Phil Neville took a break from his comm box duties to score from the bench for Latics

Latics missed out on a chance to snatch three potentially profitable points in a largely even contest at a bleak DW Stadium. After Tim Howard’s howler resulted in a Philip Neville own goal, Latics went too defensive for their own good and soon conceded, super sub Victor Anichebe doing the business for the Toffees once again. A frantic final ten minutes saw no more goals and both teams will be disappointed not to have come away from this clash with anything more than a point.

Wigan looked to pick up from where they left off against Tottenham, and experienced at least some success with James McArthur at the heart of midfield. They certainly had their share of attacking play, resulting in one or two clear-cut chances for Franco Di Santo. His first was borne out of a superb ball from Figueroa, which found its way to the Argentine’s feet at the edge of the area via Sylvain Distin’s shoulder. Tim Howard was equal to Di Santo’s scuffed shot, pulling off a great reaction save at short range to preserve his clean sheet. Di Santo’s second chance came later in the half from a challenging Stam cross, but he was adjudged to have fouled Distin as he scrambled to get a shot on target just feet from goal.

At the other end, Darron Gibson could have given the visitors a useful lead on 40 minutes as gold shirts poured forward, but only succeeded in firing the ball yards over Al Habsi’s crossbar, much to the relief of a shivering home crowd. It wasn’t the best of halves for the Irishman, who had earlier miscued a strike so badly that it went out for a throw in some 20 yards from the corner flag. The Toffees looked threatening on the break, and managed to trouble the keeper more times than their opponents.

Wigan enjoyed slightly more possession and were keen on getting the ball to an energetic Jean Beausejour on the left wing. The Chilean was responsible for two or three wonderful runs into the penalty area which could easily have yielded success, but neither side did enough to take a lead into the half time break.

Everton began the second half without Tim Cahill, who had earlier sustained a knock in a reckless challenge from Jordi Gomez. Luckily for Wigan, the ref didn’t see it as anything more than a 50:50 challenge for the ball and Gomez escaped without even a ticking off. It wasn’t long before new boy Jelavic entered the fray to inject some purpose into Everton’s play in the final third, and they started to hit their straps shortly after. The impressive Pienaar was responsible for the odd break, Fellaini was a genuine threat but didn’t have that finishing touch, while ex-Latic Baines was joining the attack with more frequency as time passed.

David Jones made a welcome return to the centre of midfield

Latics managed to see through this, and moved the ball about quite well but were beginning to fade in the final third. The introduction of Hugo Rodallega, David Jones and later Albert Crusat did much to remedy this as the Wigan lineup started to look a bit more like the unit of a month and a half ago. This forward-thinking play resulted in a huge slice of fortune we don’t usually see at Wigan, a freak goal that would give the home side a narrow lead. Jean Beausejour’s cross deflected off Neville’s leg and into Tim Howard’s arms – or so you thought. Somehow the ball had found its way over the goal line into the South Stand net, and Latics were, amazingly, gifted control of the game. Whether it was a piece of uneven turf or a genuine miscalculation of the off-break that did for Howard, the American’s defences were broken and the stumps went flying.

Somewhat predictably, though, the visitors were back on level terms less than eight minutes later as the Everton juggernaut rampaged forward once again. Although Moses and Rodallega could have doubled Wigan’s lead with a bit more class in front of goal, there was always a sense that Everton were on the brink of that equaliser. Wigan had repelled two corners, but could not keep out Baines’s third as Anichebe headed past a helpless Al Habsi and the game was well set for a frenzied finish. Could Wigan grab this game by the shoulders and start the road to survival with a winning goal? Would the Everton equaliser lift their attacking play and give them confidence to breach the Latics line once more?

Bainesy gave his old team a bit to think about, and provided the cross for Everton's equaliser

The game settled back into the even battle it had been for so long. Wigan continued to try and pass their way to success, while Everton were eager to get the ball forward to three or four breaking frontmen at every opportunity, resulting in a rather stretched finish to the game. Baines flashed a free kick over the bar, while Wigan caused some problems in a packed Everton penalty area from a Jones corner, but that seemingly inevitable winning goal simply didn’t come for either side. Wigan finished the game looking for a pass into the 18-yard box as Jones was devoid of support, a small passage of play that summed up the game for the hosts. Though things improved when Rodallega was introduced, there was a general failure to get the shots on target and challenge a no doubt unsettled Howard.

Everton will feel they deserved more, and will, like Wigan, rue their finishing. They hadn’t had the best of luck as the referee gave more and more close decisions in Wigan’s favour, while that blade of grass –arguably the home side’s man of the match– which turned the ball past Howard must have been ever so slightly longer than those around it.

On the whole, Wigan probably didn’t deserve a win, but you don’t have to in order to win all three points. There was the chance of a victory this afternoon, but again, that last piece of the jigsaw was lost somewhere down the back of ES3, and that’s what places Wigan in dead last with less than four months of the season to play. In the previous campaign, it was Charles N’Zogbia. Who, if anyone, will step forward and bring that most important of all qualities to the team, the ability to score goals? Hopefully they will make themselves known next week in an oh-so-crucial clash with them there Trotters from up Horwich way. Something to remember before you answer that question: Diame is back.

