A few pics from the Villa game are still to come at some point, as is some more multimedia stuff related to Thursday’s events at the club shop. Keep it here for all that coming up in the next week.

Reminiscing upon this afternoon’s match, I was reminded of an October afternoon in 2005 when Wigan, having had a so-so game, grabbed a last-minute winner to dispatch Fulham 1-0 at the JJB Stadium. Pascal Chimbonda, sneaking in at the back post, stole all three points to head the Latics into dreamland with their seventh win in eight games unbeaten.

During the first half of that season, everything we touched seemed to turn to gold and thanks to that magical run Wigan were all but safe by Christmas. Though we can’t exactly say the same of this campaign, for me, there was certainly a hint of 2005 about this afternoon. Specifically, I’m talking about that little bit of luck to help us snatch those crucial wins that could ultimately keep us in the Premier League for a sixth successive season.

There aren’t many games Wigan could safely say are “three point bankers” this season, testament to our up-and-down, topsy turvy form; it’s been a mixture of very good (Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa away) and some absolutely dire stuff characterised by lacklustre defending and lack of real heart or even effort. Take Bolton last week for a prime example of this – Wigan were by no means outplayed, but once that second goal went in that, as they say, was that.

This particular encounter with another Lancashire (arch?) rival contained a combination of both the poorer stuff that’s seen us toiling in the bottom half of the league, which Latics exhibited for periods of the first half, and the excellent forward-thinking movement which, sadly for Latics, only began to materialise in the latter part of the second half.

But Wigan needed not worry, for the fourth official had magically found four minutes of stoppage time somewhere in the back of his pocket or something. It wasn’t as if either team was doing a lot of time-wasting as such, at least not in the second period, so perhaps the injuries and substitutions combined with the linesman stoking up a stogie somehow added up to a total of 240 seconds. I tend to think the officials decided to add an extra minute for Brian Jensen’s first-half bootlace tying at the end of the game. Trust me, I swear they do it all the time.

Edit: I completely forgot about a second half incident where Chris Kirkland was hit on the back of the head with a coin thrown by the Burnley fans, which would have accounted for at least a minute of the stoppage time. I guess crime doesn’t pay…

Whatever the case, that extra minute or two was just enough for Latics to snatch a late goal and therefore all three of those precious Premier League points. They were not earned without toil, though, for even though there were no threatening efforts on target from either team until the last ten minutes when the game really started to liven up, Burnley were always snapping at Latics’ heels. This was more evident in the second half, when the home side started to push upfield a bit more in search of the game’s opening –and perhaps ultimately winning– goal.

It all came to a head in those frantic twenty minutes at the end of the game. The Clarets went close through Paterson, who clipped the top of the crossbar with a sweet volley, and Nugent, who drew a fantastic save from keeper Chris Kirkland with but minutes remaining.

Jensen pulled off a couple of cracking saves for The Clarets

Latics, meanwhile, had finally found their shooting boots with some excellent mid-range efforts which drew athletic saves from Brian ‘The Beast’ Jensen (the best nickname in Premier League football). On every previous occasion, it was a case of failing to find the target in spectacular fashion as both McCarthy and Rodallega blasted their attempts into the South Stand.

In fact, outside that final ten minutes, the only time Wigan –or either team, for that matter– even came close to threatening was midway through the first half when Caldwell headed a McCarthy corner onto the frame of the goal. The rest of the first stanza is not really worth recounting, so let’s just say it was a bit scrappy and leave it at that.

Roberto resolved to shake up the Latics frontline with the introduction of Scotland (33 minutes) and Moses (74). James McCarthy looked lively just before Victor entered the fray, and continued to do so in his more central position now Moses had taken up the right wing area. He inherited it with aplomb, causing the Burnley defence the kind of problems Charles N’Zogbia might have had he been fit to play this afternoon.

At times, this changearound resulted in a 4-2-4 formation as Latics packed the box with all their available strikeforce; Moreno, Moses and Scotland all had a go but simply couldn’t produce that all-important goal. It was Hugo Rodallega who, on 93 minutes, rose unchallenged to head past Jensen and with but a minute remaining, that was the decider. Cue a mass expression of relief from the Latics faithful — thanks to a favourable result at Fratton Park, where Portsmouth had downed Hull by three goals to two, the gap to the dropzone is now extended to seven points with just seven games remaining.

You might say Burnley and their enthusiastic fans deserved more for their efforts, but like Wigan in recent times, there simply was not that goalscorer’s instinct or finishing touch on this occasion. Things are looking increasingly dire for The Clarets, but there is still time for a late surge that could see them ‘do a Fulham’ and perform an escape act of Houdini-esque proportions. Don’t rule it out just yet, you’d be foolish to predict anything at this stage. Except for the fact Portsmouth will be relegated – that’s a certainty… and please don’t quote me on that.

Rodders was on target twice to deny The Clarets

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.

Boyce put the game beyond doubt

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.)

• BBC Sport report
• Latics Official site report
  

More local derby goodness to come this weekend, with a trip down the road to Turf Moor on Saturday. It’s a tasty encounter in prospect, as although both teams have experienced extremes of good and bad thus far in the 2009 campaign, should each be on their game, we could potentially have a game to eclipse even a certain other NW derby this weekend. Let’s face it, injury problems are likely to water down that match somewhat (famous last words…).

Not that this game is likely to be anywhere close to the start of Match of the Day, after all, it’s Little Burnley against Even Littler Wigan, such is the top-four bias in the mainstream media. But who could blame them? That Fergie bloke’s more entertainment than the vast majority of contestants on Britain’s Got the X Factor. Can’t say the same for the rest, however, as in contrast, they’ve been inconspicuous this season. Perhaps the likes of Carol [sic] Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez know they have their work cut out.

Anyhow, I’m turning into Gary Lineker or some pundit from Soccer (read: Sucker) Sunday here. Burnley come into this game on the back of a painful defeat at the hands of local rivals Blackburn, but boss Owen Coyle remains positive:

Here we are with 12 points that nobody ever envisaged us having, and with probably the lowest budget the Premier League has ever seen… There is a lot to be positive about at Burnley Football Club. — Owen Coyle

Twelve points from nine games? That’s a cracking start to a season for a team with aspirations of Europe, never mind a newly-promoted outfit. Even scarier, each of those points have come at Fortress Turf Moor, which has already seen such top-of-the-table forces as Manchester United and Everton perish. Only Arsenal and Chelsea can boast a similar record, with not a single loss at home in four games.

But this isn’t going to be a walkover for The Clarets, oh no. Latics already have defeats of Aston Villa and Chelsea to their credit, and although it’s clearly a revamped team looking to find its feet in the Prem this season, some of the mightiest have already fallen at the hands of Hugo Rodallega and… Titus Bramble. Cough.

The bookies don’t really know which way to swing ahead of this Lancashire six-pointer, and neither do I. Obviously I’ll be shouting for Wigan as ever, but on balance perhaps a point would suffice, especially considering our lukewarm record on the road: we haven’t achieved a single point since picking up a win at Villa in the season opener, and have conceded twice as many goals as we have scored on our travels. On the other hand, Burnley’s awsome home record has to come to an end at some point, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it?

Image by Lukas Skywalker at Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons.