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2010-06-29
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Wigan Shocks Spurs
Latics stun sloppy SpursTottenham Hotspur 0 - 1 Wigan AthleticWigan put their horrendous start to the Premier League behind them with a smash-and-grab victory at Tottenham. 
After conceding 10 goals without scoring in its first two games, Wigan earned a surprise victory over Spurs with Hugo Rodallega netting the winner. Hugo Rodallega scored the winner 10 minutes from full-time after Carlo Cudicini allowed the winger's tame shot to squirm past him in what was the goalkeeper's first start since his horrific motorcycle accident.It was a remarkable result for a Latics side who had conceded 10 goals in their opening two Premier League games and nine in the corresponding fixture last season.It also cast doubt on Spurs boss Harry Redknapp's claim he has a squad capable of competing both domestically and in the Champions League.Indeed, Redknapp's fears about complacency following last season's goal glut against the Latics and Wednesday night's historic European victory against Young Boys appeared to have been realised.Spurs made a sluggish start and Rodallega flashed an early warning shot wide before poor defending from an eighth-minute corner saw Steve Gohouri smash the ball against the crossbar from Mauro Boselli's knockdown.Tottenham were conceding possession in dangerous areas, while a clumsy defensive clearance nearly ricocheted past Cudicini.The home side eventually got going and Jermain Defoe was given the freedom of the Wigan penalty box to fire a low shot which brought the best out of Ali Al Habsi, the on-loan Bolton keeper starting ahead of Chris Kirkland, who was not in the squad.On the half hour mark, Michael Dawson became the first player booked for cutting down Mohamed Diame 25 yards from goal.The visitors were demonstrating the kind of defensive nous sadly lacking in their opening two Premier League thrashings, with Peter Crouch effectively shackled by Gohouri and Antolin Alcaraz.Crouch did clip a ball through to Defoe five minutes before the break, which the latter poked narrowly wide with the outside of his right foot.Hendry Thomas joined Dawson in the book after felling Aaron Lennon shortly before a disappointing half drew to a close.Spurs made a double-substitution at half-time, bringing on Roman Pavyluchenko and Niko Kranjcar for Crouch and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.Despite a comfortable first half, Wigan would have been wary it was only 1-0 at the same stage of the corresponding fixture last season.However, although Pavyluchenko mistimed a header from Lennon's cross, the Latics' blanket defence was holding firm.Spurs began to throw both Ledley King and Dawson forward as a breakthrough began to look less and less likely.The visitors replaced lone front man Boselli with Jordi Gomez midway through the half, while Spurs soon followed suit by bringing on Giovani Dos Santos for Lennon.Kranjcar saw yellow for sending Thomas tumbling 16 minutes from time, before he himself got Maynor Figueroa cautioned.Having spent almost the entire half penned in, Wigan suddenly went on the attack.Alcaraz somehow missed the target from point-blank range after the assistant referee wrongly kept his flag down and Gomez also volleyed over the top.Both chances came from crosses by Rodallega, who found the net himself 10 minutes from time after Cudicini fumbled his weak shot into the net.Tottenham poured forward in search of an equaliser and Tom Huddlestone volleyed just wide, Defoe found the side-netting and Kranjcar and Dawson both forced acrobatic saves from Al Habsi.Wigan brought on James McArthur for Ronnie Stam in the closing moments, while Spurs screams for handball against Alcaraz were ignored by referee Phil Dowd.Younes Kaboul wasted a glorious chance to equalise in stoppage-time when he glanced Kranjcar's free-kick wide.Martinez hails hard workRoberto Martinez claimed his Wigan players had been prepared to die for each other after watching them end their horrendous start to the season.
Roberto Martinez got a much-needed win. ''The type of performance we had today was really of a group of players really committed,'' said manager Martinez after watching Hugo Rodallega net an 80th-minute winner. ''They were prepared to give their lives for each other.''The Latics boss admitted his side had lacked such qualities in previous matches.''We were missing that togetherness, that team spirit,'' he said. ''But today, everyone will agree that we had that in abundance.''Revealing how such a dramatic turnaround in fortunes had been achieved in just a week, Martinez added: ''We are a team that want to be really brave, we want to play face to face with all the teams.''Unless you are very disciplined and you are prepared to cover those two yards sometimes with real intensity then you're going to get hurt. We addressed that approach more than anything and I think you saw that.''Spurs put a lot of pressure on in the second half and we didn't really look under any exposure. We were a team for once, and that allowed the football side to make a difference.''Wigan's new-found spirit was typified by the performance of centre-backs Steve Gohouri and Antolin Alcaraz.''When you play against Spurs, you know you're going to be really tested,'' Martinez said. ''That partnership today allowed us to perform in the manner that we did.''On-loan Bolton goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi - retained from the midweek Carling Cup second-round win at Hartlepool - also dealt brilliantly with the few shots he had to save.''He had a great performance against Hartlepool in the League Cup and you could see that feeling was really there,'' said Martinez, who revealed regular No. 1 Chris Kirkland had a hip problem.''I saw a goalkeeper dominant, he always made the right decisions and when you've got that at the back, it allows the defenders to be confident.''Asked whether Wigan had now turned the corner, Martinez said: ''There are many things that we need to improve. I think we need to be better on the ball. We can be a lot better than what we showed today.''Spurs boss Harry Redknapp's worst fears were realised as his side suffered what appeared a hangover from their historic progress to the Champions League group stage.But Redknapp insisted Wednesday night's exertions were no excuse, saying: "Why should it be? You should come here today full of confidence after winning 4-0 in a Champions League game."You should come here today and feel fantastic about yourself, not have a hangover or feel lethargic. You should go out there today knowing the crowd love you and the way you played on the Wednesday and last Saturday and come here and really play today.''Redknapp also had a slight dig at the crowd, saying: "I fear these games more than any other games. These are not games that you enjoy. People turn up here today and they expect you to walk all over them. After two minutes, we give the ball away and they're, 'Ooooh' - they're on your case.''Wigan denied Tottenham time and space all afternoon and Redknapp added: "People have got to work harder to get in the game. Too many today were too easily marked out of the game.''Admitting his side missed injured midfielder Luka Modric, the Spurs boss said: "We lacked the guile to break them down. You miss Modric in these games. When the games are tight, he takes the ball for you.''Redknapp also maintained there was little chance of Spurs signing anyone before the transfer window closes, including Scott Parker and Ashley Young.
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