Category Archives: Match Reports

A point gained or two lost?

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, News and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

2013-spursloss

A thrilling encounter at the DW Stadium ended two goals apiece as Tottenham and Wigan put a dent in each other’s contrasting ambitions. Spurs, chasing a Champions League spot after being cruelly denied one last season, started strongly but found themselves 2-1 down for the bulk of the second half. Wigan’s committed and organized defending looked likely to secure three points of gold in the relegation battle until an intelligent Tom Huddlestone free-kick caused panic and Emmerson Boyce — scorer of Wigan’s first goal with an excellent header — scored an unfortunate own goal.

While there was much to applaud from Wigan, the nature of the goals conceded will torment Roberto Martinez. Eighty minutes before Boyce’s heartbreaking own goal, Maynor Figueroa and Joel Robles had conspired to bizarrely gift Spurs the lead. A series of uncertain passes between them resulted in a casual clearance by the young Spanish keeper that bounced powerfully off Bale’s outstretched leg and into the back of the net. That Wigan managed to stop Tottenham’s dangerous attacking game but conceded two goals as sloppy as those is cruel on Martinez, who got his tactics right on the day.

Wigan’s goals on the other hand, were fantastic. A curling Shaun Maloney corner was wonderfully headed home by Boyce to equalize early in the affair, before a truly inspired passing sequence involving five players was finished with a thumping left footed volley by Callum McManaman to give the team the lead.

Despite uncharacteristically struggling for possession throughout the match, Wigan played with desire and commitment and were ultimately unfortunate not to emerge with three points.

The Good:

Despite the absence of key defender Antolin Alcaraz and the injury to Maynor Figueroa, there were signs that Wigan could defend well with a makeshift defence. The midfield tackling was superb with James McCarthy and James McArthur at their very best. Ronnie Stam, on for Figueroa, had a good game and may well keep his place at right-back with Emmerson Boyce covering for the injured trio of Ivan Ramis, Antolin Alcaraz and Maynor Figueroa.

Callum McManaman’s goal was superbly taken and he has shown enough in the last ten or so matches to suggest he will be a big contributor of goals in seasons to come. He is fearless and direct, and takes it on when others would pass the ball to someone else. He fades in and out of games and is being eased into Premier League football with about an hour of football per match, but he has become an important player for Martinez.

The Bad:

There was a huge element of fortune in Spurs’ equalizing goal, but the first one was simply unforgivable. You can’t expect to beat a team of such quality when you give them a free 1-0 start.

The injury to Maynor Figueroa is another serious blow in a season that has denied Latics of a fit and healthy backline. How different things might have been if Ramis, Alcaraz and Figueroa had been able to line up together. The question now is whether Gary Caldwell will return to the centre of defence against less speedy opposition at West Brom, or if Boyce will partner Scharner with Stam continuing on the right side of defence.

The League Table

It is a two-horse race between Wigan and Aston Villa. The teams have now played the same number of matches, with the latter two points ahead. All eyes will be on their unpredictable fixture against Sunderland on Monday. As long as they do not win, Wigan’s fortunes remain in their hands.

Player Ratings:

Joel Robles: 5 — Awful mistake early in the match to give away the first goal. Arguably might have done better with the second. In his defence, he made some excellent saves and probably saved a goal when Jermain Defoe was through on goal late in the first half — but looked jittery.

Emmerson Boyce: 7.5 — Unlucky to give away the own goal. He had been excellent before that, scoring a brilliant header and defending responsibly after being drafted into the centre of defence.

Paul Scharner: 8– Very good game against difficult strikers, despite moving across to the unfamiliar left side of centre in a make-shift defence.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 — Was not enjoying his day before injuring himself while making an excellent clearance. His injury is a huge blow and will be missed.

Jean Beausejour: 6 — Given the circumstances, and being asked to play at left-back for big chunks of the game against some of the fastest players in the league, he coped admirably. Unfortunately, his professional foul against Kyle Walker led to the free-kick from which Tottenham equalised.

James McCarthy: 8 — Asked to play a deeper role shielding the back four, McCarthy covered every blade of grass today breaking up play and driving forward when able.

James McArthur: 8 — An exhibition in one-on-one defending. He won the ball back in midfield frequently and tracked back when necessary to help out his defence.

