Dutchman Dijks rescues a point for Canaries

LONDON: Mitchell Dijks headed in a late equaliser for Norwich to deny Wigan victory as the English Championship match at the DW Stadium ended 2-2 on Tuesday.

The struggling Latics fought back to take the lead after a second-half double from striker Omar Bogle. Dijks then rescued a point for the visitors with a header in the 73rd minute.

Yanic Wildschut was taunted and tortured by Wigan’s fans for walking out to join Norwich.

But really the Latics fans should have been thanking the Dutch winger for the cash as the man they signed with the loose change earned them a huge result.

Bogle moved to Wigan from Grimsby for a fraction of the £7mil ( RM39mil) raised on Wildschut and he paid off with two goals in his first start.

Wildschut was booed and abused from the second his name was read out on the Norwich team sheet. The Dutchman nearly took his revenge quickly when he ran clear but Alex Pritchard’s ball hit him on the back to the amusement of his old fans.

Wigan spent the Wildschut windfall on a handful of players and one of them, Bogle, was only just kept out by John Ruddy when he pounced on some slack defending by the Canaries.

Norwich should have been in front when Cameron Jerome fluffed a volley before they went agonisingly close to the opener.

Jonny Howson shook the bar from 25 yards and Russell Martin dived in to head home the rebound. But the assistant referee waved for offside despite the protests.

Wildschut did not get much joy out of impressive Everton babe Callum Connolly who showed his class against him at rightback.

But the Dutchman still went close with a deflected shot when he came in off the left wing.

Timm Klose was kept out at point blank range by Stephen Warnock’s chest as the pressure mounted. However, Norwich had to score and Oliveira was left with an open goal from Pritchard’s free-kick and managed to find the corner with a header.

Warren Joyce sent on Will Grigg at half-time and went with two up top in a bid to threaten. He immediately added fire too, clashing with Martin after leaving him on the ground.

Grigg put a header wide from a Max Power cross and then his deflected cross had Ruddy scrambling to turn it over the bar.

Bogle yelled for a handball in a melee as the Latics raised their game considerably after the break.

And the big target man rose to bullet in a header from a Michael Jacobs corner in the 62nd minute.

Bogle then showed he has good feet as well by curling in a cracking free-kick just six minutes later, with Ruddy rooted to the spot. Wildschut was subbed in the 71st minute to huge roars of approval, but his mates were level soon after.

Fellow Dutchman Mitchell rose to nod past keeper Jakob Haugaard from Pritchard’s corner to equalise.

Sam Morsy could have grabbed a third for Wigan, but Youssuf Mulumbu stopped his first attempt and Ruddy tipped away the second.

Substitute Josh Murphy was denied by Haugaard’s legs in a thrilling finale as Norwich ultimately missed out on getting back into the top six.

Both sides gambled on attack, a point not being much use to either. Jake Buxton was nearly the late hero but Ruddy stood firm while Oliveira blazed a free-kick over.

Wigan stay in the bottom three but they might just have found the striker to keep them up. — The Sun, London