Coyle happy despite dour stalemate at Wigan

Bolton manager Owen Coyle insisted his team’s dour 0-0 draw at Wigan was another point towards Premier League survival rather than a missed opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone.

Coyle’s side could have escaped the bottom three with a win at the DW Stadium on Wednesday, but instead they finished the Lancashire derby happy with a stalemate after the hosts enjoyed slightly the better of a woeful encounter on a below-par pitch.

The result lifted Wigan to 14th in the table while Bolton moved up to 18th – one point behind fourth bottom Hull.

Coyle said: “Any point in the Premier League is a valuable point. Looking at the game, it certainly wasn’t a zero-zero.

“We had by far the clearer goalscoring opportunities. It could turn out to be a very important point.

“Could it have been three? Absolutely, so we’ll move on because there’s a lot to be pleased about in terms of the performance.

“I would be more worried if we weren’t creating chances but we are.”

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez can hardly breathe much easier as his team are only two points above the drop zone. But he was content enough with a draw and said: “It is a very good point. Every point now is important.

“I am looking at the performance and all the ingredients you need to be a good side are there – effort, discipline, concentration.

“I felt at times we looked a threat in the last third but at times lacked a bit of composure.

“We need to make sure we carry on with the good standards to make the break that probably would have been the difference today.”

Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia went the closest of either side to breaking the deadlock when he hit the post in the first half but Coyle claimed his side shaded the game.

The derby was never destined to be a classic, not only because of recent struggles of both sides, but the state of the pitch.

The DW Stadium surface has taken a battering in recent weeks because of the weather and increased usage from the start of the rugby league season.

Martinez said: “It is five games in 18 days between rugby and football.

“We don’t have to hide it, it is a bad surface and it affects the way we want to play.

“But I felt we adapted well. There is nothing we can do about the state of the pitch but I am pleased with the way the players approached the situation.”