lucas Neill and Mario Melchiot exchange handshakes with each other and referee Stuart Attwell. The two teams swap ends, with Robert Green last to take up his position.