The search for Hugo's lost contact lens continues apace

Watching this game from my usual spot in the West Stand, I was very much reminded of fixtures past at the DW this season.

More specifically, I’m referring to those games we ought to have won yet, for one reason or other, have only managed to draw or even lose. Yes, there have been occasions when the lads have followed through on expectation — West Ham and Sunderland spring to mind — and of course the times when we were expected to lose heavily yet came through with our heads held high. You know the ones I’m talking about.

However there was a feeling of dejection akin to losing against a Birmingham team we could so easily have beaten, the Bolton draw and, of course, our loss to Notts County in the FA Cup. At least for the first two you could say “ah well, the result could have been worse”.

Last night was more like that cup tie. Never have I seen Wigan dominate a team so much as we did against Pompey who, let’s face it, are now concentrating on the FA Cup final. I know I would if I were in their situation. Basically, it was Wigan against a team of Portsmouth reserves and fringe players who did the best they could in the given circumstances, thrust into the first team as they were. And you can bet they’ll get a few more games between now and the end of the season – let’s say it’s a good job that, of our relegation rivals, only Bolton (well, Wolves play them in a couple of weeks as well, but I reckon they’ll be safe now) have to play them again between now and 9th May.

This patchwork Pompey side set their stall out to defend and try and hit Wigan on the break every now and again. For the most part they played one up front, but whenever Wigan earned a set piece anywhere near the opposition area it was a case of 11 men behind the ball. Well, it seems they’ve done their homework in that respect – I guess it’s now becoming widespread knowledge that Wigan struggle against a team defending for their lives. Good on you, Avram.

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Michael Brown returned to haunt his old club

A bad, nay, disastrous afternoon for the Latics at Fratton Park as our up and down season continues to both surprise and frustrate. If the Hull performance was bad, then today’s game was woeful, a million miles away from the team that beat Chelsea and even Burnley earlier this season.

The loss of Maynor Figueroa for the next couple of months is definitely a huge blow, and will no doubt lead to a rethink for next weekend’s fixture against Fulham.

For today’s game, an obvious replacement may have been Erik Edman, but Martinez instead chose to bring Sinclair into the left midfield position. Wigan’s makeshift left back, Charles N’Zogbia, did all he could under the circumstances, but asking a naturally forward-minded midfielder to play full back was, in truth, always doomed to failure.

It wasn’t just N’Zogbia’s fault, however. All of the Latics back line failed to deal with Portsmouth’s attacks, and indeed the whole squad had a day to forget. That’s not to take anything away from Portsmouth, who seemed as though they just wanted the game more, and finished the afternoon well deserving of their victory.

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