Baines image credit: Nick @ Flickr

James McArthur netted his first goal for two years

A late, late resurgence from a generally tepid Latics wasn’t enough to make up for a weak first half as Tottenham chalked up another relatively comfortable three points at White Hart Lane. The hosts dominated much of the game, and by the time of Wigan’s pseudo-comeback in the final fifteen minutes, the match was effectively over as a contest but James McArthur’s 80th minute strike provided some consolation for Bob’s basement battlers.

Come 7pm, attention centred on the Wigan starting lineup amid rumours of a possible last-minute Hugo Rodallega exit. David Jones returned to the squad but had to settle for a place on the bench alongside the much-discussed Rodallega, who would possibly be used as an impact player later on. In a mainly defensive starting setup, Martinez’s packed the backline and looked to erect an impregnable wall which would at least provide a firm base from which to perhaps launch a late raid. Note that I said ‘looked to’ there, for things would be rather tough without the still-injured Antolin Alcaraz. Actually, it would have been an arduous task for the best of defences, let alone our own under-strength backline.

Following the trend established of late, it wasn’t a great first 45 minutes for Wigan, who were under pressure right from the off. Tottenham could have been two, maybe three ahead by the half hour but for the odd piece of Al Habsi excellence and superb McCarthy goal-line clearance. The Latics defence could not hold out for much longer, however, and the hosts finally took a well-earned lead as Latics finally crumbled to let Gareth Bale in for a simple goal at the back post bang on the half-hour mark. Just four minutes later, Tottenham doubled their lead through Modric to tighten their already solid grip on the game and leave Wigan with the proverbial Ben Nevis to scale.

Younes Kaboul forced a great reaction save from Al Habsi early on

Latics had their own half-chances, most notably in the first ten minutes through Franco Di Santo. Having won his side a free kick around the halfway line, he was mere centimetres away from putting the visitors 1–0 up, narrowly missing Ronnie Stam’s deflected cross deep inside the Tottenham area. But the half was all about defending for Wigan, who held out for a good period before folding in disappointing fashion. Frustration was creeping into the Wigan passing game, and the Spurs showboating began as early as the 40th minute, an indication of how simple it had become for the hosts.

Forced into a change of emphasis, Latics set to work cutting the deficit as the second half began. Victor Moses shot a couple of feet over the bar from just inside the penalty area on 51 minutes, an attempt which sparked a good period of possession for the visitors, who now appeared a little more likely. Ronnie Stam and Jordi Gomez each got away a shot from outside the area, and though they were both non-threatening, Wigan were at least showing a bit of fight.

The visitors were now chasing the game, however, and finding it hard to make any headway in opposition territory as Tottenham remained strong in defence. Worse, the hosts were about to go 3–0 ahead as, on 64 minutes, Bale provided another quality finish to show the Wigan attack line how it’s done. Under pressure from Ben Watson, the Welshman slotted the ball past Al Habsi superbly to put the game beyond any remaining doubt borne out of the Wigan mini-revival.

On the face of it, Hugo Rodallega's non-involvement was somewhat perplexing.

Latics were now playing to salvage any scraps of pride they could from this lost cause, and at least gave it a go. Their attacking ranks were depleted when Di Santo left the field extremely lucky not to have broken his leg in a 50-50 challenge with Assou-Ekotto. He was replaced by Hugo Rod… sorry, Conor Sammon as the game entered its final, no doubt torturous final quarter of an hour. Curious, one would say, that the one attacker with the quality to really trouble the Tottenham defence would be relegated to Wigan’s third-choice front man. Deadline day politics, perhaps?

Wigan fans were given something to smile about as the game ticked over to 80 minutes when James McArthur fired his way onto the scoresheet from 16 yards. It was his first for the club, and seemed to spark something of a second wind for Wigan, who so very nearly made it 3–2 just minutes later as Ronnie Stam’s cross passed through Conor Sammon’s legs just feet from a gaping goal. With nothing to lose, Albert Crusat was drafted into the action with the visitors in the ascendancy. One sensed it was a bit late with the game already lost, but as the match entered four minutes of stoppage time, Wigan were at least showing some promise.

James McArthur went close to a second as the Wigan passing game really started to click; Stam was once again the provider as the Scot just couldn’t keep his strike down. In fact, by the final whistle, the Blues had had enough chances since McArthur’s consolation to draw level. It was the first half which doomed Latics, however, and another second-half draw was for naught but confidence heading into next week’s north-west derby against City-conquerors Everton. Said result goes to show that absolutely nothing is a given in this league, and though things aren’t looking too bright right now, you’d be a fool to predict how Saturday’s game, and indeed the remainder of the season, will turn out. One thing’s for certain: when you’re bottom of the league, you can’t drop any lower – at least not until May 2012.

Rodallega's rasper wasn't enough to salvage even a point

Latics were outdone by a resurgent Queens Park Rangers side, who produced two superb goals and a well-placed penalty to see off their fellow relegation battlers.