Jordi Gomez: 7 — Caught in possession a few times and not his best first half, but played well in the second before making way for Roger Espinoza.

Shaun Maloney: 7 — A typical Maloney performance with neat feet, darting runs and positive movement. Unable to exert strong influence on the game from the wing, however, as the team struggled for possession.

Callum McManaman: 8 — Excellent defensive contribution, he ran his socks off. In attack, he drifted in and out of the game but scored a cracker and looked dangerous when on the ball.

Arouna Kone: 7 — Threatened but couldn’t deliver this time.

Subs:

Ronnie Stam: 7 — Put in a very good shift despite having been in the fringes for a while now.

Franco Di Santo: One fantastic curled cross for Kone after a strong run down the right side.

Roger Espinoza: Immediately involved, a couple decent tackles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alcaraz injury blows away Latics

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Reports, Other and tagged with ,

West ham

Injury forced Antolin Alcaraz to leave the field after 15 minutes. Up to that point Wigan Athletic had taken the game to the home team and looked confident and composed.  The psychology changed after the Paraguayan went off. Once again, playing the better football, Wigan were to come  home pointless.

Roberto Martinez had brought back Gary Caldwell in defence and Callum McManaman in attack. Maynor Figueroa was moved to left wing back and Franco Di Santo  was  left on the bench.

The result hinged on crucial moments, Alcaraz’ injury foremost.  Early in the first half Shaun Maloney had been put through with a one on one with Jussi Jaaskelainan, but the goalkeeper blocked his shot. West Ham were to score a scrappy goal after 30 minutes when Matt Jarvis put in a centre that eluded everybody, including Robles in the Wigan goal. It went in somehow.

Following Alcaraz’ exit Wigan’s defence were all at sea and West Ham could have scored more goals before the half time whistle blew. Jean Beausejour had come on for Alcaraz, with Maynor Figueroa reverting to central defence from wing back. Wigan supporters would have been glad to hear the half time whistle, with their team just one behind.

Wigan came out with resolve after the break, taking the game to the home team. The second  crucial moment of the match was to come  came after 70 minutes.  James McArthur’s shot was parried by Jaaskelainan but somehow eluding Arouna Kone at the far post.

No matter how much Wigan dominated the second half goals eluded them, with West Ham packed in defence.

West Ham were to seal the game with another “Bolton goal”  Somehow Andy Carroll’s speculative volley  found Kevin Nolan who deflected the ball in. Wigan attacked constantly but could not score. They had 63% of the possession in the match.

The Good

These matches are always set on a knife-edge. Latics had attacked the hosts from the start. They  were there to win the game. Had Maloney’s shot gone in it would have been a different ball game. Then if McArthur’s effort in the second half had been put away, who knows what might have happened?

In the second half West Ham had dropped deep, to protect their lead. Wigan’s effort could not be faulted. They tried hard but could not scale that brick-wall West Ham defence.

The Bad

Antolin Alcaraz has proved to be the cornerstone of Latics’ revival in recent weeks.  He has been superb since he came back, making a huge difference to the defence. When he went off today, Wigan visibly wilted. It was to be the turning point of the match.

One hopes Alcaraz will be back. Otherwise Wigan’s central defence will be lacking its best player. It could be the key factor that determines their status in the Premier League.

Player Ratings

Joel Robles: 7 – could be faulted with that scrappy opening goal, but so could the defence. Looks a very good young goalkeeper.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – cannot be faulted for effort and commitment.

Antolin Alcaraz: injured and substituted aftger 15 minutes.

Paul Scharner: 6 –could not stamp his mark on the game.

Gary Caldwell: 5 – a less than auspicious return for the captain.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 – his poor final pass or shooting killed a number of promising moves.

James McCarthy: 6 – not up to his usual level, but worked hard as always.

Jordi Gomez: 5 – ineffective. Should have been substituted at half time when McManaman went off.

Callum McManaman: 5 – peripheral. Taken off at half time.

Arouna Kone: 6 – hard to understand how he was not in place to slot McArthur’s effort home after Jaaskelainan’s parry. Worked hard, but found the Hammers defence tough.

Shaun Maloney: 7 – tried to get things moving in the second half. Lots of good touches, but with no end result.

Substitutes:

Jean Beausejour: 5 – came on for Alcaraz after 15 minutes, but not at his best.

