Following Latics’ exciting comeback against West Ham at the weekend, many supporters took to YouTube to share their own piece of memorabilia from what could be an historic game, certainly one of the most memorable of recent times.

To start us off, here’s a superb view of Charlie’s first goal courtesy a West Ham fan who had the foresight to whip out his phone:

And now Sammon’s goal, which sparked 20 minutes of frantic football, as seen from ES1. Not the best quality, but I feel this captures the atmosphere wonderfully:

It’s no surprise most videos centre on the post-match pitch invasion, which is becoming something of staple in final home games of the season:

Here’s a (rather shaky) clip in which Ali Al Habsi becomes engulfed by supporters. “Poor Ali” indeed!

We’ve saved the best for last. This video captures N’Zogbia’s winning goal and the resultant chaos in a way Sky never could, and it’s all in glorious 480p:

I could sit and watch the last one on repeat for hours, though I’m sure I’ll enjoy it far more if Latics manage to beat the drop.

As an added bonus, try to watch the whole of this video, which sees Sky’s Charlie Nicholas going crazy over those gripping final ten minutes. It’s edge-of-the-seat stuff, even if you know the result:

Take a bow: Al Habsi played his part in a critical win

When we sit and look back upon Latics’ spell in the Premiership, whether it be a period of six years or longer, there will be certain encounters that really stand out. Games you can be proud to say “I was there,” moments that will stay with you forever – Charlie’s winner against Arsenal last year, Hugo’s smash and grab job at Tottenham earlier this season. I’d be willing to place a bet that Sunday’s game will certainly come high on the list, if not for the relative lack of real memorable moments this campaign, then for sheer drama created by the importance of a win in this situation.

In some ways, it was reminiscent of Wigan’s win over Burnley towards the end of last season thanks to Hugo Rodallega’s late, late show in what was, at the time, a rather important clash. As a whole, however, Wigan v West Ham 2010-11 was actually nothing like that game. For one, the quality of football was a bit higher (well, for the most part), and a total of five goals will be more than enough to satisfy a neutral. Add into the equation a (wholly necessary) ‘do or die’ attitude on the part of both teams and you have a fantastic game that will go down in Premier League history as a classic relegation battle.

You wouldn’t have been able to predict at half time, however, the events which would transpire between 5.00 and 6.00pm that afternoon. West Ham led 2-0 thanks to a Demba Ba headed brace, and as it was announced over the tannoy that fellow relegation-battlers Birmingham were 1-0 down against Fulham, everything was going to plan for the Hammers.

Whilst the visitors didn’t exactly control the first half, they were by far the better in front of goal, managing to snaffle two of the three great chances they created amid some panicky defending. Latics can count themselves unlucky not to have had one for themselves, but some wayward striking from outside the area from Cleverley and Diame greatly damaged Wigan’s shots on/off target percentage. The latter actually had a sterling game, really putting himself about, leading the charge through the first half and putting in a good defensive stint in the second – Latics were immensely glad to have him back.

Apart from the two obvious lapses in defensive concentration, Wigan played a decent first 45 in terms of possession and chances. They could have been ahead after just a minute, but thanks to Hammers goalie Rob Green, the visitors’ clean sheet remained intact. He repelled Momo Diame’s shot from eight yards to deny the Senegalese a deserved goal. From the resulting corner, Hugo Rodallega came close for Latics with just minutes remaining in the half, seeing his effort also blocked by the England keeper. The Colombian will have been forgiven for thinking it wasn’t his day as he sat there contemplating the chance he had just narrowly missed.

Recognising the blindingly obvious fact that things had to change, Roberto Martinez made a half time double substitution, a move which would prove a masterstroke. Conor Sammon and Victor Moses were introduced as Cleverley and McCarthy made way, and what a difference they would make. Combined with N’Zogbia and Rodallega, they set about attempting to cut the deficit, a seemingly impossible task, but one they had to at least try and close. I mean, one early(ish) goal might change the complexion of the whole game, and a loss for either team would relegate them to the Championship that afternoon.