Wigan looked every inch a bottom-of-the-table side in the first half. After the initial ten minutes, during which Steve Gohouri and Victor Moses both flashed the ball across the face of goal, the visitors were outplayed by an increasingly dominant Rangers.

The hosts fully deserved the two goal lead they took into the half time interval, but Latics were all too eager to help their cause. Helguson put them ahead from the penalty spot on 33 minutes thanks to a clumsy handball from James McCarthy, and it was only to get worse. With all but sixty seconds of the first half played, Wigan gave away yet another free kick around their own area. Though Al Habsi had earlier repelled a similar attempt, he was absolutely powerless to keep Buszaky’s thunderbolt strike from hitting both posts on its way into the goal. We’ve conceded some corkers of late, but this one must rank among the best.

It was a huge blow for Wigan, their passes inaccurate and confidence low. They did experience a hint of success late on with the long ball, but there was more than a whiff of desperation about Caldwell’s heaves up to Rodallega and Moses. The intricate passing play simply was not working and Latics looked a shadow of their former selves in the centre of the park.

It would certainly take a mammoth effort to turn things around now, but there was some hope – Wigan had finally discovered the value of getting the ball up to front man Rodallega. Sure, it hadn’t produced too many successful forays forward up until this point, but it was their best hope, a crumb for the visitors to salvage from what was an ultimately dismal 45 minutes of football.

Caldwell did give away a somewhat controversial penalty, but Al Habsi saved Helguson's effort anyway

The passes were now flowing better, but that long ball yielded no success – in fact, nothing did. Credit must go to QPR, but if you struggle to get any points against not only newly-promoted sides but outfits battling down in League Two, then you can most likely expect a season of hardships. Indeed, Rangers supporters will be the first to concede they have played better this season (though I suspect they can’t have scored many better goals) and lost. Not to belittle QPR, but the Wigan defence isn’t exactly the best at the moment.

Wigan endeavoured to change things in the second stanza, making a multitude of changes to try and inject some quality into proceedings. Conor Sammon entered the fray after the break and looked as lively as ever, while Albert Crusat and Ronnie Stam were also brought into play at various stages of the second half. The upshot was that the Latics lineup shifted to 4-4-2, occasionally venturing into 4-2-4 territory. This did help attacking play somewhat and the second half was a bit of an improvement (it would eventually finish 1-1), but it was a largely frustrating day in front of goal for Latics.

Will David Jones return for Spurs?

The one positive to take from the game is Hugo Rodallega’s cracking strike which brought the score back to 2-1 and with over twenty minutes to go, there was a possible way back into the game for Wigan. This was followed by a superb penalty save from Ali Al Habsi, but like against Bolton, it was ultimately in vain – the game was killed on 81 minutes by Smith, who had earlier replaced DJ Campbell shortly after the half time mark. It was perhaps the best goal in a game of crackers, but it came at the wrong end for the visitors. QPR celebrated a more than deserved win, while Wigan are left to further contemplate the daunting challenge of hauling themselves out of the relegation spots by May 2012.

It is difficult to make excuses or pick out good points after another dismal defeat, as Wigan’s relegation fight begins to show signs of a dramatic derailing. It isn’t quite over yet, not with four months of football to play, but one suspects Roberto Martinez will face his toughest task yet if we are to see Premier League football in the town of Wigan for 2012-13, which looks an awful long way away this afternoon. A win over Tottenham in our next game will no doubt sway opinions, but it would take something special for that to happen. The good news is that we have a whole ten days before that encounter, after which we may be welcoming back the likes of Jones and Alcaraz to restore an element of regularity to the starting lineup.

Al Habsi can be credited with limiting the visitors to just the one goal

I know I say this pretty much every time Latics play on a day other than Saturday, but it just feels weird. All the weekend’s footballing drama is normally washed away by our return to the daily grind at 8AM on Monday morning, and the whole day is ordinarily something of a sedate affair. The last thing I expect to see is more frantic Premier League action when I return from work, but once or twice a year we get these anomalies, these freaks of nature. Last night could have been unusual in more ways than one – there was a possibility that champions elect Manchester City could drop points at bottom-of-the-table Wigan, and the little guys certainly gave Mancini’s Fantasticos a run for their (no doubt Balotelli-donated) Monday roast.

Latics rode their luck and did just about enough in that second half to warrant a more even result. In the end, however, Antolin Alcaraz’s needless challenge on the left of defence led to a Dzeko goal that ultimately decided the contest. Wigan came back strong, increasing in confidence as the game progressed, but just didn’t have that extra bit of quality up front. Though City had their chances, really good ones at that, they consistently failed to double their lead and Latics were always in with an excellent chance of at least a point. Certainly by the final fifteen minutes, the visitors opted to go defensive and always left themselves open to that equaliser and, of course, a potential winning goal from Latics.

