The Latics continued their winning streak with a hard fought victory against away day draw specialists Sheffield Wednesday.
Uwe Rösler’s team are on a fantastic run of seven straight wins, just two defeats in the last twenty games and, although they looked slightly jaded, they came through another test with a winning goal in the last 90 seconds of the game, scored by Jordi Gomez from the penalty spot after James Perch was sent tumbling by a heavy challenge in the Sheffield Wednesday box.
Wednesday had the first real chance of the game, Al Habsi clattering into and bringing down Maghoma, the referee had no problems in pointing to the spot, the crowd held their breath as the ref reached for his cards, Al Habsi was lucky to escape with just a yellow card.
Leon Best stepped forward to take the spot kick and he hit his shot to Al Habsi’s right, the Latics keeper is a real penalty king and flung himself to pull off a very good save and make it eight penalty saves in total since joining the Latics.
Latics went close when a fantastic cross by James McClean flew across the Wednesday six yard box, Maynard flying in at the far post was inches away from connecting and sliding the ball home.
Rösler made a double substitution on 54 minutes bringing on Powell and McManaman and the Latics, who had looked lacklustre, upped their game, McManaman went close, cutting in from the right side he unleashed a wicked shot that flew just wide of the far post.
On 88 minutes Latic scored what turned out to be the winning goal, James Perch was crudely challenged in the box and the assistant referee waved his flag signalling a penalty, up stepped Jordi Gomez and slotted home his third goal in consecutive matches, 1-0.
They say that the sign of a good team is to underperform and still win, that’s exactly what the Latics did last night and kept a clean sheet in the bargain.
Teams
Latics – Al Habsi, Perch, Boyce, Barnett, Beausejour, McArthur (McManaman 54), Gomez, Tunnicliffe, McClean (Fortune 72), Maynard, Waghorn (Powell 54
Unused subs – Carson, Crainey, McEachran, Ramis
Sheffield Wednesday – Martinez, Buxton, Onyewu, Loovens, Palmer, Helan, Coke, Oshilaja (Prutton 62), Maghoma (Maguire 62), Best (Nuhiu 75), Lavery
Unused subs – Davies, Afobe, Liera, Johnson
Highlights
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A very good three points
Mcmanaman was a real dynamo when he came on.