The damp conditions were now starting to affect play with the number of players falling flat on their backsides starting to increase. It was of no help to Wigan, who persisted with the tried-and-tested method of keeping the ball low in midfield. Things would start to swing their way, however, as they enjoyed the odd spell of possession in opposition territory.

Charles N'Zogbia had another stormer

Latics’ prayers were answered on 57 minutes as Charles N’Zogbia curled a free kick perfectly in the right hand corner of Robert Green’s net from just outside the area. It was a very well placed, potential goal of the season strike which gave his side a sniff of a chance. The home faithful could smell West Ham’s fear, becoming ever more vociferous as their team continued to push for an equaliser. The visiting contingent, who had remained relatively cheerful throughout the first 20 minutes of the second stanza, started getting nervous for perhaps the first time. As it happened, they had every reason to be.

It was Conor Sammon who grabbed the equaliser with a fine finish low past Rob Green’s left hand on 68 minutes. His first of the season, you have to say it has been threatening for some time and only prevented from coming earlier by lack of match time. What a crucial time to score, too, to put the match back in the balance at 2-2 with a little over 20 minutes to go. From thereon in, things became extremely hectic as it began to sink in that a draw for either side would not suffice. The last ten minutes were an absolute madcap scramble and seemed to last a whole half of football in themselves, the teams trading blows and shots at an incredible rate.

For a while it looked as though the Hammers would win the day, attacking with purpose and carving out some superb opportunities. Unfortunately for the visitors, they seemed to have contracted the non-finishing virus from Latics’ first half performance and could not muster a shot on goal that would trouble Al Habsi. Carlton Cole almost grabbed a late equaliser but could not steer the ball towards the Latics net, instead only succeeding in finding touch. Most of the West Ham XI had a go from 80 minutes onwards, but none could find that crucial goal to survive another week in the Premier League.

Whilst the Irons were committing eleven men to the opposition half, however, they remained susceptible to counter attacks from their hosts. Latics had an equal number of opportunities in those final minutes, and as the game ticked into stoppage time Conor Sammon saw his attempt bravely saved by Robert Green. In a chance-a-minute scenario, Wigan began to inch their way into the ascendancy, Ben Watson unlucky not to have scored as he saw his shot rebound off the post and into Green’s waiting arms.

"Time for another, Graeme?"

Then came the game winner, or loser, depending on your allegiance. The final minute of the game. Charles N’Zogbia once again found himself in possession deep into the West Ham half directly from a rebounded Hugo Rodallega shot. The opportunity looked to have passed, but the Frenchman jinked his way into the area and took a shot right at the heart of the North Stand goal. Much to the home fans’ delight, though, the ball slid underneath Rob Green and across the goal line for what would prove to be the winner. Indeed, there were mere seconds to play and the ref blew for full time almost immediately after the game restarted.

Latics’ third and decisive goal was extremely hard on the West Ham keeper, who turned out some great saves in the first half and pulled off another couple in the second. The climactic conditions did not work in his favour this time, the slippery surface making it hard to grasp the ball as it came towards him.

The visiting faithful’s attention quickly turned to the man stood on the West Stand touchline, a man who prior to the two clubs’ last encounter six months ago was given three games to transform fortunes at the club or face the chop. Whilst he survived that particular contest, he could not last this one. Following the defeat, he was berated by West Ham followers and, just hours later, relieved of his duties for the forthcoming Championship season.

I know it will come as little consolation, but West Ham deserve a fantastic amount of credit for their efforts on Sunday. It could so easily have been their day, and but for some desperate finishing late on it could well have been so different.

From a Wigan perspective, it was a dramatic win the likes of which we don’t often see at the DW. Sure, we witnessed one just the other month against Birmingham (which could prove just as crucial), but this one seemed all the more heart-stopping for the circumstances in which it came. With another round of matches to come on Sunday, this season isn’t quite over yet, however. There is still plenty of work to do, but somehow Latics remain alive in 2010-2011. It truly would be a great escape considering our position at half time yesterday.

