Boyce put the game beyond doubt
A question of ethics for you all now. You’re in position to slot the ball into the back of the net, but the opposing goalkeeper is lying injured on the ground. Is it morally right or just plain stupid to kick the ball out of play for the goalie to have treatment, when you have a clear and certain opportunity to easily roll the ball over the goal line? Faced with that situation this afternoon, I’m sure Hugo Rodallega would have been berated by the powers that be at Wigan Athletic had he done the former.
After all, this is the very top flight of English football. Chivalrous moments such as the scenario described can and do happen in Sunday league matches, but are few and far between in the dog-eat-dog, big money world of the Premier League. It’s just outright bad luck that Burnley found their own keeper, Brian ‘The Beast’ Jensen, in said unfortunate situation at approximately 3:11PM today, doubly so as he’d already made two cracking saves up until this point.
Yes, Rodders had to put it away, no question.
I wouldn’t say the incident turned the game on its head, as at this stage the game was far from lost. In fact, it brought Latics back into things after Steven Fletcher’s back post scoop in off the bottom of Chris Kirkland’s crossbar barely seven minutes earlier. Enter Peru international Diego Penny, who wouldn’t really have anything to do but sit on his heels until the latter part of the first half, when Wigan’s passing game started to fall into place.
It was The Clarets who just about shaded things, finishing the first half on top. This continued into the second half, as on resumption of play Chris Eagles just managed to squeeze the ball past the Wigan goalkeeper’s left hand post. Soon after, though, Latics snatched the upper hand thanks to a fine strike in off the post from Hugo Rodallega – his second of the afternoon.
After some nervy scrambles in the Wigan goalmouth, Emmerson Boyce put the game beyond doubt arriving unmarked at the back post from a Rodallega corner on 76. The last ten minutes or so played out rather sedately as Latics looked to keep possession and Burnley largely accepted their fate: a first home loss of the season.
Credit in particular must go to Rodallega, whose second goal really was a crucial strike that I feel really swung the game in Wigan’s direction, perhaps quite obviously so. Burnley were definitely not outplayed and looked threatening in the Wigan half, but just couldn’t manage enough shots anywhere other than the arms of Chris Kirkland or sliding across the top of the crossbar.
It wasn’t really Burnley’s day, and Wigan pounced to capitalise. The only downsides are injuries to Maynor Figueroa — who had to be replaced by Jordi Gomez within the first thirty minutes — and Paul Scharner, but I’m sure the big Austrian can shake off a head bang suffered when rising for a corner that would ultimately lead to Latics’ third goal. Hendry Thomas also looked a bit groggy, but finished the game fine.
Next match is against Portsmouth on 31st October, Halloween. Let’s hope it doesn’t give us all nightmares. (I’m really sorry, but I just had to put that silly little ‘joke’ in there. Believe me, you’ll be hearing a lot more of that from the mainstream media this time next week.)
Looks like fifth of six on MOTD. I’d say that’s a triumph 😀
I’m not sure even asking the question on the first goal is even fair. 1) There was a pretty good chance the keeper wqasn’t getting there, 2) he could have just slipped there’s no way to know how bad it was until he went off, 3) Hugo proabably didn’t have chance to think about it.
I agree that the performance wasn’t all it could have been, but over the 90 minutes I think Latics deserved what they got, in points and goals. In fact it looked at one stage, shortly after the second goal, that it looked as if the floodgates might open.
You’re right. After seeing it on MOTD, there’s no way Hugo would have known the guy was injured when he slotted the ball away. If Jensen collapsed before coming to collect the ball, maybe it would have been a different story… still reckon he would have put the ball in the net.
Of course, and quite right too, we all remember Paulo de Canio but with a wry grin that says “he must have been mad”. My thoughts are online here:
http://notapatchon.net/match-reports/1953-burnley-thoughts
Nice review. I would have posted a comment there, but the entry form is playing up – keeps giving me ‘wrong password’ messages and the like.
I shall post my retort here, until such point I can copy/paste it over to the appropriate post. 😉
With regards to Jensen, he made a couple of good saves before he went off injured. The harsh might say he ought to have saved them, and maybe so, but would he have done better than the Peruvian lad on the other two goals? Guess we’ll never know.
Nice banner, I’ll look to get that on my blog somewhere. Do you have any more? 🙂
I do think a bit of luck went a long way on Saturday. We’ve been on a bit of a roll as far as luck’s concerned, at least in the last month.