Blackburn Rovers 2 v 1 Wigan Athletic
11st October 2006
Wigan Athletic are looking like a side destined for a horrible relegation fight this season. The Latics look like a pale shadow of the team that took the Premiership by storm last season. In fact, their form since losing the Carling Cup Final in February of this year reveals that the club is indeed showing 'certain' relegation form. Since that historic day the Blues have played 17 games and won just 4 of them, and without any disrespect to the teams involved, two of the sides Latics beat during that time were Sunderland and Reading.
There are only so many "Look how far the club has come"'s and "The team needs time to gel"'s that the supporters are going to swallow. And whilst Paul Jewell has recently, and in my opinion quite rightly, slammed the Latics boo boys, sooner or later he has got to realise that Latics are currently on a very slippery slope at the moment.
Despite a good start at Ewood Park, Latics once again failed to capitalise from being in a position of strength and in the end were lucky not to have conceded at least four more goals than the two Blackburn did manage to put away. Almost immediately after Heskey had put Latics ahead with a sweetly taken shot with just two minutes of the game played, it was Blackburn who held the upper hand. The only surprise was that it took Blackburn until the first minute of time added on at the end of the first half to make their breakthrough. David Bentley was the Rovers hero when he hit a blistering shot from the edge of the box and saw the ball swerve neatly into the bottom corner of Chris Kirkland's net.
Rovers came out for the second half fired up and looking like a side that is unused to losing as the prepared to make this game result in their fourth successive victory. They came close in the 63rd minute and only brilliant goalkeeping by Kirkland kept Franny Jeffers from finding the back of the net. Seven minutes later Rovers manager Mark Hughes decided that it was time for former Latics striker Jason Roberts to take part in proceedings and from that moment on all Latics fans feared the worst.
With just a quarter of an hour of the game remaining Emile Heskey was brought down in the Rovers penalty area by Aaron Mokoena and referee Howard Webb pointed to the penalty spot. Were Latics going to sneak victory after all Blackburn's hard work?
Up stepped Latics substitute Svetoslav Todorov, on his Latics Premiership debut, to take responsibility for slamming the ball past rookie goalkeeper Jay Brown who had replaced Brad Friedel for the second half. Incredibly, he not only saw his poorly struck spot kick saved, but he also missed a glorious chance to bang in the rebound.
That was all the inspiration Rovers needed and in the 81st minute Benni McCarthy put Rovers in front when he latched on to a pass from Roberts, who was having a very good game indeed. Towards the end of the game Latics even had Chris Kirkland in the Rovers penalty area as they tried desperately to retrieve a point. But it was not to be and Latics made the short trip home pointless and staring a relegation dogfight right in the eyes.
BLACKBURN ROVERS, Brad Friedel, (Jason Brown 46), Zurab Khizanishvili, Lucas Neill, Andre Ooijer, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Robbie Savage, Brett Emerton, Tugay, (Aaron Mokoena 70), David Bentley, Francis Jeffers, (Jason Roberts 70), Benni McCarthy. Subs not used, Jay McEveley, Paul Gallagher.
Goalscorers, David Bentley 45 mins, Benni McCarthy 81 mins
Booked, Francis Jeffers 29 mins, Andre Ooijer 75 mins, Aaron Mokoena 85 mins
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Emmerson Boyce, Arjan De Zeeuw, Matt Jackson, Leighton Baines, Antonio Luis Valencia, (Gary Teale 67), Paul Scharner, Denny Landzaat, Kevin Kilbane, (Lee McCulloch 74), Emile Heskey, Henri Camara, (Svetoslav Todorov 64). Subs not used, Mike Pollitt, Andreas Johansson.
