Wigan peer into the abyss

AS riveting as the Premier League title race has become in recent days, the relegation contest — a competition that can cost the losers an estimated £40 million (€50.7m) in lost revenue — is proving every bit as compelling.

Wigan will testify to that after a day which opened with them seemingly far enough from trouble, climb two places in the league table with a creditable draw but still end the afternoon in more strife than they had started.

Bolton’s unexpected victory at Middlesbrough, coupled with the fact that Wigan host fellow strugglers Reading at the JJB on Saturday, placed Steve Bruce’s team firmly back in the relegation mix and means their next league outing truly is one of those “massive” games that managers talk of so animatedly.

“If it needs to go to the wire, we will take it to the wire,” said Bruce. “But we have gone up two places today. We are 13th as we talk and there are another six teams vying for the position.

“We have a wonderful opportunity. I drove home myself when we had nine points after 16 games and Derby had eight. I was thinking, if we are not careful we are going to get cut adrift.”

This is familiar territory for Wigan, involved in the relegation fight on the final day of last season which eventually saw Sheffield United demoted. The club’s Irish winger-turned-fullback Kevin Kilbane confirms that memories of that drama will provide a major inspiration at the weekend.

“Reading will come here as a wounded animal and will be tough to beat,” said Kilbane. “But we know what we have to do. Of course we don’t want it to go to the last day again after last year. We want it settled before then.”

Wigan’s fate could yet depend upon the fitness of starting strikers Marcus Bent and Emile Heskey, whose neat turn and shot, from Kilbane’s cross, cancelled out Dimitar Berbatov’s early opener for the visitors. The pair limped off with injuries but Bruce remains hopeful they will recover quickly.

Meanwhile, Spurs continue to count down the final games of the current campaign against a predictable back drop of the brilliant Berbatov seemingly agitating for a move through his outspoken agent.

“It is not an issue that concerns me,” said Spurs manager Juande Ramos. “I am just here to maintain the form and preparation of the team and agents are rather on the margins of what I am here to do.”

WIGAN (4-4-2): Kirkland 8, Melchiot 6, Boyce 6, Scharner 7, Kilbane 6, Valencia 9, Palacios 8, Brown 6, Taylor 6 (Koumas 81, 5), Heskey 7 (Sibierski 76, 6), M Bent (King 83, 5).

Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Skoko.

TOTTENHAM (4-4-2): Cerny 7, Hutton 5, Dawson 6, Zokora 5, O’Hara 6 — Lennon 8, Jenas 6, Huddlestone 7, Malbranque 7, Berbatov 9, Keane 7 (D Bent 72, 5).

Subs Not Used: Forecast, Rocha, Gilberto, Tainio.

REFEREE: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) 6: Very solid performance from little-known official. Cautions made when necessary, worked well with his assistants and got all key decisions correct.

MATCH RATING: **** A wide open game, amazingly so considering Wigan still needed the points.