The problem was getting that goal, and Wigan just couldn’t do it. Guess that’s why we’re still rooted to the bottom of the table – harsh but fair, I’d say. Perhaps the best chance fell to James McCarthy, who benefited from Hugo Rodallega’s willingness to chase lost causes, but saw his shot blocked by Joe Hart. Had that hit the net, Wigan would have smelled more than just a drop of blood and that shock of all shocks would have still been possible. At the very least, we’d certainly have been in for a very interesting 20 minutes or so. That was it for clear-cut chances, however, and though Latics were a side revitalised in the second stanza, those shots on target deserted them once more.

Hugo Rodallega was the chief chaser of lost causes

Make no mistake, City had the quality to win by a greater margin. Through bad luck, bad judgement and some excellent saves from an on-form Al Habsi, they had just as much trouble breaching the Wigan goal line as the hosts did the opposition penalty area. The Citizens (do they mind being called that?) were well on top in the first half, and controlled the vast majority of it despite one or two pot shots from an eager Latics boasting the pacey Crusat and Moses. After the 60 minute mark, there was a clear shift from front to back as the visitors gave Wigan more room to breathe, potentially allowing their hosts a glimmer of an opportunity. When that luck is deserting you, as it has for City of late, this sort of thing is prone to happen and you sensed that equaliser was getting closer and closer as the minutes ticked by.

Ultimately, though Wigan had improved demonstrably in the final half hour, that same old problem of goalscoring reared its ugly head again. Not even a switch to 3-5-3 and later 4-2-4 in the final stages could yield many real opportunities beyond the odd Rodallega steal. City remained strong in defence and did what Liverpool and Chelsea couldn’t – beat Wigan at the DW Stadium. For Latics’ part, they certainly weren’t outclassed or outplayed but are still missing that final piece of the (Rodal)lego brick house and tonight it was nearer the top than the bottom. I hope you understand what I mean by that, because I don’t think I do.

Maynor Figueroa: Lucky boy?

On a more contentious note, perhaps the most talked about incident of the evening was a deliberate handball by Maynor Figueroa in the dying stages. Camping out on the halfway line as his side pushed forward, he momentarily panicked when he realised Sergio Aguero would probably be through on goal and palmed the ball away in blatant fashion. I’ll be the first to admit referee Atkinson was just a tad lenient in this case, and probably should have awarded the Honduran a straight red card. You could tell he wouldn’t, of course, and would not be bullied into changing his mind as certain referees undoubtedly would (not to name any names). This may be a biased opinion, but for staying strong and above all fair, his below average performance is somewhat forgiven. And that statement has nothing to do with the fact we need Maynor for our next game on Saturday, oooh no.

Speaking of this weekend, I was going to dedicate the final part of this post to previewing the weekend’s six-pointer with Mark Hughes’ QPR, but there is a more worthy cause.

All our perceived toils pale in significance to the recent unthinkable plight of Darlington Football Club, who were yesterday forced to sack their remaining playing staff. Win or lose, we are lucky enough to be in existence to this day, but The Quakers may disappear before Saturday even arrives. Darlington fans can take heart, however, from recent Phoenix Clubs such as Chester, Rushden & Diamonds and Rossendale who are now beginning to make some headway in the English football pyramid. The town of Wigan lost its last Football League club to The Great Depression but came back strong, albeit some three or four decades later. Granted, all but the eldest of Wigan football fans will know what it feels like for your beloved club to become extinct, but we wholeheartedly sympathise with your situation. Fingers crossed.

• BBC Sport match report

The County Ground (photo by Martin A Haisley via Twitter)

Swindon brushed aside a tepid Wigan to breeze into the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. Latics, to all intents and purposes fielding a reserve side, failed to capitalise on Callum McManaman’s 35th minute goal as a lively Swindon outplayed their Premier League visitors on their way to a more than deserved win.

As expected, a drastically modified Latics took to the pitch at the County Ground. Though Al Habsi and Watson retained their places and Gary Caldwell made a welcome return to the centre of defence, this was a new lineup containing, amongst others, the out-of-favour Hendry Thomas and Shaun Maloney. Jordan Mustoe, who played his last senior game precisely one year ago against Hull in the equivalent cup tie, was handed his first start for the club and took up position alongside Adrian Lopez and the returning Emmerson Boyce at the back. The pacey Callum McManaman is back in South Lancs after his his loan spell at Blackpool (during which he played 12 games and scored 2 goals) and joined McArthur and Di Santo at the other end of the field this afternoon. Daniel Redmond and Nouha Dicko were handed places on the bench alongside regular first-teamers Sammon, Gomez, Moses, Gohouri and Pollitt.

Latics began by playing things at their own pace –a rather slow pace–, and though Adrian Lopez made a bit of a howler when his misplaced pass gifted the hosts a decent opportunity, this altered back four managed to repel most, if not all, attacks. Swindon weren’t without their dodgy moments at the back, either, but also managed to keep their opponents out with relative ease.

A long range shot from Hendry Thomas was Wigan’s first attempt of the game, but it flew way over the bar and into the packed stand behind Foderingham’s goal. In fact, said Robins keeper was largely untested up until the 35th minute, when the dangerous Callum McManaman sprinted his way into the area only to be brought down by defender Aden Flint. Yet another penalty to Latics, and Ben Watson, who’d been rather quiet up to this point, stepped up to take it. Unfortunately he slipped and the ball cannoned into the post, but McManaman was on hand to finish what he started and put Latics 1-0 ahead.