James McArthur: 7– came on after half time. Helped Wigan gain the midfield.

Franco Di Santo: – brought on too late after 86 minutes.

Late heartbreak for classy Latics

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, Other and tagged with , , , , ,

2013-city

A very strong Wigan Athletic performance lacking only a goal ended in misery as a Carlos Tevez wonderstrike settled the affair with five minutes to go.

Wigan had been outstanding all over the pitch but more than once found themselves thwarted by excellent goalkeeping and defending at the crucial moment.

It is a cruel blow, but if ever a defeat could offer encouragement, this would be a good one to watch. For large periods of the match, Wigan out-passed and out-classed the defending champions on their own patch and deserved at least a point for their efforts.

Any concerns about the FA Cup being a distraction from league survival were put to bed in the first half, as Latics had earned two corners inside the first three minutes. Having reverted to the wingback formation with Franco Di Santo pairing Arouna Koné up front instead of a traditional right winger in Callum McManaman, Wigan enjoyed as much possession as their counterparts and without a doubt fashioned the best scoring opportunities. Di Santo was involved in two of them, first cutting his pass too far behind the on-rushing Koné, and then doing exceptionally well from a Shaun Maloney flick only to be sensationally stopped by Manchester City keeper Joe Hart.

Meanwhile, City were restricted to largely hopeful crossing although Paul Scharner’s struggles with Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez foreshadowed trouble. The midfield duo of James McCarthy and Jordi Gomez were neat and incisive and continued to fine tune their blossoming partnership. All in all, things were going very well indeed, though you got the feeling the missed opportunities would eventually prove costly.

The second half continued in much the same vein with a Maloney shot cleared off the line, followed by a sensational one-touch move involving Jordi Gomez, Maloney, Di Santo and Kone foiled by Vincent Kompany at the last second. City grew into the game as time went on, but Wigan threatened on the break and good running by McManaman — on for the injured Di Santo — could have done with a more assertive finish.

The Good:

This was a team performance reminiscent of the golden run-in last year, on the defending champions’ home patch. The midfield was outstanding, the forward play was strong and positive, and the defending, save for Scharner who struggled throughout, was top class.

The Bad:

An opportunity lost, given the level of performance and chances squandered. Di Santo generally looked sharp and hungry but was unable to take his chance. A difficult loss to swallow.

Player Ratings:

Joel Robles: 7 — Not much to do in first half, but made a couple very good saves in the second — one from Edin Dzeko in particular.

Paul Scharner: 5 — Had a hard time. Got beaten in one-on-ones, notably in the build-up to the goal, and gave away possession on several occasions.

Antolin Alcaraz: 8 — Commanding, with some intelligent and controlled slide tackling.

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Good shift from the Honduran despite making a mess of a very promising breakaway in the second half with an overhit pass.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 — Worked very hard defensively and had to cover for Scharner more than once.

Jean Beausejour: 7 — Though his crosses were not finished off, he got forward frequently and played a number of them, some very tasty indeed. Also disciplined in defensive duties.

James McCarthy: 9 — Dominant in midfield, he grew as the match went on. Complete performance.

Jordi Gomez: 8 — Looking ever more comfortable in the holding role with some good positive passing and good break-up play. Showing more urgency and forward passing in recent weeks, which is great to see.

Shaun Maloney: 8 — Another excellent performer, denied on the line with a curling effort in the first half, and should have been on the assist sheet with a clever flick for Di Santo in the first. Was a pest all night darting, weaving and threading passes.

Franco Di Santo: 7 — What a shame he couldn’t tuck that one away. Did extremely well to shrug off his defenders but telegraphed it. Still, it was an excellent save by Hart and the Argentine had a good game. Lets hope the injury is minor.

Arouna Koné: 8 — Confident and strong target man play, he was in the right place at the right time more than once only for City’s excellent defenders to make last ditch tackles.

Subs:

McManaman: Looked confident when he came on and quickly created a good shooting opportunity, but failed to trouble Hart.

McArthur: Came on right after the goal and didn’t have enough time to affect the game.

Espinoza: A late sub.

History made, as final beckons for Wigan

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, News and tagged with , , , , , , ,

facup-maloney

Wigan Athletic made history today after a professional performance at Wembley saw off Millwall to secure a spot in their first ever FA Cup final.

