Premier League: Wigan v Wolves full time report
Wigan 2 Wolves 0
Jordi Gomez recovered from being on the receiving end of a vicious Karl Henry challenge to help give Wigan their first home win of the season, and condemn 10 man Wolves to a fourth straight league defeat.
Wolves skipper Henry received a straight red card for scything down Gomez in the game’s early stages, but despite their one man advantage, it took the hosts over an hour to break their opponents down.
Gomez eventually broke Wolves’ resistance with a fierce free kick into the top corner of the net, before Franco Di Santo almost caught out goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann with a dipping long range volley.
Hugo Rodallega wrapped up the points for the hosts when he diverted in Christophe Berra’s attempted clearance with five minutes remaining.
With both sides eager for a win to move away from the lower reaches of the table, this was always going to be a keenly contested match, and just 11 minutes in, Henry was too keen.
Still inside his own half, Gomez had knocked the ball a little too far ahead of him, inviting Henry into the tackle, but the Wolves skipper charged at Gomez and launched into a ridiculously over the top challenge that sent the Spaniard high into the air. Referee Lee Mason produced an obvious red card, and Henry can have few complaints.
With their one man advantage, Wigan set about trying to take the lead, but after Maynor Figueroa shot over, they struggled to create much else in a scrappy opening half.
Charles N’Zogbia was looking the man most likely to do damage, but one clever run and cross failed to find a static Di Santo in the penalty area, before another good run resulted in Rodallega blazing over. The French winger’s cross following a corner was then headed wide by an unmarked Gomez shortly before the break. He should have done better.
Perhaps spurred on by boss Roberto Martinez, Wigan started the second half well, and terrific link up play between strike partners Rodallega and Di Santo ended with latter drawing an excellent save from Wolves ‘keeper Hahnemann from close range when a goal looked likely.
James McCarthy then drove straight at the American stopper from distance, with Wolves’ only real attacking threat coming from the spiky Kevin Doyle, who was ruffling a few Wigan feathers at the back with his constant running and unsettling of opponents.
All of the traffic was heading towards the Wolves area though, and they would finally have their goal shortly after the hour mark.
David Edwards fouled N’Zogbia on the very edge of the penalty area, and after some discussion over who was to take the free kick, Gomez stepped up and powerfully found the top left corner of Hahnemann’s goal via a flick off the crossbar. It was goal that Wigan – while not playing the best of football – had deserved for their perseverance.
Pressing for a second, Wigan attacked through the lively N’Zogbia, before Di Santo almost caught out Hahnemann with a terrific dipping volley from 40 yards that the American only just got back on his line to deal with.
Searching for an equaliser, Wolves boss Mick McCarthy threw on forwards Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and the nomadic Marcus Bent, but the next goal was to come at the other end.
With Wolves inviting him to run at them, N’Zogbia slipped a ball through towards Rodallega, and as defender Berra attempted to clear on the stretch, he only succeeded in knocking the ball onto the left foot of Rodallega, from where it diverted into the net to seal three precious points for Wigan.
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