Ben Watson, who scored on his last cup appearance against Palace, missed a pen this afternoon.

As usual, however, the Wigan lead did not last long. The hosts were back on level terms less than five minutes later, following a string of superb high balls into the Latics penalty area. This spell of possession had earlier forced Al Habsi into a fantastic save from Matt Ritchie, but it wasn’t long before the pressure finally told. Alan Connell’s delightful flick header left the Wigan keeper with no chance, and the home side went into half time on level terms. It wasn’t undeserved, either.

Swindon took this momentum into the second half, and though Wigan experienced their own patches of dominance, the hosts were more than willing to watch their opponents pass the ball among themselves. And eventually out of play. To be fair, you can’t place too much blame on the likes of Jordan Mustoe, who gave it his best but probably isn’t cut out for first team football just yet. Not even the introduction of Jordi Gomez, who replaced Thomas on 56, could do much to change fortunes.

As Wigan faded, the Robins took over and it soon became apparent they had a lot more substance going forward, especially with those crosses. Almost every ball coming into the Latics area was an absolute peach, and it’s a wonder Adrian Lopez managed to scramble away as many as he did. As time passed, the Wigan wide men saw less and less of the ball, and I swear that by the end of the game Emmerson Boyce had reverted to central defence to defuse those bombs.

Latics had a reprieve when Caldwell seemed to pull down a Swindon attacker right in front of goal, clearly denying him a scoring opportunity. Referee Peter Walton waved it away, but under constant threat, one felt it was now a matter of time before the visiting defence cracked. Worse, Wigan were now almost devoid of attacking ideas, and a sloppiness had crept into their passing game to such an extent they struggled to make it into the opposition area.

The turning point came on 75 minutes. Paul Benson redirected a long-distance shot past Al Habsi and the Robins were deservedly in front. The linesman simply didn’t have the heart to tell him he was offside when the ball rebounded off his legs, but it mattered not – Swindon deserved some luck.

Victor Moses wasn't too impressive in his fifteen minutes of play.

What would Wigan do now? Well, nothing much. Though Victor Moses came on almost immediately, this was a forced change as Maloney had taken a knock in the run-up to the goal. The Anglo-Nigerian almost handed the game to Swindon there and then by blocking off a Swindon player in his own area, but for some strange reason Walton didn’t want to give the penalty. What’s this, a ref favouring ‘bigger’ teams? Never!

Let off once again, Wigan tried to get the ball forward but it was no use – Moses and Di Santo had a go, but Wigan would finish the half with a big fat zero shots on target. As the full time whistle blew, there was not a single person in the County Ground, perhaps even the UK, that would have begrudged Swindon their victory.

As for strategy, well it was more of the same, really, and one may well point to this as a primary reason for Wigan’s ineffectiveness. Obviously there’s also the fact half our starting lineup have played little to no first team football of late (save for reserve games), but take absolutely nothing away from Swindon. They went and grabbed the game with open arms, showing far more desire than the visitors, who at times looked to have all but given up. There was no urgency, a problem that seems to be permeating any side Martinez fields of late.

Most damning for Wigan, however, was a lack of quality – the strategy employed by Roberto often relies on pieces of individual brilliance to function correctly, and without Diame, Moses and Rodallega, I’m not sure it was the right thing to do. Only McManaman, who was probably Latics’ most effective and attractive player, offered anything close to incisiveness. Di Santo and Maloney made some headway, and always remained a nagging threat (as you should expect against a League Two side, no offence) but on the whole it was decidedly average.

To raise spirits on a disappointing afternoon, it’s worth remembering that the FA Cup is not for teams like Wigan, who’re embroiled in the battle to stay in the seemingly inexhaustible cash cow that is the Premier League. It’s for teams like Swindon, those a little bit farther down the Football League pyramid that can really benefit from a good cup run. Hang on, I feel a cliché coming on… If anything, it’s probably better that Wigan have gone out so we can… Nah, I won’t say it – it’s too obvious, but it certainly rings true in this instance.

Good on ya, Swindon.

Thanks again to Martin A Haisley for the photo.

Al Habsi pulled off a couple of top saves, but was mostly powerless

Wigan suffered a miserable defeat in even worse conditions at the DW Stadium, partly due to their own defensive frailties but also because of Sunderland’s sheer excellence in front of goal. Though the hosts enjoyed a great first half, they would go into the break 1-0 down and failed to find an answer to the Black Cats’ immense finishing as 2012 got off to the worst possible start.

Latics really went for it in the first stanza, and could so easily have taken the lead as early as the tenth minute when Steve Gohouri forced a goal line clearance from Craig Gardner. The home side settled down to boss the game, getting the ball on the turf and keeping some possession. The undoubted chance(s) of the half fell first to David Jones, who cut his way superbly through the penalty area and beat Mignolet, only to see his strike hit the post. From the resulting rebound, Ronnie Stam played a fantastic ball through to Watson, who emulated Jones’ effort by almost immediately hitting the other post.

