Wigan 1 Manchester U 0:SO MUCH for the procession towards title number 20. Manchester United's eight-point lead was cut to five as relegation-haunted Wigan Athletic produced a stunning win to enhance their hopes of survival and perhaps those of Roberto Mancini as manager at Manchester City.
Alex Ferguson had previously faced Wigan 14 times since their elevation to the Premier League and 14 times he had emerged victorious. This was no time for the sequence to founder due to a fine Wigan performance and a lethargic response from United, who had a blatant penalty appeal overlooked when Maynor Figueroa handled Phil Jones’s cross in the area with 18 minutes to go.
It is surely no coincidence United’s first loss in the league since January 4th came with Paul Scholes given the night off.
Martinez received an apology from Mike Riley, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials, for Dave Bryan’s failure to spot that both Chelsea goals were offside in last week’s 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge, a reverse that broke a run of four games unbeaten. Last night Martinez was left to curse the match officials for a second game in succession when a merited lead was chalked off after 29 minutes.
Victor Moses rose highest to send a powerful header beyond David de Gea from a Shaun Maloney corner. The DW Stadium erupted.
No one had spotted that the assistant referee David Richardson had raised his flag the moment Moses’ header hit the net. Only after several replays was an apparent cause identified, a slight obstruction by Gary Caldwell on the United goalkeeper on the goal-line. Referee Phil Dowd got a vitriolic reception at half-time.
Few would have disputed the legitimacy of Wigan’s lead had the goal stood. United threatened little and were second best throughout the first half. Ferguson stalked his technical area like a wounded lion, clearly rehearsing his interval dressing-room dressing-down.
With Moses given licence to roam across the United defence and Maloney a persistent threat down the left, Martinez’s side took the game to the league leaders from the opening whistle. Carrick covered well to prevent Franco Di Santo meeting an inviting cut-back from Jean Beausejour, De Gea tipped over from James McCarthy’s 20-yard drive and Moses had another shot deflected wide.
Whatever Ferguson said at half-time, it did not work. He introduced Tom Cleverley for the anonymous Ashley Young – the former Wigan loanee given a warm reception by the home crowd – but with Antonio Valencia, another ex-Latic, and the visiting attack kept quiet, the momentum remained with Martinez’s side. They finally established the lead their performance deserved five minutes after the restart.
Maloney made a quiet start at Wigan after his move from Celtic last summer but has been instrumental in the team’s recent improvement. His third goal in 10 games was worthy of any stage.
After exchanging passes with Beausejour at a short corner the Scot cut inside a half-hearted challenge from Wayne Rooney and curled a wonderful finish beyond De Gea and in off the far post. There was no reprieve for United this time and Moses twice went close late on while Ali Al-Habsi saved well from the United substitute Danny Welbeck.
WIGAN: Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McCarthy, McArthur, Beausejour, Moses, Di Santo (Diame 70), Maloney (Sammon 77). Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Crusat, Ben Watson, Gomez, Stam. Booked: Di Santo.
MAN UTD: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Giggs, Carrick, Young (Cleverley 46), Rooney (Nani 65), Hernandez (Welbeck 58). Subs Not Used: Amos, Smalling, Park, Pogba. Booked: Evans, Jones.
Referee: Phil Dowd.
