Vs Massive game this one. I'm sure you don't need reminding but our form has been terrible recently, we've lost the last four league games on the bounce, and only drew with Maritimo in the Europa League in the midst of that. We didn't win a single game in November, with the last three points coming rather fortunately courtesy of Cisse's arse against West Brom at the end of October. Doesn't look like things are really getting a lot easier for us with the injuries still mounting up. Cabaye, Saylor, Raylor et al are still missing for the foreseeable future, the best news we have is that apparently Shola "might" be okay for a spot on the bench (I know.. pass the party hats around). Perch is suspended for picking up his fifth yellow against Stoke. HBA won't feature either, which has the potential to leave our midfield with about as much creativity as George Lucas writing a prequel. I heard Saylor on the radio the other day saying that he thought the local press had been a bit vicious about NUFC recently. I think he's off his tits if he thinks the frankly mild criticism from the Chronicle comes anywhere near the anger people are feeling with the form of the club in the short term, and the direction of the club in the longer term. Wigan hammered us at their place earlier in 2012, but we got a 1-0 win over them in the corresponding fixture last season when Cabaye curled home his first goal during our unbeaten run. They have injuries mounting too, and have won only one of their last four (against Reading), and since its not April yet they probably haven't started playing as well as they can. Howay the Lads! and Discuss.
We come out in a 4-4-2. I'm shocked! Krul, Santon, Coloccini, Williamson, Simpson; Gutierrez, Anita, Tiote, Marveaux, Cisse, Ba.
20 seconds in Tiote almost scores from distance. I guess we've put our stamp on the game at the outset.
Two minutes later Tiote nearly booked. No more warnings I'm sure. On the restart Krul is tested from distance. Tiote and Jonas suspended after next yellow.
F-ing Ba is taking...........................................nearly saved. Squeezed it under the keeper. 1-0 against 10 men. Beausejour yellowed for berating the linesman. I guess you could say Al-habsi was going to get to the ball before Cisse and Figueroa, but the refs didn't see it that way.
21' Santon lights up Al-Habsi from distance. Ba pegs home the rebound. 2-0. Wigan had the sub up and ready for a while. Finally get to make it. McCarthur for Jordi Gomez.
Tiote commits a routine foul and gets the talking to from Mike Jones (who?). Absolutely next foul will be carded.
36' Caldwell hauls down Ba by his sleeve. Mike Jones (who?) awards the foul but only gives Calwell a talking to.
I guess the book on Wigan read shoot from outside. Tiote with another that just barely goes over the bar. Al-Habsi's distribution has been scattershot as well. Perhaps a keeper switch at the half? They've got Pollitt on the bench, some EPL experience there.
44' McArthur hacks down Cisse nearly from behind as well. Mike Jones (who?) awards no card. To be fair, Cisse should have been booked for a challenge before our first goal as well.
A page out of last year's book. Considering we're level on points and only two above the drop right now, I can't feel too sorry for Roberto Martinez. He'll get his later on, just not at our expense. It's been a pretty good first half. Could be a little tighter at the back but it's all us going forward.
Wigan's been sticking it to us for the first three minutes or so. Now Santon goes off injured inthe 50' and Ferguson is on .
56' Bigi stripes a nice one that's saved by Al-Habsi. Cisse, who was offside to begin with, plays the rebound out of bounds.
Marveaux, who provided the pass on the first attempt, does the same. This time Bigi cuts it in and beats Al-Habsi from the top of the box. SSD 3-0.
Sammy on and yellowed straight away. Jonas off. Wasn't contributing much according to the twitterverse. As much as we've dominated, he really wasn't called upon.