Source: Team_Talk
Nikola nods Rovers to derby win
Kalinic scored twice in Rovers' Carling Cup semi-final second-leg showdown at Aston Villa last Thursday, only to end up on the wrong end of the 6-4 scoreline.[LNB]But after the Latics' Gary Caldwell had cancelled out a stunning strike from Morten Gamst Pedersen, Kalinic popped up 14 minutes from time with his sixth goal of the season, and first in the Premier League since his £6million summer move from Hajduk Split.[LNB]The result means Sam Allardyce's side are now up to 11th and seven points clear of the drop zone.[LNB]As for Wigan, who had won their preceding two league matches, they are just two points off the bottom three and staring at a fight to beat the drop for the remainder of the season.[LNB]Roberto Martinez made five changes to his side from Saturday's face-saving 2-2 FA Cup fourth-round draw at Notts County, although there was only one from the team that beat Wolves 2-0 in their last league outing.[LNB]It was a wholly significant one as goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic, who was poor and heroic in equal measure on his first outing in English football against County, was handed his league debut.[LNB]With regular number one Chris Kirkland out with a collarbone injury, Stojkovic's second-half showing at Meadow Lane ensured he received the nod in goal over Mike Pollitt.[LNB]But in the 20th minute, the often uncertain and hesitant-looking Stojkovic was being looked upon with disdain by his team-mates as he was at fault for the opener.[LNB]The on-loan Serbian from Sporting Lisbon opted, for whatever reason, to race 15 yards off his line and attempt to punch clear a deep free-kick from Brett Emerton in among a crowd of players.[LNB]His effort barely mustered seven yards in distance, and he was duly punished as Pedersen gratefully thumped a screaming left-foot half-volley into an unguarded net from 20 yards.[LNB]Rovers just about deserved that lead as they had been the slightly more enterprising side throughout the opening exchanges.[LNB]Perhaps unsurprisingly they came under pressure for the remainder of the half, yet although Paul Robinson was kept busy he was never called upon to make a truly top-drawer save.[LNB]There was an agile tip over to a dipping, inswinging corner from Charles N'Zogbia, and two routine stops to a free-kick and then a drive from Hugo Rodallega and Mohamed Diame respectively that were rifled straight at him.[LNB]He and Blackburn were fortunate to survive, however, in the 39th minute when Colombia striker Rodallega delivered a penetrating free-kick into heart of the area.[LNB]James McCarthy managed to get a faint touch that Paul Scharner must have thought was curling inside Robinson's left-hand post as the Austrian pulled away instead of making a necessary nod goalwards.[LNB]Instead, it was Blackburn who went closest to adding to their lead, with David Hoilett firing a shot on the turn into the side-netting and Pedersen sending a dipping 25-yard free-kick narrowly over the crossbar.[LNB]Just eight minutes after the break, though, the Latics were back on level terms courtesy of a rare strike from centre-back Caldwell, his first for the club in his second outing since his recent move from Celtic.[LNB]Captain Ryan Nelsen's block to a Rodallega drive was brave enough, but it led to a McCarthy corner that dipped into the six-yard box.[LNB]Caldwell seemed to be all over the back of former Latics right-back Pascal Chimbonda as he stooped to head home from three yards, but referee Lee Mason saw no infringement.[LNB]After Pedersen was denied his second of the night by the woodwork just five minutes later as he planted a header onto the crossbar from Emerton's deep right-wing cross, it was then a case of whatever you can do, we can do too.[LNB]Pedersen, without a name and number on his shirt as he had been forced to change his original one due to sustaining a bloody nose in an aerial collision with Mario Melchiot as he went for his earlier chance, provided the penetrating corner from the left.[LNB]Unlike Caldwell, though, Kalinic was unmarked as he dived low onto the delivery to head home from five yards in the 76th minute for what proved to the winner, and a second successive league victory.[LNB][LNB]