In six days, the hard work shall resume, but for now we should savour the win – I think we shall remember this one for a long while. Does it live up to Arsenal 2010? Yes, I think it just about does. Roll on Stoke and (hopefully) survival.

Avram Grant lives to fight another day

The media is a strange beast. In the week following our bruising at Old Trafford, I note that many critics labelled Latics unlucky to lose 2–0, which completely surprised me. Little Wigan actually garnering what might be termed ‘praise’, let alone mainstream coverage? Never!

What’s more, we’ve turned out far better performances this year and only managed draws or dismal losses. Where were the papers to bemoan our fortunes then? Oh, that’s right, digging dirt on Wayne Rooney and creaming over Chelski and Man City as usual. But that’s okay. Here in this small part of North West England, we know our place in the hierarchy.

I’d love for us to keep plodding away, do our time in the Prem in the hope of eventually tasting a modicum of success akin to our début season in England’s top flight on our way to a Europa Cup campaign. Maybe then attitudes will change, but in the meantime we can continue enjoying a good old moan –the Latics fan’s single greatest pleasure– about anything and everything you could care to mention. All in good fun, you understand.

Pre-game, it’s no surprise all eyes and ears were on today’s opponents, the ailing Hammers. Rock bottom of the table and five points adrift of the safety zone, the West Ham marketing people dubbed today ‘Save Our Season’ day, and with good reason. Read between the lines and you may interpret this as ‘Save Our Manager‘, but that doesn’t sound quite as good, somehow. To many, this was Judgement Day in more ways than one, with Avram Grant perched precariously on an extremely thin ledge above the abyss that is temporary unemployment.

Yeah, should Avram be ordered back to the Job Centre, he would almost certainly crop up later in the year at Notts Forest or somewhere. Big deal. West Ham United is far bigger than any manager (except maybe Barry Fry) and a loss today would be a great blow to their confidence — not fatal by any means, but demoralising nonetheless.

Man, maybe this media stuff is rubbing off on myself in some way. I just criticised Avram Grant, a manager I have little knowledge of outside said tabloid klaptrap. Then again, I’m allowed to do this stuff because it’s my job as a blogger! Wahey for hypocrisy.

Anyway, the match. The first half was an extremely open affair, the ball travelling from end to end with regularity and both sides having their fair share of the game. Wigan put some good passing moves together, but it was West Ham, thanks to a good spell of football around the half hour mark, who had the better of the chances. Indeed, they managed to chalk up the game’s first goal through Valon Behrami on 34. Not a good sign, but Wigan would wrest some possession in the remainder of the half, partially helped by a couple of saves from Al-Habsi.

Unfortunately, we looked a bit short of men up front and relied a bit too much on N’Zogbia to put pressure on the Hammers defence. That said, the aforementioned Frenchman did carve out the odd half opportunity for Latics to get themselves on the scoresheet, proving there could be some goals available should things click into place.

It was the home side’s half, though, without a doubt, and things would have to improve if Wigan were to get something from the game. It did, eventually, but by that time Latics were 3–0 down and all but out of things. Had Mauro Boselli managed to score his penalty –awarded when Tom Cleverley was upended in the opposition area– it would have been 2–1 West Ham with plenty of time to equalise. But it, just like the whole Latics side at this point, was poor.

Forced to push forward and looking shaky at the back, Wigan conceded a third from Scott Parker to put the game to rest with ten minutes to play. Cleverley grabbed one back for the visitors with a top strike just inside the penalty area, but it was the only time anyone really challenged Robert Green. Oh, apart from when Steve Gohouri had the ball in the net in the final minutes, but the linesman awarded an erroneous offside decision. It didn’t matter, though, because it would have been simple consolation, and West Ham deservedly secured the vital points.

As for Latics, things are starting to look a bit precarious, and if we don’t win next week the pressure will well and truly be back on Martinez and co. Like it or not, this kind of thing tends to happen when you lose to the team at the foot of the table, and how disappointing it is.

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Yaffa at Flickr.

Gianfranco Zola: Safe for another season?

