Second best Wigan deepen relegation fears

Latics proved the old adage, ‘that one swallow doesn’t make a summer’ with a spiritless abject performance following on from Monday’s good win over Liverpool.

Martinez sprung a surprise, changing a winning side by dropping Martins to the bench pushing Rodallega into the striking role and handing exciting talent Victor Moses, his first start on the left wing.

Latics started brightly and with Bolton sporting a patched up defence, N’Zogbia in particular looked dangerous whenever he touched the ball.

The first key turning point of the game came in the tenth minute, when Rodallega went down under a challenge from Knight in the penalty area. Referee Mike Dean who was perfectly placed waved play on to incredulous looks from the aggrevied Latics striker.

Less than five minutes later, Bolton were ahead. A bullocking challenge from Latics bete noire Davies had a hint of foul about it but the ball fell to Elmander who out muscled Caldwell and fired the ball between the advancing Kirkland’s legs.

Much has been speculated about the character of the Latics team when they conceed a goal and yesterday was no exzception. For the rest of the first half several players seemed to be playing on auto pilot, passes went astray and only Boyce, Bramble and N’Zogbia seemed to be performinG anywhere near the level expected.

Victor Moses cut an isolated figure on the left wing as too often he received the ball with no option but to try and take players on, as Figueroa espicailly failed to provide any support , hence Moses often lost the ball.

Bolton were almost two nil up, when Davies fired in from a corner, Kirkland made a point blank save and Boyce and Moses managed to scramble the ball around the post for a corner.

Latics best chance unsurprisingly came from N’Zogbia but his goal bound shot was saved one handed, by the ever dependable Jaskaaleinan in the Bolton goal.

Latics fans were left specualting at half time whether the team could come from behind for only the second time this season to secure a win. However this specualtion lasted only two minutes of the second half, when a clumsy challenge from Caldwell in the area handed Bolton a penalty and Davies made no mistake, sending Kirkland the wrong way to effectively kill the game.

Martinez immeadately began warming the substitutes up and as he was about to bring on Gomez and Scotland, Bolton rubbed further salt into the wounds when Muamba turned the hapless Caldwell inside and out and fired past Kirkland.

Latics continued to past the ball around but there was no penetration of a resolute Bolton defence, who showed Wigan how to battle for a victory, with a totally committed performance, breaking quickly from defence through Wigan’s weak midfield.

Botlon turned a victory into a rout, when once again Caldwell was at fault as Taylor fired past the hapless Kirkland.

This sparked a mass exodus of long suffering Wigan fans and full time was greeted once again with boos from some of the Wigan fans, who once again felt short changed by a performance which leaves Wigan squarely within a relegation battle.