The 2-0 scoreline was probably a fair outcome given the number of chances created on either side, while the quality of the strikes outlined the gulf in class between the two sets of players. Shaun Maloney got things started when he met a gorgeous, floated cross from Arouna Koné in mid-air 25 minutes into the fixture. Callum McManaman, a real threat throughout, had earlier gone close with a rasping drive, while Jordi Gomez’s first time effort was excellently parried by Millwall keeper David Forde. The first half petered out with Wigan comfortably in cruise control.

The second half was a different story, as Millwall stepped up their effort to press high up the pitch, forcing mistakes out of the their opponents. A period of sustained pressure from the London side saw some last ditch defending from set pieces preserve Wigan’s lead, but it was the Premier League outfit that looked the more threatening from open play. McManaman, reveling in his key creative role out wide, tormented his marker time and time again, cutting onto his right foot to blaze over before crossing dangerously with his left foot just behind Koné. A delicious through-ball by Gomez with just over 10 minutes left put him in a great position however, and he made no mistake by classily rounding Forde and slotting home to celebrate the goal he thoroughly deserved.

The Good:

This was the best possible outcome. It was a job well done, with two excellent goals, a clean sheet, no yellow cards or injuries. A huge morale boost for a team that has now gone five matches undefeated and won six of the last nine. Wigan’s two little creators, Maloney and McManaman, made the difference.

The Bad: 

Today is not a day to pick at imperfections, but a day to enjoy, celebrate, and savour. With hope, the violence caught by television cameras in the Millwall supporter section did not lead to serious injury and was contained as supporters left the stadium.

Player Ratings: 

Ali Al-Habsi: 7 — Few Wigan supporters would begrudge his return to the starting lineup, despite a wobbly season. Joel Robles did nothing wrong and indeed looks a very promising young goalkeeper, but he was always likely to make way for the Omani international and club talisman before the end of the season. It was a fitting and kind reward for Ali’s service and standards in his time with the club that he could make his return at Wembley. The big question now is whether he retains his place for league play.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 — Solid defensive play with one important interception standing out. Has proven a good stand-in captain in Gary Caldwell’s absence and will be extremely proud if he retains the armband to lead the team out in the final.

Antolin Alcaraz: 8 — An excellent player who has made a huge difference since returning from injury. It is hard to imagine Wigan being involved in the relegation struggle this season had he been fit and available for the majority of the season.

Paul Scharner: 7 — A couple wobbly moments, but he made more crucial tackles and interceptions than anyone on the pitch. You could see what it meant to him at the end of the match — he’ll be making his second cup final appearance for Wigan (he is the only member of the current squad who played in the Carling Cup final against Manchester United seven years ago).

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Very solid and composed defensive performance, as has become his habit.

James McCarthy: 6 — Didn’t really assert himself on the game, but didn’t let anyone down and worked very hard as always.

Jordi Gomez: 7.5 — Very involved, retaining possession in attack and making a significant amount of tackles and interceptions on the defensive side of things. His pass for McManaman’s goal was beautiful. Unlucky with a first time effort after a flowing move in the first half.

Shaun Maloney: 7 — Good first half, capped by an excellent goal. Quiet in the second and eventually pushed out wide when Jean Beausejour was withdrawn — a position from which he has less impact on the game.

Jean Beausejour: 6 — Not a bad game, but not his best either. Second time running he has been substituted early — possibly carrying a niggle?  That said, Wigan lost the midfield when he was withdrawn. He rarely loses the ball when in possession.

Callum McManaman: 8 — Excellent, positive, brave performance, taking risks with his direct dribbling and powerful shooting. Took his goal brilliantly, and might have scored another couple but for a brilliant save by Forde and an overhit finish. Only made his first start for the club a couple months ago but is fast becoming a key creator for Wigan. Certainly offers something the team has been lacking since Victor Moses’ departure in the summer. Surely in with a shout for player of the tournament.

Arouna Koné: 7.5 — Very good, confident front-man play. Single-handedly created the first goal with a brilliant “sombrero”, turn, run and cross. Only had one real chance which Forde beat away with his feet. In good form.

