Wigan extend run with Bolton scalp

Wigan 2 Bolton 1

The Latics have now taken 13 points from the last 15 on offer in the Premiership following their 2-1 victory over local rivals Bolton at the JJB Stadium.

Following a goalless, yet gripping affair in the first half, the second period was a complete contrast, with the tone set in the 48th minute.

Wigan striker Henri Camara scored his second goal, capitalising on a mistake by Bolton centre-back Bruno N’Gotty. The Senegal international’s place again proved a problem 14 minutes later, while his determination also helped set up Lee McCulloch to give Wigan a two-goal cushion.

Bolton, who could have moved up to second in the table with a victory, threatened a comeback midway through the second half when Radhi Jaidi headed home what eventually only proved to be a consolation.

Manager Sam Allardyce’s side, though, did create the opportunities to have taken a point, but it is Wigan who remain on a high and are now up to eighth.

“We had to fight, scrap, throw ourselves at the ball and defend for our lives,” said Jewell. “Conceding the goal made things even more uncomfortable, but credit to the players because that’s another major scalp for us.”

When asked about Wigan’s current run of five games undefeated, including four wins, Jewell joked: “The players have just been talking in the showers and they think we can win the title!

“But we know there’s a long, hard winter ahead and we need as many points as we can get on the board now. That is vitally important,” said Jewell.

Allardyce made seven changes to the side which started Thursday’s 2-1 UEFA Cup first round victory over Lokomotiv Plovdiv. But the Wanderers boss refused to blame his team’s European exertions for a loss which ends a run of seven unbeaten games in all competitions, including six wins.

“The only thing I can point to, regarding the UEFA Cup game, is that Bruno N’Gotty is the last man you would think could make such a basic error as he did,” said Allardyce.

“Maybe there was a little bit of fatigue with him as he played for 90 minutes in Bulgaria, travelled back on the Friday and then played the 90 minutes here, basically because we’ve no other options open to us in the central defensive area.

“We just have to take this defeat on the chin and get on with it now.”

Opta Fact: Wigan have taken 13 points from a possible 15 in their last five games.

Bolton ended a run of just one goal against in the last five league games.

WIGAN: J Filan, P Chimbonda (22 R Taylor) , A De Zeeuw, S Henchoz, L Baines, J Bullard, G Kavanagh, D Francis, L McCulloch, J Roberts, H Camara (90 D Connolly)

BOLTON: J Jaaskelainen, T Ben Haim, R Jaidi, B N’Gotty, H Pedersen, K Nolan, J Okocha (54 S Giannakopoulos) , G Speed, H Nakata (84 J Borgetti) , R Gardner (57 E Diouf) , K Davies

Referee: A Wiley.