Before the game i had worry that this was going to be a little easy for them because of our out of position full backs and N'Zogbia taking chances, would I be right?
When i got to The Hawthorns I thought I should take a look at Carlos Vela in the warm up. While watching him I could tell he was from Arsenal, he had good vision and a pass that could provide an opening. I knew we were onto something good if he could deliver under pressure.
The teams were read out and to many fans' surprise Cox was named in the starting 11 in place of Dorrans. I’ll admit it now i thought he may have gone 4-4-2 when I saw the team, also Morrsion was dropped for Vela which was expected and Tamas was out for Scharner at the back to play his old club.
First half
The game started brightly with Scharner leaving a ball and allowing Wigan in for a chance in the first minute, this didn’t look good for a game that was meant to be as vital as the one against Blackpool, this meant they got a few corners taken by Ben Watson, shame we didn’t keep him he can take a corner unlike our lot at times!
We absorbed all the pressure we could until the 5th minute when Jerome Thomas fed the ball to Odemwingie with great vision and great weight for him to slide home for a 1-0 lead. A good start to Vela’s life here, I bet he thought he was on to something good when that happened. This spurred us on a little and a free-kick from Brunt was perfect for the on running Olsson who glanced his header on target only for Al Habsi to deny him.
Wigan had nothing to lose and they went for it attacking at Cech who was often to in-field and letting the full back and N'Zogbia attack him, and when he cut inside and won a free kick off Mulumbu i knew what he could do. Mulumbu I thought got a touch on the ball, but he did come from behind. My only hope was that it was too far out to go up and down in time; in the end it didn’t matter because he drilled it low, it hit Mulumbu, and went it to the bottom corner wrong-footing Myhill in goal, only question I could ask was, why was Myhill going where his wall was anyway? Wigan had the bit between their teeth now and N'Zogbia felt it with a run past three players resulting in a tight angled high shot that Myhill parried well.
We could all see was coming two minutes before half time. Wigan got a free-kick that wasn’t a fout in my book. Watson steps up to take it, he whips in a delightful ball for anyone to head. Unfortunately no-one was needed because it went all the way in with Myhill being as much use as you and I. We were 2-1 down at the break. Time for RDM to work his magic. Just to say i thought Rodellaga was impeading the sight of Myhill from on offside position just before the kick was taken and ran back when the ball was played in. Should it have been given? For me, no.
Half time fix?
I know this isn’t normally written about but the free ticket give away at half time was a bit of a surprise one with a man winning it just like his Dad did 2 weeks ago. Peace the game’s up we know you have fixed the result! ;)
Second Half
We were obviously told to go and attack in the second half because we came out fighting, unfortunately we looked more like Stoke than West Brom with constant long balls up to Odemwingie with no support. The only productive players early on were Thomas, who was my man of the match, and Vela really. When we did get a flowing move going though it resulted in Cech coming centimetres away from the target firing over from 20 yards.
Myhill then made saves from Franco Di Santo who out muscled and outpaced our defence and N'Zogbia, who came inside and forced a low down save with his legs. Tchoyi, who came on for Vela, then played a great ball into Fortune, himself on for for Cox, who had a shot which looked for all the world like it was going wide from behind the goal, but a massive amount of curl was put on at the end and it hit the post. The rebound fell just wide of for Chris Brunt’s ‘wand’.
Then just a minute later, Brunt had the ball 20 yards out turned and shot it just curled on to the post and out, a better option would have probably been passing to Odemwingie who had made a great run outside of him.
Then with ten to go, Fortune rose highest from a Thomas' cross and he headed past Al Habsi. We could sense it was now a great chance for three points. First came Olsson off a corner; he got up well and headed with power only for the ’keeper to get up and meet the ball with an excellent one-handed save.
Then Fortune had a chance off Brunt's cross only for the ‘keeper to make a reflex save to be proud of with his feet down low. Then the match turner. We had many penalties in the game not given, Odemwingie in the first half, Fortune at the end, but none more blatant than this one. Caldwell miskicked the ball in the box, the ball was falling for Odemwingie only for Caldwell to handball it back to the ‘keeper! Somehow referee Dowd shook his head. The game finished all square.
On refection
I’ve had a day to mull over the result, and i still feel it’s bad one. We may use the ref as an escape goat but why bother? Our defence is falling to pieces, and i feel Mulumbu needs Scharner for support so he can take some of the work load off.
Vela looked good, nice touches, nice vision and nice passes. Only problem I see is his finishing and maybe a little confidence. This month is vital to our season with Wolves and West Ham coming up at home we could possibly get a little pressure off our backs but we can’t get complacent!