FA Premiership/ Wigan Athletic 0 Blackburn Rovers 3: There is a sense of foreboding gripping Wigan. Having acclimatised to Premiership football wonderfully well last season, the second term in the top flight has become a battle for survival.
Blackburn's comfortable victory here inflicted a fifth successive defeat on Paul Jewell's side. With only five points gleaned from the last possible 30, the manager's concern is understandable.
Wigan are in freefall and there was little yesterday to suggest the home side are underachieving. Blackburn won at a canter, the visitors only threatening sporadically but were still able to secure three points with ease. That they did owed much to the platform Emile Heskey's own goal provided, with further strikes by Matt Derbyshire and Benni McCarthy, whose penalty 14 minutes from time prompted home fans to head for the exits in droves.
It was a chastening outcome and one that leaves Jewell's side, whose next Premiership fixture brings a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge, only one place above the relegation zone. Jewell revealed afterwards he has made an offer for an unnamed striker although the Wigan manager conceded unless they can improve defensively any increased fire-power will be futile.
"You could see the confidence drain out of us," admitted Jewell. "I thought in the first half the players did well but we look very milky at the moment and once one goal goes in we look like we are going to concede another. Yes, we are looking for another striker but he'd have to be a decent striker because at the moment he'd need to score four goals to win us a game."
It was the second goal, scored by Derbyshire, that epitomised Wigan's defensive frailties. Morten Gamst Pedersen had the time and space to cushion a header into the path of the Blackburn substitute. Derbyshire's run into the area had gone unchecked and a simple tap-in did the rest.
Mark Hughes, understandably, was in more sanguine mood. It was a victory against Wigan almost 12 months ago to the day that had provided the catalyst for a strong second half to the season that culminated in a top-six finish.
"We have always set our targets high," said Hughes. "And we have put ourselves in a position to possibly be able to (finish in the top six) again."
- Guardian Service
WIGAN ATHLETIC: Kirkland, Boyce, Hall, De Zeeuw, Baines, Cotterill, Skoko (Wright 46), Landzaat, Kilbane, Heskey, Johansson. Subs not used: Pollitt, Jackson, Teale, Cywka.
BLACKBURN ROVERS: Friedel, Emerton, Henchoz (Todd 73), Khizanishvili, Neill, Bentley, Savage, Mokoena, Pedersen, Nonda (Derbyshire 46), McCarthy (Gallagher 77). Subs not used: Brown, Kerimoglu. Booked: Mokoena, Neill, Henchoz, Khizanishvili, Bentley.
Referee: M Clattenburg(Co Durham).
