SO MUCH for the beautiful game.

Burnley's sole intention was to frustrate Latics, and Paul Jewell's high-fliers lacked guile to outfox dogged opponents.

Clarets' boss Steve Cotterill has clearly learned how to kill a contest when working with Sunderland alongside Howard Wilkinson, football's undisputed master of dour defence.

Wilko would have raved at such a performance as free-scoring Wigan ran up blind alleys.

Wigan boss Jewell appeared to be as irritated at the finish as his players. He had set his sights firmly on three points, but this was never going to happen.

The game quickly matched the lousy weather and Wigan's entertainers drew a blank for the first time this term.

Matt Jackson and Jimmy Bullard gave everything for the stifled Latics cause but boring Burnley regularly had 10 men behind the ball.

Jewell said: "They clearly came for a draw. We didn't have the craft and we need to if we are going to be up there. I must give Burnley credit for their defending but we have to create more chances especially at home." Tweet