HALF A LOAF

The first half of Wigan v Stoke was the least eventful 45 minutes I've watched in a long time. Happily the action perked up in the second half when Wigan were unlucky not to win it (0-0 was the result, as most pundits predicted). Two players caught my eye. Wilson Palacios showed terrific determination. The Wigan midfielder was one of the smaller players on the field, especially in comparison to Stoke's team of giants, but he didn't allow the physical pressures of an over-crowded midfield deter him from putting on very creative display which deserved better reward. Arsene Wenger, take note. In the Stoke rearguard Abdoulaye Faye had an excellent game - although he lost his cool with his own teammates towards the end.
Only problem for me was that my line to Dublin went down just before I was due to give my live report after the final whistle. By the time the guys had Setanta had restored communication the slot had passed and I was stood down. My report for Setanta's UK channel made it on air but - a bit like Wigan and Stoke - I had to settle for half a loaf.
Meanwhile Chester's 0-3 home defeat to Millwall in the FA Cup means we have won just seven matches in the last 12 months. In just over half those matches we have failed to score. It's becoming embarrassing.