The lively Albert Crusat, starting in place of a rested Victor Moses, impressed in his 38 minutes on the field of play. He would have to be replaced by said Anglo-Nigerian when he suffered a somewhat innocuous knock in the back, but it didn’t stop the Latics pressure. Opportunities would also fall to Gomez and the dangerous Jones before the half was out, but the Black Cats keeper was equal to both. Wigan did not want this half to end… or did they? Conditions had become almost unplayable by this point as what seemed like a hurricane swept across the DW Stadium. All sensible football went out the window as both teams humped the ball around, evidently waiting for the half time whistle.

Under cloak of heavy rain, Sunderland delivered the sucker punch, a real telling blow from which Wigan never really recovered. Bendtner won a slightly suspect free kick on the edge of the area, which Gardner struck home with immense power and placement. A cracking free kick, but Wigan really did not deserve it after dominating the half, and if climactic conditions continued the same way, it would be difficult to see any sort of goals, or even anything. Though the weather cleared to restore visibility, many will be wishing it did not.

Confidence well and truly shot, it all went downhill from there for Latics. They gave it a go, but one felt it was a losing battle, especially with a constantly shifting formation that featured fewer and fewer defenders. After Jones’s screw-up on the edge of his own area, McClean capitalised in the best (worst?) way possible – by sticking it in the onion bag and doubling his side’s lead. Sunderland are on such great form of late they weren’t about to miss, but it was, at least in part, a self-imposed punishment. 2-0, and from a position of relative strength, Latics found themselves seriously chasing the game.

Victor Moses and Momo Diame (above) were rested, but both saw action from the bench

Hugo Rodallega got one back for Latics –his long-awaited first of the season– on 62 minutes, but the hosts’ gung-ho attitude was always liable to lead to self-destruction. Conor Sammon was introduced in favour of Stam, an indication that Martinez was adopting a more attacking tactic. The problem with such strategies, however, is that they leave you open at the back, and that almost-too-inevitable landslide of goals was only a moment away. Sessegnon put the game beyond doubt, while Vaughan’s 80th minute untouchable thunderbolt capped an awesome game for the visitors, riding the crest of a wave all the way to a fourth game unbeaten.

Wigan were shattered by the third goal and, much like Martinez sides of seasons past, completely went to pieces upon concession of the fourth. The visitors dealt with the harsh northern weather by far the better and steamrollered a helpless Wigan in a storming 45 minutes of football. The hosts didn’t capitalise on their dominance in the first stanza and were made to pay, big style.

Though Latics controlled the midfield, the game was lost elsewhere. Just when you think the is on the way up again, a string of defensive cock-ups leads to a result such as this. It was almost incongruous, a frustrating game at both ends in a sea of generally positive performances. With Man City next up in the league, it’s gonna take quite a bit of work to clean up such a mess in time for what will likely be a case of damage limitation.

On the plus side, there’s the small matter of an away cup tie to come, which will be the perfect opportunity for some experimentation. The likes of Maloney and Lopez may get run-outs; there is no word on Callum McManaman, who’s still at Blackpool for the time being but could be recalled at any moment. Another thing’s in our favour – with Caldwell returning to the centre of defence, we’ll be able to revert back to that lineup that has served us so well of late. A good point, actually – why did we switch things about in such an important game? Impending African Cup of Nations or no, you’ve got to field your best possible team when fighting against the drop.

Hugo Rodallega impressed on his return to the starting XI

Latics battled their way to another well-earned point at a noisy Britannia Stadium. The visitors took the lead late in the first half and things were going swimmingly right up until Caldwell’s 76th minute sending off, which began a frantic 20-minute period with two penalties and three goals.

Hugo Rodallega returned to the Latics first team ahead of Conor Sammon, who could have started as the red card he received at Old Trafford last week was rescinded by the FA. In a rare change of lineup, however, Martinez opted for the Colombian, and will be glad he did as Rodders had a big hand in his side’s first goal. Victor Moses was the beneficiary, stealing in to slot away his second of the season off the underside of the crossbar bang on 45 minutes. Hugo provided the cross from the right wing, and for once a Wigan man was ready and waiting to knock home a great ball across goal.

The visitors weathered much of Stoke’s early pressure, but their job was made easier by the lack of shots on target. That’s not to say Al Habsi and the Wigan defence didn’t have anything to do, however – far from it. The Omani shot-stopper was called into action on numerous occasions to parry the many high balls into his goalmouth, and Caldwell and Alcaraz were made to hammer the ball clear more than once.

Wigan’s typical breakaway strategy was somewhat tempered by the challenge of a narrow pitch, Moses forced to come infield and pass backwards more often than not. On the other wing, Stam experienced some success, but by the 41st minute he was sufficiently frustrated to wallop the ball into the stand and received a yellow card for his troubles. He needed not worry too much, though, because Wigan were to end the half 1-0 to the good thanks to a well-worked Moses goal.

