A 90th minute header by Hugo Rodallega gave Wigan a crucial 1-0 victory in their relegation battle with Burnley here on Saturday.
Rodallega’s goal – his second decisive strike in four matches having scored in the 1-0 win over Liverpool a fortnight ago – sees Wigan move seven points clear of the drop zone but leaves Burnley in real trouble, with just one win in nearly five months and only one away point all season.
The first-half had been a dour affair typical of the two sides predicament.
Steven Fletcher forced Wigan ‘keeper Chris Kirkland into an early save, then Wigan’s Austrian international defender Paul Scharner went close with a shot from outside the area – which was about the last thing he did before being replaced by Jason Scotland in the 33rd minute.
Scharner’s defensive partner Gary Caldwell – who missed out on playing against his brother Steven because the latter failed to recover from a groin injury – went closest of all with a cracking header from James McCarthy’s corner that came back off the post in the 18th minute.
The second-half got off to a livelier start with Martin Paterson forcing Kirkland into a good save three minutes into the period and his strike partner David Nugent saw an effort go wide.
Scotland too looked sharp and went close with a shot from outside the area in the 49th minute and also missed wide of the goal on the hour mark.
The match, though, resumed its monotonous routine with the only two efforts of note a long range strike by Burnley veteran Robbie Blake, which drifted wide while Rodallega shot wide to the left of the goal.
But Colombian striker Rodallega pounced with shattering effect at the death, perhaps sounding the death knell for Burnley’s short stay in the elite.
