For long spells of the second period, Latics were on the back foot, but coped admirably with everything Spurs had to throw at them.

They could have even snatched a win themselves with a late spell of pressure seeing Olivier Kapo, Henri Camara and Emile Heskey all have chances.

After a goalless first half, the tempo went up after the interval, as did the atmosphere inside White Hart Lane.

Emmerson Boyce saw a looping header from Jason Koumas' cross plucked out of the air by goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes in the 49th minute.

At the other end, a David Bentley chip dropped safely into the gloves of Chris Kirkland, while Darren Bent sent a header over the bar.

Latics survived a penalty appeal when substitute Aaron Lennon appeared to be clipped by Maynor Figueroa, but fortunately referee Steve Tanner ignored the loud appeals.

The lively Lennon saw a 74th minute daisy cutter go wide of the post after finding himself in space on the edge of the box.

And in the 83rd minute, Jamie O'Hara saw a shot fly past the target after being played in by Bent.

Then a 25-yard low drive from substitute Tom Huddlestone was comfortably gathered by the diving Kirkland.

A rare Latics attack in the 86th minute saw Kapo, on for Koumas, head an Antonio Valencia cross over the bar.

And the former France international then saw a drive from the left side of the box tipped over by Gomes.

In the first half, Zaki saw a cross drop into the gloves of Gomes while Paul Scharner saw a 30-yard shot deflect behind for a corner.

In between, Koumas got caught in possession by Darren Bent in midfield, the hosts striker advancing to the edge of the box before his low shot was well saved by the diving Kirkland.

Koumas had sight of goal in the 34th minute when Emile Heskey was tripped by Vedran Corluka just outside the box.

The Wales international curled the resulting free-kick over the wall but straight into the hands of the well positioned Gomes.

Zaki, looking to maintain his goal-a-game ratio in English football, had a chance to do that in the 36th minute.

Scharner and Wilson Palacios linked up well down the right-wing, Palacios' cross bouncing into Zaki's path on the edge of the box.

The Egyptian striker controlled the ball before spinning round and hitting a right-foot shot high over the bar.

Scharner had Latics' best chance of the first-half in the 43rd minute, latching on to Heskey's knock-down before unleashing an angled drive from the right side of the box which Gomes palmed past the far post.

Then a minute before the interval, Figueroa hammered a free-kick high over the bar after Corluka had handled Antonio Valenica's shot.

Latics boss Steve Bruce had made two changes to the side which drew against Sunderland, both in midfield.

Scharner and Koumas came into the starting line-up after being on the bench the week.

Scharner was pressed into a central midfield role in place of the suspended Lee Cattermole, expected stand-in Michael Brown not having travelled for family reasons.

Koumas' reward for an eye-catching run out as a substitute last week was a roving midfield role, replacing Kevin Kilbane who dropped down to the bench.

Bruce named two goalkeepers on the bench, Mike Pollitt and new boy Richard Kingson due to a lack of numbers caused by Brown's late drop-out.

Ryan Taylor was also among the substitutes, his first time in the squad this season after recovering from a shin injury.


Latics: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa, Valencia, Scharner, Palacios, Koumas, Zaki, Heskey. Subs: Taylor, Kilbane, De Ridder, Kapo, Camara, Pollitt, Kingson.

Spurs: Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate, Zokora, Bale, Bentley, O'Hara, Assou-Ekotto, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Bent. Subs: Huddlestone, Lennon, Gilberto, Gunter, Giovani, Campbell, Sanchez.

Referee: Steve Tanner (Somerset)

For a full match report, reaction and pictures, see the Wigan Evening Post on Monday and the Wigan Observer, on sale on Tuesday