Premier League
March 16, 2010
Wigan Athletic
1 - 2
Aston Villa
Premier League
19:45 GMT, March 16, 2010
DW Stadium
Referee: Steve Bennett
Milner makes the difference
Scoring Summary
| Wigan Athletic | Aston Villa |
|---|---|
| Gary Caldwell (27') | James McCarthy (og 25') |
| James Milner (63') |
Teams
| Wigan Athletic | Aston Villa |
|---|---|
| 1 Chris Kirkland | 1 Brad Friedel |
| 19 Titus Bramble | 5 Richard Dunne |
| 5 Gary Caldwell | 29 James Collins |
| 31 Maynor Figueroa | 25 Stephen Warnock |
| 17 Emmerson Boyce | 24 Carlos Jimenez Cuellar |
| 27 Mohamed Diame | 19 Stiliyan Petrov |
| 6 Hendry Thomas | 8 James Milner |
| 18 Marcelo Moreno | 7 Ashley Young |
| 24 James McCarthy | 6 Stewart Downing |
| 20 Hugo Rodallega | 10 John Carew |
| 14 Charles N'Zogbia | 11 Gabriel Agbonlahor |
| Substitutes | |
| 7 Paul Scharner | Luke Young 2 |
| 4 Antonio Amaya | Emile Heskey 18 |
| 16 Scott Sinclair | Steve Sidwell 4 |
| 29 Vladimir Stojkovic | Habib Beye 23 |
| 11 Victor Moses | Brad Guzan 22 |
| 15 Jordi Gómez | Fabian Delph 16 |
| 9 Jason Scotland | Nathan Delfouneso 14 |
| Substitutions | |
| Victor Moses for Charles N'Zogbia (56) | Steve Sidwell for Gabriel Agbonlahor (81) |
| Paul Scharner for James McCarthy (71) | Emile Heskey for John Carew (81) |
| Jason Scotland for Emmerson Boyce (90) | |
| Yellow Cards | |
| Titus Bramble (23) | Richard Dunne (41) |
| Hugo Rodallega (36) | |
| · Squads: Wigan Athletic | Aston Villa | |
James Milner fired Aston Villa firmly into Champions League contention by settling a thriller at Wigan on Tuesday night.
• O'Neill salutes "sensational" Milner
• Forum: Race for fourth gets tight
The England World Cup hopeful fired home in the 63rd minute after Wigan's Gary Caldwell had cancelled out an own goal from team-mate James McCarthy at the DW Stadium.
Victory lifted Martin O'Neill's men within three points of fourth-placed Tottenham, with a game in hand, in the Premier League. Remarkably, victory was O'Neill's first in the league in the month of March since taking charge at Villa.
Yet Wigan, desperate for points at the opposite end of the table, could count themselves unlucky not to have earned a draw from an absorbing contest.
The Latics are clearly benefiting from the decision to relay their much-criticised pitch and played some enterprising football.
Roberto Martinez's men showed no hangovers from Saturday's 4-0 thrashing at Bolton as they created numerous chances, but Villa - who also had two goals disallowed - also enjoyed the true new surface.
The visitors responded to their lacklustre draw against Stoke by recalling top scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor, who was troubled by a virus last week, at the expense of former Wigan forward Emile Heskey.
Martinez chose to keep faith with Caldwell after a personal horror show from the defender at the Reebok Stadium and was almost rewarded with a much-needed point.
The pace was electric from the start and Wigan created the first openings as Hugo Rodallega fired well wide and Maynor Figueroa sent a fierce drive narrowly over. Villa were initially slow to get into their stride but burst into life after 11 minutes as Agbonlahor clipped the ball home from a John Carew flick-on only to see the offside flag raised.
The visitors were denied by the assistant referee again two minutes later as Ashley Young turned in an Agbonlahor cross but replays suggested both decisions were correct.
Figueroa then tested Brad Friedel with another long-range strike before Carew tried his luck for Villa with an effort that flashed wide. Agbonlahor found space again only to be denied by a good block from Figueroa and Stewart Downing had an inswinging free-kick from the right tipped over by Chris Kirkland.
Villa took the lead in fortuitous circumstances on 25 minutes after Carew headed down a Downing cross. McCarthy was under no pressure as the ball fell his way but he mistimed his clearance horribly and sliced the ball beyond Kirkland.
But Wigan produced the perfect response and levelled within two minutes as Charles N'Zogbia's free-kick was met by a glancing header from Caldwell that took it beyond Friedel.
Both sides remained intent on attack and Rodallega and Young both spurned good opportunities to put their sides ahead. Carew also went close twice more before the break, first with a cheeky backheel that went wide and then when Kirkland spread himself to save a powerful shot from close range.
The second period began at the same lung-bursting pace with Wigan's Marcelo Moreno curling a shot narrowly wide. Villa went close again as Stephen Warnock whipped in a dangerous cross but Young's header just missed the target.
Rodallega lined up another shot but Villa defender Richard Dunne showed determination to block.
Villa reclaimed the lead just after the hour as Kirkland flapped at a cross and the ball was only half-cleared as far as Milner on the edge of the box. The midfielder fired the ball straight back at goal and it somehow found its way through a crowded penalty area to hit the net.
Wigan, having introduced the pace of teenager Victor Moses, tried to respond again but the former Crystal Palace star was crowded out after a strong run.
Rodallega, who felt he was denied a penalty at Bolton, claimed he was impeded in the box by Carlos Cuellar with 15 minutes remaining but referee Steve Bennett saw nothing untoward.
Villa decided to rest Agbonlahor with nine minutes remaining and Heskey entered the fray to generous applause from the home fans.
Wigan pressed on to the end with Moses again showing his pace but he was unable to carve out an opening. The Latics appealed for another spot-kick for handball against Young but again it fell on deaf ears.
Villa had the last word of the night as substitute Steve Sidwell forced Kirkland to save from distance.
O'Neill said: "It was an extraordinary performance by a really good player. Since he has stepped into central midfield his game has improved tenfold and he continues to go from strength to strength.
"When you play wide you depend on other people giving you the ball to get into the game but when you have got that determination and energy, you might as well use it in the centre of the field. It is something we have been crying out for, a midfielder scoring double figures, and he has been sensational.''
Villa remain seventh but victory moved them within three points of fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand. O'Neill added: "It was important for us to close the gap. We did that tonight and it was a brilliant win for us.''
Milner has revelled in a central midfield role since Stewart Downing recovered from a long-term injury in December. He is one player O'Neill has no doubts would grace the Champions League should Villa secure fourth.
He said: "He is ready for it but he is not only ready for that, if things still go all right and he stays clear of injury there is no reason why he cannot be participating for his national team.''
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez felt his side were unfortunate not to take a point from the game. Martinez said: "It was a really even game, really open. Both sides were probably tired after Saturday but they gave everything. I couldn't see much between the two sides. I am just disappointed about the own goal and a soft goal from a corner after a poor clearance.
"That leaves a bad taste because I don't think the players deserved to get nothing out of the game. I felt the players shared everything in that game and it should have been a draw.''