Wigan Athletic 1 v 3 Bolton Wanderers
7th April 2007
The jubilant Bolton Wanderers fans in the half full away end at the JJB Stadium were deliriously singing, 'We'll never play you again', with almost twenty matches of this game remaining and they could well be proved correct in the fullness of time. They were celebrating an easily earned three points courtesy of a Latics side that was, at best, shambolic.
The players on show for Latics couldn't blame their exertions during a Thursday Evening Quiz Night with the fans and the Official Supporters Club either, because they couldn't be arsed showing up for that event either. If these players on show think they're too good for the likes of us and really are a notch above the supporters of this club, they had better start proving it, and fast.
In fairness to manager Paul Jewell, he was hit by the unexpected loss of Arjan De Zeeuw and when the team sheet was published there were not a few groans of dissent when it was revealed that Fitz Hall would take his place. In midfield Denny Landzaat found himself dropped, to be replaced with the fit gain Paul Scharner, other than that it was the same team that narrowly lost their last league outing against Charlton Athletic at the Valley.
The first half an hour of the game saw Latics actually in the ascendancy. In the 32nd minute Luis Antonio Valencia blazed away down the right hand channel and sent a beautiful cross into the Trotters' penalty area and Emile Heskey was on hand, for what proved to be the first and only time in the match, to poke the ball over the line.
A furious Sam Allardyce then raced down the West Stand into the dug out and lambasted the fourth official as he felt that Valencia had fouled Tal Ben Haim in the build up to the goal. Three minutes later, deciding he was in fact wrong, he substituted Ben Haim and brought on Ricardo Gardner and from that moment on Valencia's threat was at an end.
Latics looked reasonably comfortable until the fabled last minute then, of course, they conceded with just seconds of the first half remaining. Nicolas Anelka doing the honours for the Trotters after a horrendous error of judgement from John Filan. Thankfully there was only one minute of stoppage time, but do you believe me when I say that Latics were fortunate not to concede a second goal, and were happy to go in for the half time break on level terms?
The less that this gutted fan writes about the second half the better. I would end up with a Jose Mourinho style dossier if I did that. Suffice to say that Latics should be happy that Andranik Teymourian didn't in fact score his first Premiership hat trick. He gleefully slammed the ball into the hapless Filan's net in the 68th minute, repeating the feat in the 73rd minute. The Blues were fortunate that he only found the net twice in a blistering Bolton five minute period in which they had Latics' big time Charlie's running around like headless chickens.
When the third Bolton goal hit the net Latics fans left the stadium in disgust, and I must admit I felt like doing the same. And I NEVER leave a game early.
The Blues now find themselves just two points clear of the relegation trap door. But Jewell still maintains that safety is in 'our own hands'. He is of course right for now. But it won't be long before that particular chestnut will be cracked if Latics put in any more displays as inept as that this season.
Changes need to be made for the next game against Aston Villa at Villa Park tomorrow night.
WIGAN ATHLETIC, John Filan, Ryan Taylor, Matt Jackson, Fitz Hall, Leighton Baines, Luis Antonio Valencia, Josip Skoko, (David Cotterill 74), Paul Scharner, Lee McCulloch, Caleb Folan, (Henri Camara 63), Emile Heskey. Subs not used, Carlo Nash, David Unsworth, Kevin Kilbane.
Goal scorer, Emile Heskey 32 mins
BOLTON WANDERERS, Jussi Jaiskelianen, Nicky Hunt, Abdoulaye Meite, Tal Ben Haim, (Ricardo Gardner 35), Andranik Teymourian, David Thompson, (Idan Tal 74), Abdoulaye Faye, Gary Speed, El Hadji Ciouff, Nicolas Anelka, (Stelios Giannakopolous 88), Kevin Davies. Subs not used, Ali Al Hibsi, Henrik Pedersen
Goal scorers, Nicolas Anelka 44 mins, Andranik Teymourian 68 mins, 73 mins
Booked, Kevin Davies, Jussi Jaaskelainen, David Thompson
Referee, Uriah Rennie (South Yorkshire)
Attendance, 18,610
The jubilant Bolton Wanderers fans in the half full away end at the JJB Stadium were deliriously singing, 'We'll never play you again', with almost twenty matches of this game remaining and they could well be proved correct in the fullness of time. They were celebrating an easily earned three points courtesy of a Latics side that was, at best, shambolic.