Goalscorer, Emile Heskey 2 mins
Booked, Paul Scharner 20 mins, Kevin Kilbane 55 mins, Leighton Baines 58 mins, Denny Landzaat 65 mins
Referee, Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)
Attendance, 17,859
Wigan Athletic are looking like a side destined for a horrible relegation fight this season. The Latics look like a pale shadow of the team that took the Premiership by storm last season. In fact, their form since losing the Carling Cup Final in February of this year reveals that the club is indeed showing 'certain' relegation form. Since that historic day the Blues have played 17 games and won just 4 of them, and without any disrespect to the teams involved, two of the sides Latics beat during that time were Sunderland and Reading.
There are only so many "Look how far the club has come"'s and "The team needs time to gel"'s that the supporters are going to swallow. And whilst Paul Jewell has recently, and in my opinion quite rightly, slammed the Latics boo boys, sooner or later he has got to realise that Latics are currently on a very slippery slope at the moment.
Despite a good start at Ewood Park, Latics once again failed to capitalise from being in a position of strength and in the end were lucky not to have conceded at least four more goals than the two Blackburn did manage to put away. Almost immediately after Heskey had put Latics ahead with a sweetly taken shot with just two minutes of the game played, it was Blackburn who held the upper hand. The only surprise was that it took Blackburn until the first minute of time added on at the end of the first half to make their breakthrough. David Bentley was the Rovers hero when he hit a blistering shot from the edge of the box and saw the ball swerve neatly into the bottom corner of Chris Kirkland's net.
Rovers came out for the second half fired up and looking like a side that is unused to losing as the prepared to make this game result in their fourth successive victory. They came close in the 63rd minute and only brilliant goalkeeping by Kirkland kept Franny Jeffers from finding the back of the net. Seven minutes later Rovers manager Mark Hughes decided that it was time for former Latics striker Jason Roberts to take part in proceedings and from that moment on all Latics fans feared the worst.
With just a quarter of an hour of the game remaining Emile Heskey was brought down in the Rovers penalty area by Aaron Mokoena and referee Howard Webb pointed to the penalty spot. Were Latics going to sneak victory after all Blackburn's hard work?
Up stepped Latics substitute Svetoslav Todorov, on his Latics Premiership debut, to take responsibility for slamming the ball past rookie goalkeeper Jay Brown who had replaced Brad Friedel for the second half. Incredibly, he not only saw his poorly struck spot kick saved, but he also missed a glorious chance to bang in the rebound.
That was all the inspiration Rovers needed and in the 81st minute Benni McCarthy put Rovers in front when he latched on to a pass from Roberts, who was having a very good game indeed. Towards the end of the game Latics even had Chris Kirkland in the Rovers penalty area as they tried desperately to retrieve a point. But it was not to be and Latics made the short trip home pointless and staring a relegation dogfight right in the eyes.
BLACKBURN ROVERS, Brad Friedel, (Jason Brown 46), Zurab Khizanishvili, Lucas Neill, Andre Ooijer, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Robbie Savage, Brett Emerton, Tugay, (Aaron Mokoena 70), David Bentley, Francis Jeffers, (Jason Roberts 70), Benni McCarthy. Subs not used, Jay McEveley, Paul Gallagher.
Goalscorers, David Bentley 45 mins, Benni McCarthy 81 mins
Booked, Francis Jeffers 29 mins, Andre Ooijer 75 mins, Aaron Mokoena 85 mins
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Emmerson Boyce, Arjan De Zeeuw, Matt Jackson, Leighton Baines, Antonio Luis Valencia, (Gary Teale 67), Paul Scharner, Denny Landzaat, Kevin Kilbane, (Lee McCulloch 74), Emile Heskey, Henri Camara, (Svetoslav Todorov 64). Subs not used, Mike Pollitt, Andreas Johansson.
Goalscorer, Emile Heskey 2 mins
Booked, Paul Scharner 20 mins, Kevin Kilbane 55 mins, Leighton Baines 58 mins, Denny Landzaat 65 mins
Referee, Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)
Attendance, 17,859
Labels: Blackburn vrs Wigan
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