The pacey Diame caused problems

Latics went slightly more defensive in the second half, keeping hold of the ball wherever possible and ensuring the first 15 minutes passed by without incident. Then, just before the hour mark, Robert Huth’s third chance of the game was headed against the post and into Al Habsi’s waiting arms. It was the closest Stoke had come, but the Wigan clean sheet just about remained intact.

Diame, Figueroa and Rodallega persisted with long-range shots, but they rarely challenged Sorensen. Stoke were more effective going forward, and those high balls continued to test the Wigan backline, which by now was increasing in numbers. Try as they might, the hosts could not breach Al Habsi’s invisible wall… until the 75th minute. Cameron let rip from close range, but saw his strike rebound off one of Caldwell’s outstretched arms. For the second time in three games, the Scot had cost his side a penalty, and this time things were to get worse. Whereas he was spared a red card last Wednesday, Caldwell all but denied a goalscoring opportunity on this occasion and received a deserved early bath. It was a real blow, as the Latics defence seemed to be holding pretty firm up until this point, and especially so considering Jonathan Walters promptly rattled the ball home. Charlie Adam take note – that’s how to take a pen.

Wigan’s first choice penalty taker Jordi Gomez was sacrificed to patch the hole left by Caldwell as Steve Gohouri took his place. This particular substitution would take on some relevance a bit later on, but for now the Wigan goal was under some real pressure. The almost inevitable ensued, as Jerome’s perfectly placed finish put the Potters 2-1 ahead on 83 minutes. One would have thought the game was won, but you would have thought wrong.

The visitors never gave up hope of an equaliser, and continued to push forward. In fact, it was only three minutes after Jerome’s goal that they were thrown a lifeline: Hugo Rodallega was adjudged to have been fouled in the opposition area by Ryan Shotton, and Wigan had a penalty of their own. But who should take it? Gomez had been sitting on the bench for almost ten minutes, but there was another option. In an American football-style change, Martinez threw on Ben Watson –who already had two from the spot this season– to take the pen. It proved to be the switch of the afternoon, as Watson emphatically sent Sorensen the wrong way and, with only a few minutes left to play, ten-man Latics were back in the game.

Ben Watson remained calm under pressure to score with his first touch

As the fourth official signalled for five minutes of stoppage time, this contest still had some mileage to run. A Hugo Rodallega corner was the closest Wigan came to threatening, but it was easily cleared by Marc Wilson and the Stoke seige was back on. A string of trademark long throws from Rory Delap made a ten-man Wigan defence work for their point, but they also served the purpose of eating up any remaining time. Kenwyne Jones was introduced on 92 and the seconds further ticked away, helping the Wigan cause no end.

After Delap saw a final cannonball throw successfully defended, ref Michael Oliver brought this lively contest to an end. Wigan will be much happier with a point, having had Caldwell sent off, but for a long time it seemed things would be so much more favourable. There was a period immediately following half time when the confidence was flowing and Stoke’s defenders were pulling out of challenges and backing off any runs from midfield. Perhaps this was the time to capitalise and take control, Wigan’s best opportunity to manufacture three points.

A point each, though, is probably the fairest outcome as Wigan were better in the first half, while Stoke bossed the second. Besides, everybody would have wanted their money back if the score wasn’t 2-2.

From a Wigan point of view, perhaps most promising was the performance of Hugo Rodallega, a man we have really missed for the most part of this season. He had a hand in both goals, and is my bet for that centre-forward starting berth on Tuesday evening. With a full compliment of eleven men, Latics fans remain hopeful things will fall into place for a well-timed win against Sunderland, who remember, have to play tomorrow afternoon.

Who needs Rooney when you have Berbatov?

Before today’s game, it had been precisely five years since Wigan’s last goal at Old Trafford. A Leighton Baines penalty on Boxing Day 2006 had no effect on that match’s final outcome, as Latics went on to lose the game 3-1. Still, it was the closest Wigan have ever come to tasting any sort of success in Salford. Actually, in their Premier League lives, Wigan have beaten Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, but have never taken a single point from Manchester United. One would have thought our Mancunian cousins might have slipped up at least once in that time, but on each occasion, without fail, fortune has deserted Latics.

It transpired to be another difficult afternoon for Wigan, with a bit of bad defending and bad luck contributing to an on-song United’s often sublime football to ensure an expected defeat for Latics. It wasn’t entirely embarrassing, however – when one has lost 9-1 and 8-0 in recent seasons, 5-0 is almost nothing, especially when you’ve been reduced to ten men with over a half of football to play.

The hosts were initially happy for their opponents to keep the ball, as if to say “show us what you’ve got”. But any headway Latics might have made with one or two early charges forward were soon put into perspective with a rather soft 5th minute Ji-Sung Park goal. Well, at least that was the obligatory early goal against out of the way. Still shaken, the Wigan back line was being breached all too easily by Park, Giggs and Nani to name but a few. Alex Ferguson’s four pre-match changes seemed to have no negative effect on his side’s attacking threat, which Wigan would have to endure plenty of in the first twenty minutes.

The visitors had their best chance to date on 24 minutes via a free kick in dangerous territory, but it came to nothing as Gomez’s shot cannoned straight into the wall. Soon after, Victor Moses showed a little of what he can do by earning his side a corner, but this second set piece in the space of three minutes would also be successfully defended by the hosts.