Readers that regularly frequent the DW, and indeed any other football ground at which Wigan Athletic may currently be playing, can’t have failed to noticed the flag marked ‘WAFC: The Religion’ resting proudly amongst the hardy band of Latics hardcore supporters — who some might term ‘nutjobs’, but not I — chuntering amongst each other in a typically northern fashion.

In many ways, football is indeed very much like a religion, a sentiment I’m sure millions of supporters nation- and even worldwide will readily echo. For starters, it seems crazy that anyone would deliberately put themselves through the catastrophic lows and often unbearable suffering of another straight defeat or loss to a passionately hated local rival. Yet, just like a ‘proper’, ‘officially’ established religion, they continue to do so, retaining their blind faith in the hope they will be rewarded next Saturday. Or Sunday, Monday or Tuesday if you’re one of the Big Four. Cheers, Sky.

Without going too deep into the ‘money in football’ argument (which I also discuss briefly in an interview for the Bert Trautmann’s Neck blog, which, by the way, is certainly worth a read) or indeed any sort of sociological theories that will most likely bore you to tears, it seems strange that we put our faith in a team of businessmen more intent on making money than seeing the club they actually have some sort of emotional attachment to do well (Liverpool, Manchester United, numerous other top flight teams). In some cases, the overwhelming urge to succeed can lead to financial ruin (Portsmouth) and the almost unthinkable: complete disappearance from the face of the earth (Chester City, Scarborough FC etc.).

Yes, religion and money are undoubtedly interlinked in a greater capacity than we would care to imagine. It’s a sad fact that these days football clubs are marketed as brands you might casually subscribe to just to ‘look cool’, when in actual fact one’s fanaticism for runs much deeper than that. For evidence of this, you need look no further than the recent spate of what have been termed ‘phoenix clubs’, fans’ attempts to re-establish another club and start afresh at a lower league level. The real fans, the ones that travel to watch their team each weekend, don’t care about the money or pretty much anything else apart from football.

Which brings me on to yesterday’s game, which the media built up as a ‘crucial relegation battle’. Well, I think it would have been, had Hull or Burnley even looked like winning a game or two. However, since their challenge seems to have petered out in recent weeks, the smart money was undoubtedly on those two for the drop. Even West Ham, with only a three point gap to the relegation zone, were sitting relatively comfortably thanks to the Tigers’ and Clarets’ inability to plug their slightly leaky defences.

Yet there was still much to play for: whilst there was still a chance of a Fulham-esque comeback the likes of which hasn’t been seen since, well, last week at the DW, this matchup remained a somewhat vital fixture. More so for West Ham than Wigan, but credit to our lads, we actually set out to get the result rather than sit back and settle for a point which, before this weekend, I would have readily settled for.

You could argue the balance of play suggested an honourable draw, and I tend to think 3-3 would have been a fairer reflection of the game as a whole. In truth, it was an afternoon littered with defensive cock-ups tempered by a good measure of attacking football, but this at the very least made for an engaging and evenly matched contest at Upton Park. Funny how sometimes the games between so-called ‘inferior’ teams can far outshine those played contested by the big money big hitters at the other end of the table. By which I mean ‘up there’, the dizzying heights little Wigan couldn’t ever even dream of hitting.

Wigan got off to a dream start when a threatening corner from Ben Watson somehow found its way into the West Ham net. As the Latics players wheeled away to celebrate, it was quickly apparent none of them had actually got anywhere near the ball and a spectacular miskick from Hammers defender Spector had somehow contrived to find its way past Robert Green. An own goal. How we would have killed for one of those in many games this season; the irony is mildly astounding.

Just minutes later, West Ham were down the other end of the field and forcing Caldwell to clear off his own goal line. Carlton Cole, who caused the Latics defence problems all through the first half, stormed his way through our centre halves as if they weren’t there. It almost seemed as though the big Scot was struggling to find his feet in the first team after a three-match absence, but that would be an unfair criticism, especially considering the biggest frontman we’ve had to deal with this season has been Peter Crouch. Actually, that argument is pretty moot, so we shall swiftly move on.

