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Sunderland 1-2 Wigan: Injury-time Di Santo strike hands Roberto Martinez’s side first win in 10 Premier League matches
The Argentine seals all three points for visitors against the run of play, moving Latics out of the cellar and earning their first win in 10 top-flight matches.
Nov 26, 2011 11:54:00 AM
By Nathan Lowe
Getty Images
Wigan Athletic plundered all three points from Sunderland with a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light Saturday, giving manager Roberto Martinez his first win in 10 league matches.
The Latics manager seemed content with a point as his side defended resolutely in the second half, but his late introduction of striker Franco di Santo proved decisive.
Sebastian Larsson opened the scoring for the home side early, but Wigan pegged back before the interval to bring the score level at half.
The second half saw the home side waste more chances until Wigan substitute di Santo cruelly struck at the death to vitally take all three.
The Latics drew first blood of the match after just minutes when Sunderland midfielder Lee Catermole suffered a gash above his eye in a collision with a Lattics midfielder, though the Black Cats enforcer returned moments later with stiches.
Sunderland avenged Wigan's early aggression on eight minutes to score a deserved opener. Nicklas Bentnder fired from left-side range, his driven shot bouncing just in front of Ali Al-Hamsi, troubling the goalkeeper who could only parry.
After a brief melee inside the eight-yard box, Larsson emerged to slam the ball into the Wigan net to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
The visitors were unable to seize the moral advantage after going behind so early in the match as the Black Cats continued to dominate possession and scoring chances.
On 14 minutes, former Manchester United teammates combined as John O'Shea sent Kieran Richardson through to fire at the near post, but the Wigan keeper redeemed himself, saving expertly to concede a corner kick.
The Black Cats threatened from the ensuining free kick with Wes Brown heading Larrson's cross from close range, but Al-Hamsi continued to make amends by saving instinctively from point-blank range.
Wigan had yet to muster a serious threat, or even a shot on target, as evidenced by David Jones firing over on 20 minutes.
The home side continued to control most of the possession throughout the first half, but it was unable to tally an insurance goal despite its ascendency.
Phil Bardsley missed a sitter on 39 minutes after more slick passing from the Black Cats opened up Wigan's left side, allowing Richardson get in behind and pass square to the wide-open left back only to sky his shot over the bar from close range.
Despite being ahead on the scoreboard, the anxiety on manager Steve Bruce's face was evident at every opportunity spurned by his side. His premonitions were soon proven well-founded.
Wigan equalized just before halftime. Victor Moses deked past O'Shea, and a recovering Larsson knicked his heels. The Nigerian obligingly went down and referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot despite wild Sunderland protesting.
The replays vindicated the referee's decision, and Jordi Gomez cooly slotted the spot kick low and right as Sunderland stand-in Kieran Westwood dove the other way.
The first half finished 1-1 as Larsson continued to argue the referee's decision.
Indeed, Sunderland was almost immediately denied a seeming penalty itself when second-half play began. Jack Collback fired from the middle of Wigan's box but the referee again got it right, waving off penalty claims after the ball struck the chest of a Wigan defender.
The two sides see-sawed back and forth with neither creating clear-cut opportunities for much of the next 20 minutes.
Bruce shuffled his hand after 65 minutes, bringing on David Vaughan and Craig Gardner for Cattermole and Bardsley, respectively.
Martinez deigned an attacking resolve by bringing on James McCarthur for Ronnie Stam after 70 minutes, but Wigan continued to defend deep, repelling any Sunderland advance.
The home side again should have gone ahead on 78 minutes when Gardner got behind the defense, but Richardson failed to connect to the peach of a cross from close range as the goal-mouth beckoned.
Wigan's Mohamed Diame got his name in the book on 83 minutes, after an inconspicuous shoulder charge, allowing both managers to make further alterations.
Bruce clearly had three points in mind, taking off right back O'Shea and introducing Dong-Wong Ji. Martinez switched his strikers, taking out the exhausted Sammon and bringing in Di Santo.
Almost immediately thereafter, Sunderland broke the visitors' offside trap but Richardson was again unable to convert with his weaker right foot.
That failure, among many others, turned out to haunt Sunderland cruelly when Wigan smash-grabbed all three points at the death of the match.
A punted clearance seemed to be controlled by the Black Cat's backline, but Brown was overly casual with his goalie's pass, allowing Di Santo to plunder the spoils by slotting into an open net in stoppage time.
The Argentine's fourth goal of the season was the deciding one as Wigan earned its first win in 10 matches.
