Wigan Athletic 1 Aston Villa 2: Mat Kendrick's match report and ratings
Mar 17 2010 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
THAT’S the Wigan Pier pressure out of the way. Just the Champions League peer pressure to contend with now then.
Villa’s league position might not have changed at the DW Stadium but they were in seventh heaven after keeping themselves in the thick of an increasingly exciting scramble for the top four.
Turning draws into victories was the Martin O’Neill mantra going into last night’s clash and they did just that during a dogged display against Roberto Martinez’s topsy-turvy team.
The Latics might have ensured Villa’s season got off to the worst possible start with their opening-day victory at Villa Park.
But last night’s act of revenge means the boys from B6 are still promising to finish the campaign with a flourish.
A farcical James McCarthy own-goal midway through the first period put Villa in front and even though Gary Caldwell headed Wigan level moments later, James Milner popped up with a second-half winner.
In truth, the opening goal on 26 minutes could have gone either way.
There seemed to be little danger when John Carew’s back-post header from Stewart Downing’s right-wing cross dropped in the six-yard box with two Wigan players in position to boot it away.
But, instead of calmly dealing with the situation, McCarthy panicked and lifted a bizarre mis-hit clearance over Bramble on the line and into the roof of the net.
In McCarthy’s defence, Gabby Agbonlahor was lurking with intent but not close enough to make him take leave of his senses.
The Villa players couldn’t help but chuckle at their goalscorer’s misfortune, although the smiles were wiped off their faces moments later.
In a top-four race which still promises plenty of twists and turns, O’Neill was seething that the next one came within 70 seconds of Villa taking the lead.
And a defence which prides itself on being the Premier League’s meanest will be equally infuriated at conceding only their 22nd top-flight goal of the season.