Chris Kirkland played most of the game looking like a Batman villain

During the same incident, Chris Kirkland sustained what looked like a nasty injury. When he goes down, more often than not his back has been put out of joint again, and with only the calamitous Stojkovic on the bench for Latics, things were not looking too good. Kirkland lay almost motionless as he was tended to for five minutes, after which he gingerly walked over to his net for a drink of water. The problem, it seemed, was not Kirky’s troublesome back, but a rather large cut that had opened up by the side of his mouth, a gash the paramedics took the time to presumably stitch up there and then.

As of the time of writing, no official confirmation is available as to the extent of Kirkland’s injury, though I guess we can expect him back on Bank Holiday Monday for the clash with Hull. Heck, considering he played eighty minutes looking like Two Face out of Batman we can probably expect him to play with one arm.

James McCarthy forced a good save from Green on the half hour mark

The Caldwell goal-line clearance would be a precursor to some of the defensive problems Latics would experience later in the game, and especially when Ilan, the bloke named after a Lotus, easily side footed past the Wigan keeper from a Cole cross on 31 minutes. Oh dear.

Still, you could say it was an apt reflection of the game going into half time… except not quite. On the stroke of the break, Cole earned a free kick on the edge of the visitors’ box. Noble’s free kick brought about a palm away from Kirkland, the ball fell straight to Nico Kovac for an easy goal. You could say it was slightly fortuitous, but had the Wigan keeper and Caldwell communicated better, perhaps the former would have parried the ball to safety and the half time whistle.

As it was, Caldwell seemed to get in Kirkland’s way as he dived to his right. Defensive error or bad luck? A bit of both, I would say. Whatever, Wigan were somehow 2-1 down going into half time.

But things were back on level terms on 52 minutes. Following a spell of pressure on the West Ham goal, Wigan earned a corner, and again, Watson only had to put the ball somewhere near the middle of the Hammers goal to cause problems. This time, they were spared the blushes of putting through their own net as the ball found its way in off Hugo Rodallega’s thigh. It wasn’t much of a consolation to the home side, who were now becoming very tense as Wigan wrested some control of the game, and not for the first time.

Victor Moses was introduced for Moreno on 38 minutes

The next 25 minutes or so were relatively uneventful, a looping Kovac header that rebounded off the top of the crossbar the closest anyone would come to breaking the deadlock. Then, on 77 minutes, a failure to close down Scott ‘I hate Wigan’ Parker led to the ultimate embarrassment – conceding a goal from the little so-and-so from thirty yards.

We’ll let the defence off, however, as nineteen times out of twenty, Parker’s strike would have sailed out of the stadium and halfway across London. Still, it wasn’t an isolated incident, so there is much to work on.

Wigan really were beginning to make heavy weather of things. Though the visitors pushed for another equaliser, the closest we even came to threatening was via a Titus Bramble 60-yard attempt that actually only flew a few yards over the bar. Actually, if that went in I think I would have had to eat not only my hat, but my socks and (Rodallega’s?) gloves as well.

Never mind, though, as safety for both teams is all but assured as Hull lost 1-0 to Sunderland. Of those in the bottom three, only Burnley can now catch us, but that would require them winning three out of three. In truth, I’d be surprised if they even won one of their remaining fixtures, so, on behalf of myself you can allow yourself a sigh of relief this weekend. Yes, it’s another defeat in a game we could and really should have got something from, but did you really expect us to? I mean, we haven’t won two Premier League games in a row since 1872.

Next stop the DW Stadium, and a warmup for the ‘big’ game with Chelski on the 9th May. Will there be collusion? Or will Latics rob them of the title? I think I, and certain a other north-west based group of fans would definitely prefer the latter. We shall see what happens there, but for now, settle down to watch Burnley get beaten by Liverpool to ensure our mathematical safety.

Little Wigan, Premier League for a sixth season. Who’d have thought it?

• Official match action – Latics website
• Illarterate Flickr account
  

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