Smash-and-grab Latics win at Lane

28 August 2010 17:16
Wigan put their horrendous start to the Premier League behind them with a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory at Tottenham on Saturday.[LNB] Hugo Rodallega scored the winner at White Hart Lane 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.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]Tottenham were conceding possession in dangerous areas, while a clumsy defensive clearance nearly ricocheted past Cudicini.[LNB]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.[LNB]On the half hour mark, Michael Dawson became the first player booked for cutting down Mohamed Diame 25 yards from goal.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]Hendry Thomas joined Dawson in the book after felling Aaron Lennon shortly before a disappointing half drew to a close.[LNB]Spurs made a double-substitution at half-time, bringing on Roman Pavyluchenko and Niko Kranjcar for Crouch and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.[LNB]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.[LNB]However, although Pavyluchenko mistimed a header from Lennon's cross, the Latics' blanket defence was holding firm.[LNB]Spurs began to throw both Ledley King and Dawson forward as a breakthrough began to look less and less likely.[LNB]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.[LNB]Kranjcar saw yellow for sending Thomas tumbling 16 minutes from time, before he himself got Maynor Figueroa cautioned.[LNB]Having spent almost the entire half penned in, Wigan suddenly went on the attack.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]Younes Kaboul wasted a glorious chance to equalise in stoppage-time when he glanced Kranjcar's free-kick wide.

Source: Team_Talk