The players on show for Latics couldn't blame their exertions during a Thursday Evening Quiz Night with the fans and the Official Supporters Club either, because they couldn't be arsed showing up for that event either. If these players on show think they're too good for the likes of us and really are a notch above the supporters of this club, they had better start proving it, and fast.
In fairness to manager Paul Jewell, he was hit by the unexpected loss of Arjan De Zeeuw and when the team sheet was published there were not a few groans of dissent when it was revealed that Fitz Hall would take his place. In midfield Denny Landzaat found himself dropped, to be replaced with the fit gain Paul Scharner, other than that it was the same team that narrowly lost their last league outing against Charlton Athletic at the Valley.
The first half an hour of the game saw Latics actually in the ascendancy. In the 32nd minute Luis Antonio Valencia blazed away down the right hand channel and sent a beautiful cross into the Trotters' penalty area and Emile Heskey was on hand, for what proved to be the first and only time in the match, to poke the ball over the line.
A furious Sam Allardyce then raced down the West Stand into the dug out and lambasted the fourth official as he felt that Valencia had fouled Tal Ben Haim in the build up to the goal. Three minutes later, deciding he was in fact wrong, he substituted Ben Haim and brought on Ricardo Gardner and from that moment on Valencia's threat was at an end.
Latics looked reasonably comfortable until the fabled last minute then, of course, they conceded with just seconds of the first half remaining. Nicolas Anelka doing the honours for the Trotters after a horrendous error of judgement from John Filan. Thankfully there was only one minute of stoppage time, but do you believe me when I say that Latics were fortunate not to concede a second goal, and were happy to go in for the half time break on level terms?
The less that this gutted fan writes about the second half the better. I would end up with a Jose Mourinho style dossier if I did that. Suffice to say that Latics should be happy that Andranik Teymourian didn't in fact score his first Premiership hat trick. He gleefully slammed the ball into the hapless Filan's net in the 68th minute, repeating the feat in the 73rd minute. The Blues were fortunate that he only found the net twice in a blistering Bolton five minute period in which they had Latics' big time Charlie's running around like headless chickens.
When the third Bolton goal hit the net Latics fans left the stadium in disgust, and I must admit I felt like doing the same. And I NEVER leave a game early.
The Blues now find themselves just two points clear of the relegation trap door. But Jewell still maintains that safety is in 'our own hands'. He is of course right for now. But it won't be long before that particular chestnut will be cracked if Latics put in any more displays as inept as that this season.
Changes need to be made for the next game against Aston Villa at Villa Park tomorrow night.
WIGAN ATHLETIC, John Filan, Ryan Taylor, Matt Jackson, Fitz Hall, Leighton Baines, Luis Antonio Valencia, Josip Skoko, (David Cotterill 74), Paul Scharner, Lee McCulloch, Caleb Folan, (Henri Camara 63), Emile Heskey. Subs not used, Carlo Nash, David Unsworth, Kevin Kilbane.
Goal scorer, Emile Heskey 32 mins
BOLTON WANDERERS, Jussi Jaiskelianen, Nicky Hunt, Abdoulaye Meite, Tal Ben Haim, (Ricardo Gardner 35), Andranik Teymourian, David Thompson, (Idan Tal 74), Abdoulaye Faye, Gary Speed, El Hadji Ciouff, Nicolas Anelka, (Stelios Giannakopolous 88), Kevin Davies. Subs not used, Ali Al Hibsi, Henrik Pedersen
Goal scorers, Nicolas Anelka 44 mins, Andranik Teymourian 68 mins, 73 mins
Booked, Kevin Davies, Jussi Jaaskelainen, David Thompson
Referee, Uriah Rennie (South Yorkshire)
Attendance, 18,610
Labels: Wigan vrs Bolton
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