Source: Daily_Mail
Wigan 1 West Ham 0: Rodallega strikes to take the heat off Martinez
Thank goodness football is played on grass and not on paper. Given form so far thisseason, Wigan should have had little chance yesterday, but such are theendearing and enduring vagaries of the game which keep us coming backthat they pulled off anunexpected win.[LNB]It was a welcome win, too, for Wigan's promising young Spanishmanager Roberto Martinez. After his side's sad start to the season thatsaw them lose three ina row after their opening-day win over Aston Villa, you feared for him against a sideunbeaten away and who were yet to concede a goal on the road.[LNB]But Hugo Rodallega's second half goal was a timely fillip for boththe Colombian and his manager, harsh though it was on West Ham, whocreated the better chances, and, in particular, on their keeper RobertGreen. [LNB] Key strike: Hugo Rodellega gives the Latics three points[LNB]Green did make some excellent saves and is clearly growing in confidence. There [LNB]was consolation, too, for West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola in a late cameoperformance by substitute Alessandro Diamanti, signed for £6million from Serie Bside Livorno, as he so nearly earned a point with some neat left-footed trickery andshooting.[LNB]Yesterday, though, the Italian was upstaged by Rodallega, who was omitted from Colombia's midweek defeat in Uruguay. [LNB]Their loss was Wigan's gain. Arriving back only on Friday afternoon after a 12-hour flight, he was determined to play, according to Martinez. [LNB]'He told me at half-time he was going to score,' said Martinez and, 10 minutes into thesecond half, Rodallega was as good as his word. Mario Melchiot's low cross somehow reached the far post where Jason Koumas got in a shot that Green did well to keep out, only for Rodallega to lash home the rebound. [LNB]'This is not the first time we have started the second half slowly,' Zola complained. 'Itwas a scrappy goal. Green made a good save and I expected my defenders to bemore reactive.' [LNB]The keeper also made decent early saves from Jordi Gomez's and Rodallega's shots,but otherwise West Ham were more direct and dangerous.[LNB]WIGAN (4-5-1): Kirkland; Melchiot, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa; N'Zogbia, Gomez (Sinclair 90min), Thomas, Diame, Koumas (Scharner 65); Rodallega (Scotland 72). Subs (not used): Pollitt, Edman, Cho, King. Booked: Figueroa, Bramble.[LNB]WEST HAM(4-4-2): Green; Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Gabbidon; Noble (Nouble 86), Kovac (Behrami 63), Parker, Stanislas (Diamanti 63); Cole, Hines. Subs (not used): Kurucz, Spector, Da Costa, Payne. Booked: Noble.[LNB]Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).[LNB] Wigan 1 West Ham 0: the action as it happenedWest Ham sign Mexico striker Franco: Hammers also tracking starlet VerrattiMartinez affords trialist M'Bami extra time to win Wigan dealWIGAN ATHLETIC FC