Subs:

James McArthur — Brought on to give Beausejour a rest and help the team regain possession, but the substitution didn’t work. Not so much McArthur’s fault in particular, who put in his usual shift, but the team suffered an anxious patch before McManaman’s goal settled matters.

Angelo Henriquez — A strange substitution, with Franco Di Santo presumably sitting next to him on the bench. With the match just about settled at that point, you would think Martinez would have given a Wigan player the big-game experience, rather than an on-loan Manchester United striker who is likely to get plenty of it in the future. One must hope it does not have to do with the Argentine’s intentions this summer.

QPR 1 Wigan Athletic 1- Maloney spares Wigan’s blushes

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Reports, Other and tagged with ,

Maloneygoal
Shaun Maloney’s super strike from a free kick in the last minute of added time spared Wigan’s blushes and pushed QPR firmly towards the trap door of relegation. Despite the home team having to play with 10 men since the 21st minute Latics had not been able to find a way through until that moment.

There was no doubt about the sending off for Bobby Zamora, after his boot was raised high enough to decapitate Jordi Gomez. It was a huge blow for Rangers, but they dug in and played with spirit and organisation. Their much criticized defence was excellent throughout and allowed Latics’ forwards no breathing room.

Despite their numerical superiority Wigan were unable to create many clear cut chances. The best was in the 78th minute when Jordi Gomez put in a superb cross that James McArthur should have buried, but he headed straight at Julio Cesar with the goal at his mercy. Seven minutes later Maynor Figueroa’s shot Wigan’s from an elaborate free kick routine from thirty yards out was cleared and Loic Remy scored one of the goals of the season from the counter attack. A breathtaking strike.

All in all a fascinating match. Wigan supporters will be disappointed not to have got three points against the ten men. However, this should not detract from a superb performance from the home side. Sadly for them the result presents another nail in their coffin. It is going to take a minor miracle for them to survive now.

The Good

The defence played well throughout. It was only a superb goal that stopped them getting a clean sheet. Latics played with organization and discipline.

Once again Wigan have gained a result against relegation rivals. Only with hindsight at the end of the season will we see if the three points should have been gained in this match will outweigh the psychological body blow that QPR might not recover from.

Wigan have had a disappointing season and the threat of relegation still hovers above them. However, today they were playing against a team whose wage bill is probably double their own. Once again to stay up Latics have to punch above their weight. It was a disappointing outcome today for Wigan fans, but Latics are still alive and kicking in the league and the FA Cup semi final is coming up next weekend.

The Bad

The lack of cutting edge of the attack against 10 men was frustrating to see. The incisive pass was not coming from the midfield and the forwards ran down blind alleys. It almost seemed like Latics were playing for the one point, rather than the three.

Roberto Martinez might have played down the effect of the upcoming FA Cup semi final on the players’ minds, but was it a factor today?

Player Ratings

Joel Robles: 6 – once again not tested with shots on goal. However, looks commanding and composed. Could not be faulted for Remy’s goal.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 – very solid in defence, made a superb tackle on Remy in the first half to prevent a goal. Played a captain’s role.

Paul Scharner: 6 – not at his best but his partnership with Alcaraz gives Latics much hope.

Antolin Alcaraz: 8 – once again excellent in defence.

Maynor Figueroa:6 – as committed as ever, although he had problems with Townsend. Let’s hope he will sign a new contract and stay at Wigan.

Jean Beausejour: 6 – worked hard down the left flank. Taken off after 62 minutes.

James McCarthy: 8 – consistent as ever. Could not be faulted for effort and commitment. Had a good shot pushed wide by Cesar in the first half.

Jordi Gomez:6 – infuriating at times, but improving in the role of holding midfield player. Covered a huge amount of ground during the game. Put in a sublime centre that James McArthur should have buried in the second half.

Shaun Maloney: 7 – well marked and not as effective as in recent games, but his free kick was superb.

Callum McManaman: 6 – worked hard and had a good effort go very close in the first half. Substituted after 68 minutes.

Arouna Kone: 6 – tightly marked and did not receive much good service. Grafted hard as always.

Substitutes.

James McArthur: – has scored some really important goals for Latics, What a shame he could not put that one in today. Came on after 62 minutes for Beausejour.

Franco Di Santo: – ineffective after coming on for McManaman after 68 minutes.

Roger Espinosa: – brought on after 88 minutes for Figueroa.

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