Latics were finding some confidence going forward, Ronnie Stam in particular having a good time on the right hand side. His 30th minute ball across the face of goal could have yielded an equaliser, had Moses or Sammon been in the right position to slot it away. It wasn’t an isolated incident, either, as the Dutchman often found himself in the position to deliver a telling cross towards the back end of the half. Still no goals, however, and you felt they would be rather precious for the visitors this afternoon.

Give the man a round of applause: Phil Dowd made a questionable decision which all but killed the game off

United were still firmly on top. Shots periodically rained in on Al Habsi’s goalmouth, but thankfully for Wigan, not many had been hitting the target. Well, not until this point, anyway.

Just when Wigan thought they were in with a glimmer in this contest, a moment of muppetry from referee Phil Dowd effectively killed their threat dead. Conor Sammon was harshly sent off for… well, not much, really. It was the sort of thing he’s been doing all season and, no doubt, his whole career – holding off an opponent, that is. Sure, his arm might have been a tad high, but it was no straight red card. Well, I suppose this was Mr Dowd, wasn’t it?

As if to rub things in, United almost immediately doubled their lead through Dimitar Berbatov and, with just minutes to the half time break, a slightly unlucky Latics found themselves with a near-impossible task. Well, I suppose if you’re going to have a man sent off, it may as well be in a contest you’re going to lose anyway, eh? It should be noted that Sammon should return for Saturday’s showdown with Stoke, as having seen replays of the incident I have every confidence his red card will be rescinded. Of course, that didn’t help during the game at hand.

It was a case of keeping things respectable in the second half, but Martinez also had half an eye on the attacking situation. Momo Diame was the sacrificial lamb as Franco Di Santo entered the field of play at half time, and he would have to do the job of two men as Wigan’s sole striker for about forty minutes. This was, at the very least, an opportunity for the Wigan boss to try out a few attacking options without much pressure with regards to the result.

In a fast-moving affair, the expected United pressure continued, though an occasional Latics foray forward punctuated the home side’s dominance. At the very least, the travelling Latics supporters –many of which donned the now traditional banana suits– were somewhat happy, cheering on their side and piping up with the odd sarcastic comment regarding the officials. As if spurred on, David Jones went close twelve minutes into the second half, clipping a free kick just wide of the post. A corner soon followed to prove the visitors weren’t about to lie down, not just yet.

Alcaraz was a bit unlucky to concede a penalty

But then, the almost inevitable happened. United got a third through Berbatov, and a repeat of his side’s 5-0 drubbing of Fulham just last week was on the cards. The ten men of Wigan would have to work hard to limit the goals conceded, for if previous seasons are anything to go by, they will no doubt have some bearing come May 2012.

Ali Al Habsi did his bit by preventing a fourth on 70 minutes with a great reaction save from Macheda to give the bananas a little more to cheer about. In fact, they were relatively cheerful and in good voice right up until –and long after– the final whistle, even when ex-Latic Antonio Valencia (now there’s a blast from the past) got that fourth for the hosts with a great strike into the bottom corner of Al Habsi’s goal.

United made it five on 77 minutes when Dimitar Berbatov completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot. There’s some debate over whether Antolin Alcaraz’s foul on Park was actually inside the area, but you always expected the referee to award it. The Bulgarian duly obliged, putting away the penalty with ease to increase the punishment.

Hugo Rodallega was introduced shortly after, another indication of Wigan’s attacking intent. Indeed, Maynor Figueroa, not content with being his side’s defensive stalwart, had a go at goal himself. He largely failed, but at least Latics still had the confidence to give it a real good go in the final five minutes of the game. Alcaraz, too, was allowed a late pot-shot as United wound down for the evening, but his effort sailed a few yards over the bar, and that was pretty much the last action of the game.

Maynor Figueroa: the Wigan man of the match, if you had to pick one

In all, it doesn’t take a small-time internet blogger to tell you it wasn’t a great day for Wigan. The work rate was fine, but the lack of finesse was, ultimately, damning. In some respects, against championship-chasing Man United, 5-0 was a decent result when you consider the gap in quality between the sides and, of course, that slightly iffy sending off in the first half. Would Wigan still have lost? Most likely, but when one takes into account Martinez’s usual tactics, one can’t speculate on such things.

Oh, and in a strange twist of fate, Leighton Baines also scored from the penalty spot on the fifth anniversary of his goal for Latics. Pity that was in a completely different game for a totally different team, however. And not that it would have made much difference had he still been in this part of South Lancs, but well done him in any case.

Still, a result against Stoke would represent an excellent month for Wigan, Boxing Day defeat or no. It always hurts to lose, but I don’t think it’ll necessarily spoil a good Christmas, especially if things fall in our favour on Saturday.

The final word must go to the travelling Latics faithful, who never let the game’s scoreline ruin an afternoon out in Manchester. They deserve a good Christmas party as they really were a twelfth man on the afternoon, even if things didn’t go their team’s way.