Ryan Taylor had given Latics an early first-half lead, which looked like giving the visitors the points until a crazy last 10 minutes.

With Latics down to 10 men after Emmerson Boyce's red card early in the second half, Michael Owen equalised in the 80th minute.

Then Obafemi Martins hammered Newcastle ahead seven minutes later to seemingly give the Magpies victory.

But Latics weren't finished, Titus Bramble heading a dramatic 89th minute equaliser against his old club.

Taylor struck in the fourth minute with a delightful goal, and has now netted three times in a row against the Magpies.

Maynor Figueroa took the ball down the left and passed inside to Olivier Kapo who in turn laid it into Taylor's path 25 yards out.

The 24-year-old hit it first time with the outside of his right boot, the ball swerving over Shay Given into the far top corner.

Taylor tried his luck again from outside the box in the eighth minute, this time his shot comfortably gathered by Given.

Joey Barton lasted only 15 minutes of the action, a hard – but fair – challenge from Lee Cattermole ending his involvement.

Latics went close again in the 20th minute, Taylor's corner from the left headed out of the box by the Newcastle defence.

The ball fell to Wilson Palacios whose shot was deflected behind for another corner.

Palacios tried his luck again three minutes later, Antonio Valencia setting up the chance as he tricked his way down the right side of the box.

He pulled the ball back into the path of Palacios who drilled in a low shot which Given got down to save at his near post.

Newcastle's first chance of the game only came in the 29th minute, Jonas Gutierrez riding a couple of challenges before firing wildly over the bar.

Damien Duff then got to the byline and put over a cross which Shola Ameobi headed over the bar from six yards.

Kapo needed lengthy treatment to stem a bloody nose after a clash of heads with Fabrico Coloccini and had to temporarily leave the pitch.

Chris Kirkland came to Latics as the first-half ticked over into stoppage time, Obafemi Martins' getting through on goal but his low shot was blocked by the keeper with his legs.

Two minutes after the interval, a smart shot on the turn from Henri Camara looked to be dipping in until Given plucked it out of the air.

Latics went down to 10 men in the 54th minute when Boyce saw red for a challenge on Ameobi by the corner flag.

Replays showed that the right-back had won the ball but referee Andre Marriner sent Boyce for an early bath having already booked in the first half for a foul on Danny Gutherie.

The response from Latics was a stinging angled drive from Valencia which Given dived to parry behind.

Kapo then saw a flicked header from Taylor's whipped in free-kick drop just wide of the far post.

Latics had a huge let-off in the 70th minute when Michael Owen missed a sitter, just two minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Martins powered his way down the left and crossed low into the middle, Owen side-footing wide from just six yards.

Latics were a whisker away from increasing their lead in the 76th minute, Camara showing a clean pair of heels to Coloccini to bear down on goal.

He rolled a low shot past Given but the ball came agonisingly off the inside of the far post and was kicked clear.

It proved costly, Newcastle equalising in the 80th minute through Owen.

Kirkland could only parry a 20 yard show from Ameobi, the ball falling nicely for Owen to tap it home from close range.

And the Magpies then took the lead in the 87th minute, Martins taking a pass from Charles N'Zogbia and crashing a shot past Kirkland.

But Latics weren't finished and Bramble headed a leveller against his former club in the 89th minute.

He met Daniel de Ridder's corner with a powerful downward header, the ball going in despite the best efforts of Duff to clear on the line.


Latics went into the game without Amr Zaki, Emile Heskey, Mario Melchiot and Jason Koumas through injury.

It meant starts for Taylor, Paul Scharner, Camara and Kapo, while the bench included first-year pro Jon Routledge and Polish youngsters Tomasz Cywka and Tomasz Kupisz.

Scharner came in at centre-back with Emmerson Boyce shifting to right-back to take Melchiot's place.

Camara and Kapo were paired together up front, with Cattermole handed the captain's armband in the absence of Melchiot and vice-skipper Heskey.

Mike Pollitt returned on the bench as cover goalkeeper in place of Richard Kingson.


Latics: Kirkland, Boyce, Scharner, Bramble, Figueroa, Valencia, Cattermole, Palacios, Taylor, Kapo, Camara. Subs: Pollitt, Brown, Kilbane, de Ridder, Cywka, Kupisz, Routledge.

Newcastle: Given, Beye, Bassong, Coloccini, Enrique, Gutierrez, Barton, Butt, Duff, Ameobi, Martins. Subs: Cacapa, Gutherie, Owen, Harper, N'Zogbia, Geremi, Carroll.

Referee: Andre Marriner (Birmingham)

Attendance: 47,657

For a full match report, reaction and pictures, seeing Monday's Wigan Evening Post and the Wigan Observer, on sale Tuesday.