Soccer: Blackburn Rovers 0 Wigan 1:Blackburn have been relegated from the Barclays Premier League after losing at Ewood Park. Steve Kean's side needed to win to have any hope of avoiding relegation to the npower Championship but a goal from Antolin Alcaraz on 87 minutes confirmed their fate.
Knowing exactly what was at stake, both sides started with real intent, but it was Wigan’s Victor Moses who fired in a speculative shot over the bar in the fourth minute to set pulses racing amongst the home fans.
Play was briefly halted in the seventh minute when a chicken — wearing in a Blackburn Rovers flag — wandered on to the pitch, only to be rescued by the combined efforts of Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi and Blackburn striker Ayegbeni Yakubu.Franco Di Santo had the first shot on target for Wigan when play resumed but his effort was easily saved by Blackburn’s Paul Robinson.
Modeste, who is on loan at Rovers from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, then linked up well with Yakubu at the other end only to blaze over as both sides looked to take a grasp of the match. Moses forced another save from Robinson in the 24th minute after he outpaced Scott Dann and fired in a shot from the left of the box from a tight angle.
The errors began to creep in for under-pressure Blackburn, with Morten Gamst Pedersen blasting a poorly-taken free-kick over Al Habsi’s net, much to the frustration of Yakubu. Wigan then wasted the chance to take the lead from Shaun Maloney’s free-kick as Blackburn managed to scramble the ball clear.
The visitors tore Blackburn apart on the counter-attack with 10 minutes left on the clock in the first half, with Di Santo’s cross picking out Moses in the box, only for the midfielder to nod his close-range header directly at Robinson.
Wigan started the second half on the front foot and Republic of Ireland international James McCarthy might have done better when his shot on the half-volley went just wide of Robinson’s goal.
Yakubu then went close at the other end when Scott Dann played the ball in to the Nigerian, only for the striker’s shot to be blocked by Antolin Alcaraz as Wigan piled bodies into the box.
Another good chance went begging for Wigan in the 57th minute when Moses was unable to control Di Santo’s flick-on and skied the ball over the bar. There was then relief all round as Givet took his seat in the stand to watch the rest of the game to cheers of “There’s only one Gael Givet” from the home fans.
Blackburn were unlucky to not be given a penalty soon after following a goalmouth scramble, as Junior Hoilett was brought down by Emmerson Boyce in the box, but referee Mark Clattenburg waved away calls for a spot-kick.
As the rain continued to pour, Blackburn desperately went in search of the lifeline that would keep them in the top flight, but they struggled to find any fluency in the deteriorating conditions.
Martin Olsson put in a testing cross which Al Habsi and Gary Caldwell dealt with before Kean make a tactical switch and brought on striker David Goodwillie for defender Bradley Orr with 10 minutes of normal time remaining.
Moses was again denied by Robinson as the Blackburn keeper parried his shot before making a quick reflex save to stop McCarthy’s follow-up. Maloney then wasted a golden chance to guarantee Wigan’s Premier League future and end Blackburn’s when he headed over the bar from close range.
The visitors were creating all of the chances, and Alcaraz finally gave them the lead in the 87th minute when he headed Jean Beausejour’s corner past Robinson. The defender’s goal ensured the Latics will play in the top flight next season and condemned Blackburn to the npower Championship.
Blackburn:Robinson, Orr, Dann, Givet, Martin Olsson, Hoilett, Dunn, Lowe, Pedersen, Modeste, Yakubu. Subs: Kean, Formica,Petrovic, Nzonzi, Rochina, Marcus Olsson, Goodwillie.
Wigan:Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McArthur, McCarthy, Beausejour, Moses, Di Santo, Maloney. Subs: Pollitt, Crusat, Ben Watson, Gomez, Sammon, Rodallega, Diame.
Referee:Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