Cries of "Bruce out" exemplified the frustrations Sunderland fans certainly feel having dropped three points at home to the league's bottom dweller.
With the victory, Wigan moves clear of the cellar into 19th place after Blackburn Rovers lost 3-0 at Chelsea.
The Latics manager seemed content with a point as his side defended resolutely in the second half, but his late introduction of striker Franco di Santo proved decisive.
Sebastian Larsson opened the scoring for the home side early, but Wigan pegged back before the interval to bring the score level at half.
The second half saw the home side waste more chances until Wigan substitute di Santo cruelly struck at the death to vitally take all three.
The Latics drew first blood of the match after just minutes when Sunderland midfielder Lee Catermole suffered a gash above his eye in a collision with a Lattics midfielder, though the Black Cats enforcer returned moments later with stiches.
Sunderland avenged Wigan's early aggression on eight minutes to score a deserved opener. Nicklas Bentnder fired from left-side range, his driven shot bouncing just in front of Ali Al-Hamsi, troubling the goalkeeper who could only parry.
After a brief melee inside the eight-yard box, Larsson emerged to slam the ball into the Wigan net to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
The visitors were unable to seize the moral advantage after going behind so early in the match as the Black Cats continued to dominate possession and scoring chances.
On 14 minutes, former Manchester United teammates combined as John O'Shea sent Kieran Richardson through to fire at the near post, but the Wigan keeper redeemed himself, saving expertly to concede a corner kick.
The Black Cats threatened from the ensuining free kick with Wes Brown heading Larrson's cross from close range, but Al-Hamsi continued to make amends by saving instinctively from point-blank range.
Wigan had yet to muster a serious threat, or even a shot on target, as evidenced by David Jones firing over on 20 minutes.
The home side continued to control most of the possession throughout the first half, but it was unable to tally an insurance goal despite its ascendency.
Phil Bardsley missed a sitter on 39 minutes after more slick passing from the Black Cats opened up Wigan's left side, allowing Richardson get in behind and pass square to the wide-open left back only to sky his shot over the bar from close range.
Despite being ahead on the scoreboard, the anxiety on manager Steve Bruce's face was evident at every opportunity spurned by his side. His premonitions were soon proven well-founded.
Wigan equalized just before halftime. Victor Moses deked past O'Shea, and a recovering Larsson knicked his heels. The Nigerian obligingly went down and referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot despite wild Sunderland protesting.
The replays vindicated the referee's decision, and Jordi Gomez cooly slotted the spot kick low and right as Sunderland stand-in Kieran Westwood dove the other way.
The first half finished 1-1 as Larsson continued to argue the referee's decision.
Indeed, Sunderland was almost immediately denied a seeming penalty itself when second-half play began. Jack Collback fired from the middle of Wigan's box but the referee again got it right, waving off penalty claims after the ball struck the chest of a Wigan defender.
The two sides see-sawed back and forth with neither creating clear-cut opportunities for much of the next 20 minutes.
Bruce shuffled his hand after 65 minutes, bringing on David Vaughan and Craig Gardner for Cattermole and Bardsley, respectively.
Martinez deigned an attacking resolve by bringing on James McCarthur for Ronnie Stam after 70 minutes, but Wigan continued to defend deep, repelling any Sunderland advance.
The home side again should have gone ahead on 78 minutes when Gardner got behind the defense, but Richardson failed to connect to the peach of a cross from close range as the goal-mouth beckoned.
Wigan's Mohamed Diame got his name in the book on 83 minutes, after an inconspicuous shoulder charge, allowing both managers to make further alterations.
Bruce clearly had three points in mind, taking off right back O'Shea and introducing Dong-Wong Ji. Martinez switched his strikers, taking out the exhausted Sammon and bringing in Di Santo.
Almost immediately thereafter, Sunderland broke the visitors' offside trap but Richardson was again unable to convert with his weaker right foot.
That failure, among many others, turned out to haunt Sunderland cruelly when Wigan smash-grabbed all three points at the death of the match.
A punted clearance seemed to be controlled by the Black Cat's backline, but Brown was overly casual with his goalie's pass, allowing Di Santo to plunder the spoils by slotting into an open net in stoppage time.
The Argentine's fourth goal of the season was the deciding one as Wigan earned its first win in 10 matches.
Cries of "Bruce out" exemplified the frustrations Sunderland fans certainly feel having dropped three points at home to the league's bottom dweller.
With the victory, Wigan moves clear of the cellar into 19th place after Blackburn Rovers lost 3-0 at Chelsea.
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