Peter Crouch looked slightly off-colour, and was replaced by Pavlyuchenko at half time

Just when we really needed it, how’s about that for a Latics ‘dream week’? I don’t recall back-to-back wins under Martinez since the last time Halley’s Comet was visible from Earth to the naked eye.

Actually, it was January, but it seems like far, far longer – after all, we’ve conceded a whole raft of goals and more than a modicum of frustration since.

By contrast, it seems like only yesterday that Latics were taking an absolute spanking at the hands of today’s opponents.

You’ve got the mainstream media to thank for that, because if it were up to me I’d have subjected anyone who ever even so much as mentioned WhiteHartLaneGate to the pleasure of having a large horse leave a nice pressie on their front lawn. I’m not talking about an XBOX with FIFA 10 here, and you know it (though certain PES fans may strongly disagree).

Oh how the boot was on the other foot this afternoon. Tottenham showed none of the attacking threat of that fateful evening in November, the likes of Lennon and Defoe a mere shadow of their former selves. Add to the mix an on-song goalkeeper full of confidence off the back of a clean sheet in a three-nil victory on Tuesday (and yet to concede a competitive goal this season), some resolute Latics defence and you have one large upset with which the press can have a field day. At least until Man United pasted West Ham later in the afternoon.

Ali Al-Habsi was certainly the stand out performer of the afternoon, pulling off a number of highly important saves to keep Latics’ clean sheet intact for the duration of the game. It was somewhat lucky considering Younes Kaboul”s wonderful 86th minute opportunity, perhaps the only occasion when the Omani looked more than a little suspect as he rushed off his line.

Younes Kaboul missed a glorious chance to salvage a draw

Thankfully, his header sailed past the post and Latics fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. This chance would have put Spurs back on level terms after Rodallega’s 79th minute cross-keeper strike. Carlo Cudicini got a big hand to the ball but could not prevent it from crossing the line for Wigan’s first goal of the 2010 campaign.

Hugo’s chance was the third of three magnificent opportunities for the Latics, all of which came within sixty seconds of each other in a spell of football from out of nowhere. First, Alcaraz somehow managed to balloon the ball over the bar from all of four yards when it looked certain he would score.

Undeterred, Wigan came again, with Jordi Gomez volleying Rodders’ cross a foot over the crossbar. The third time worked a charm, though, and the increasingly vociferous Latics fans had even more to shout about as Little Wigan pinched the lead.

On your marks: Ronnie Stam played a key role on the left

Previous to this trio of chances, Latics threatened to threaten but could not muster any others of note apart from Steve Gohouri’s strike that rattled the crossbar within the first twenty minutes.

Half time came and went without Tottenham breaking the deadlock, Roman Pavlyuchenko failing even to make as much impact as his predecessor, one Peter Crouch, who was withdrawn at half time. Jermain Defoe showed moments of promise, drawing a couple of saves from the Latics keeper, but was largely subdued by the likes of Gohouri and Boyce.

Wigan came more and more into it as time passed, and though their strike was somewhat unpredicted, they deserved their lead and eventual win. By the 80th minute, Spurs had become visibly deflated. They got a second wind with a few minutes left on the clock but did not make their chance, the aforementioned Kaboul header, count for anything more than ‘what could have been’.

Are things starting to work for Martinez?

From then onwards, Latics predictably played the time-wasting game, winning a series of corners and throw ins to frustrate the hosts and waste valuable minutes, ultimately seeing out the final stages without too much alarm.

And that was that, really. Latics performed a smash-and-grab to get their Premier League season off the mark and pull themselves out of the relegation zone. I know we’re only three games in, but my goodness was this an important victory, not only for Latics but Martinez also. I believe Whelan has every faith in his man, but do the fans? After today, maybe some of the more aggressive anti-Roberto clan will be silenced, or at least subdued for a short while.

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
  

It wasn’t exactly the kind of performance that’s going to get you in the first few games on Match of the Day — especially considering the high number of goals scored in the Premier League today — but it was Latics’ first home points of the season, and that’s all that matters.

You can grit it out for ninety minutes away from home, give your all defensively but still concede the killer goal in the final minute to come away with nothing. This was nothing like the Everton game, though. Whereas the Latics goal was pretty much pummelled for ninety minutes that afternoon, things were much more even today. Martinez predicted an open game, and so it proved to be.

It wasn’t glamorous, but in the end it got the job done. Roberto had tweaked the starting line-up from the aforementioned Everton game, with Paul Scharner consigned to the bench, and a now fully-fit Chris Kirkland returning from injury. The latter had a bit of work to do, but managed to repel all shots — including a potentially dangerous deflection which he managed to tip round his left post — and retain his clean sheet.

But Robert Green was forced into making a couple of saves as well. Koumas looked busy as ever, and Diame put in some hard yards in the midfield area, earning him a Man of the Match award from the game’s sponsors.

Wigan probably edged proceedings, but West Ham weren’t short of their own chances, some of them pretty close. Referee Alan Wiley let things flow, and applied an element of sensibility to the game, refraining from reaching for his cards as much as possible. As a result, Latics were able to pass the ball around in spells and made the breakthrough in the 56th minute through a Hugo Rodallega follow-up.

After that goal, West Ham came at the Wigan goalmouth strong, new boy Diamanti sailing a free kick just wide and clipping the outside of the post in the last ten minutes. But Latics managed to hold on and secure their first win at home this season.

I probably don’t need to express how important these three points are, considering the remaining fixtures coming up this month. Arsenal away will be extremely tough, and Chelsea at home probably even more so.

Roberto is still settling in, and we need to give it some time: this was only his fifth Premier League match. Six points from five games? Not an utter disaster, considering the changes that have taken place over the past six months. In fact, pretty much the contrary. Every game will be a learning exercise, and this relatively inexperienced Premier League side will get better as the season progresses. Don’t lose the faith.

• Official Latics site match review