WIGAN CAN'T STOP UNITED
(Image from Manutd.com)
One of the lessons the Premiership learned last season was 'beware of the JJB stadium'. All of the big guns had trouble there, including United - though we did get the win that time! Wigan's form isn't so good this season, they're in the lower-mid table worried about relegation now despite the addition of Emile Heskey but with Ronaldo out of action Fergie still felt the need to go 4-5-1 with Solksjaer and Rooney at right and left mid with Scholes, Carrick and O'Shea in the centre and Saha up front for our latest trip to the traditionally rugby league stronghold.
Sure enough United may have had the first real attack of the game but it was Wigan that had the first direct freekick in the 5th minute and Leighton Baines sent a scorcher into the United net! The rest of the first half really got split into two sections, during the first part Wigan were all fired up to get a second and probably their greatest ever result. At which point United realised their had better get their act together and battered the Wigan goal, though it survived till half time.
Enter Giggsy at half time, back after injury in place of Brown. Cue chaos in the Wigan half and a breakthrough in the 62nd minute when the Welshman's corner found the head of Vidic for the Serb defender's first goal for United! Follow that up in the 66th minute with a Rooney cross to Saha with the Frenchman slamming it in off the post! At this point Wigan knew they were on the ropes and were there for the killing when it was Ole's turn to be set up by Rooney in injury time, the England star looking like he's on his way back to top form!
Elsewhere, well if having a star striker who can't speak the lingo counts as one flat tyre on the flashy looking motor at Stamford Bridge then losing not one but two goalies to injury counts as a second puncture at least! Still, Chelsea did beat Reading 1-0 at the Madejeski Stadium though they needed an og from the home side's Icelandic defender Ivar Ingimarrson to take the three points and stay level with United on points though we still have the +3 goal difference advantage to stay top of the Premiership.
North of the border, Aberdeen were in more trouble as they lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. The Dons hammered the Kilmarnock goal from early in the half but kept blowing their chances though luckily the home side kept blowing their as well. That much changed though when Gary Welsh hit what turned out to be the winner for the home side after a defensive foul up for the Dons and they never looked like equalising after that, their quality early form starting to count for nothing!
That sends the Dons down to seventh in the SPL after first Inverness CT managed to beat Rangers 1-0 at Ibrox and then St Mirren drew 1-1 with Falkirk at the Falkirk stadium to secure sixth though at least the Pittodrie side can still claim to be neaer Europe than relegation, just three points behind Killie in fourth! Elsewhere, Celtic beat Dundee United 4-1 at Tannadice Park, extending their lead at the top of the SPL over Heats to six points with their title rivals drawing an Edinburgh derby with Hibs 2-2 at Easter Road.
And we're back to the Champions League midweek!
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