Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Wigan – Late Goal Secures Survival

Antolin Alcaraz’s late winner ensured that the Latics pulled of the greatest of all great escapes’ with one game remaining on Monday evening, and in the process relegated Blackburn Rovers to the Championship.

Alcaraz rose ahead of Captain Gary Caldwell to meet Jean Beausejour late corner, and sent the travelling Latics into delirium.

Antolin Alcaraz

It was an incredible sixth win from their last eight games, and now leaves the club 5 points clear of the drop, and means the fans can enjoy the final game of the season on Sunday afternoon.

Considering the magnitude of the task the club faced, in order to ensure an eighth season at the top table, this escape will go down in the club's history as the greatest of them all.

The majority of the hard work was done in earlier games of the run in, with memorable victories against Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle.

Tonight’s performance typified the fighting spirit when many would have held firm and took a share of the points, late on they went in search of the winner.

Within the closing stages the just reward came for the faith shown in Martinez from the owner Dave Whelan, who will undoubtedly be delighted with his club's latest achievement.  

Speaking to the press following the game Captain Caldwell praised his manager: “Credit goes to him (Martinez), when everyone doubted us he held firm. He stuck to his principles and continued to play football and now we have reaped the rewards.”

The talismanic skipper was keen to stress the point that the club now needs to build on this: "We do not want to be in this position next season, we've proven that we can more than survive at this level, we have to build on this and bring success to the fans." 

Gary Caldwell 

For the vast majority of the game the home side looked resigned to their fate, and Martinez’s men put in a professional performance and took advantage of the sour atmosphere within the ground.

The Latics had the better of the first half with Victor Moses causing havoc amongst the Rovers backline. Jean Beausejour was given plenty of freedom from the home side but the Latics were not able to add the killer touch.

Arguably the highlight of the half will have been Ali Al Habsi’s intervention when a chicken donning a Rovers flag made his way onto the pitch, the only time Al Habsi was called into action. The home side were unable to create pressure and carve out any genuine chances with the inform Junior Hoilett and top scorer Yakubu being kept quiet.

Martinez will have been disappointed at how his side did not press home the advantage just as they did in the clash with Newcastle last week.

As the rain continued to pour down into the second half the home side finally decided to go for it a little more.

Beausejour was on hand early into the second period when he cleared Yakubu’s goal bound attempt after a great knock down from Scott Dann.

The Latics responded and Moses should have done better when he flashed over following Franco Di Santo’s cushioned header.

The home side had a great shout for a penalty on the hour mark, when it seemed as though Emmerson Boyce took away Hoilett’s standing leg when he was about to pull the trigger.

  

With only ten minutes left to play Moses and James McCarthy were unable to beat Paul Robinson after some great link up play leaving the Rovers backline on the back foot.  

Jean Beausejour

As the home fans turned on the owners and their manager instead of pushing the team on for the winner that they required the Latics pressed for the points. 

Scottish international Maloney should have sealed up the three points when he headed over from Boyce’s pin point cross, moments later Moses low cross was just too quick for substitute Conor Sammon.

From the resulting corner Paraguayan international Alcaraz headed the winner home past the despairing Robinson.

The result now means that the Latics will take to the field in August in what will be their eight consecutive season amongst the elite. An incredible feat that looked highly unlikely following their dismal home defeat to Swansea only two months ago.

This escape will go down in the history of the club as the greatest, when most had written them off, Martinez stuck with philosophy, the board held firm, and kept faith in their man and boy has it paid off, as the 3000 strong fans chanted all night: “We shall not be moved.” 

Wigan v Newcastle - Preview

The Latics head into their penultimate home game of the season against Newcastle United, on Saturday in search of their third consecutive home victory, which would see them move clear of the drop zone.

Roberto Martinez will be keen to ensure that his side recover from last weekends last gasp defeat at Fulham, and he will be encouraged that his side have their destiny in their own hands.

Hugo Rodallega

That was unthinkable only 6 weeks ago, but an impressive run that has seen the Latics overcome Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal to give them a real chance of survival.

With winnable games against Blackburn and Wolves in their final two clashes, anything that they get from Saturday’s encounter with the inform Geordies would be a bonus.

Martinez will be able to call upon last season’s great escape hero Hugo Rodallega, who looks set to feature from the bench after 7 weeks out. Franco Di Santo is struggling following the knock he picked up at Fulham, which could see Conor Sammon start.  

Maynor Figueroa

The solid backline that has only conceded 12 goals in the last dozen games will be in for a tricky afternoon against the inform Newcastle front men. Papiss Cisse has scored in 6 consecutive games and will be keen to ensure his side remain on track to play Champions League football next season.

Once again this is the biggest game if the season for all concerned with the club, and they will be keen to ensure that they can but some light between themselves and the bottom three and bring an end to Newcastle’s impressive run. 

Fulham 2-1 Wigan – Latics Run Ended By Last Gasp Winner

The Latics were dragged right back into the relegation fight on Saturday afternoon, after Fulham fight back, following Emmerson Boyce’s stunning opener at Craven Cottage.

Phillip Senderos’ towering header finally broke the visitor’s resistance after they had seemed to whether the storm, after seeing the Cottagers hit the woodwork twice through the impressive Pavel Pogrebnyak.

The Latics’ recent impressive run looked to set to continue when they took the lead through the unlikely Boyce. The right back linked up terrifically with substitute Conor Sammon, and finished with aplomb to send the travelling Latics into delirium.

Conor Sammon 

Following back to back victories against the Champions Manchester United, and on the road to Arsenal, they looked set to put further light between themselves and the bottom three.

But the game changed within 60 seconds of the opener, Russian international Pogrebnyak levelled things up with a great strike from outside the box following a neat one two, with Clint Dempsey.

From them on it was all Fulham and Roberto Martinez looked to have settled for a point, and brought on Ben Watson to tighten up the ship. But for the second time in a number of weeks they left West London with nothing following last gasp heartache.

Results elsewhere were not kind, with both Blackburn and QPR picking up crucial wins. Rangers have now leapfrogged Wigan on goal difference and Blackburn have reduced the gap between themselves and the Latics to only 3 points.

Ali Al Habsi

Bolton will rue a missed opportunity at home to Swansea after only picking up a point at hime, but do have two games in hand on all of their rivals once of which is against Aston Villa in midweek. Victory for Bolton would certainly see Villa being dragged into the fight as we head into the final three weeks of the season.

Encouragingly for all concerned with Wigan is that they are indeed 3 points clear with two games to play at home and they away game coming at Blackburn.

Before Saturday’s encounter Martinez was keen to stress they had a lot of hard work still left before securing survival and he remained upbeat following the defeat, as he spoke to the waiting press: “Today was perhaps a game too far; the demands over the last few weeks have been huge, but we have to recover and be ready for next week.”

Up next are inform Newcastle United who are right in the mix for a Champions League place, and it sure to be a cracking game at the DW Stadium, and Martinez will be keen to see his side take advantage of having two games at home in the run in. 

The key thing for Wigan is that they unlike season’s before, they have their destiny in their hands, and they are not reliant on other results going their way. If they concentrate on their own games they will stay up, and Martinez will ensure his side quickly regain their focus.