Wigan claim shock 1-0 win at Tottenham

Posted Sunday, August 29, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

LONDON (SE) - Hugo Rodallega turned the form book on its head by scoring the winner in Wigan’s surprise 1-0 win over Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

Spurs were nothing like the fluent side which had brushed aside the challenge of Young Boys of Berne in midweek to earn a place in the Champions League group stage.

Harry Redknapp’s team were lethargic as Wigan fully made up for the humiliation of losing 9-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.

Redknapp had Carlo Cudicini making his first appearance in goal after his motorcycle accident and Jermain Defoe started up front despite a groin injury.

But if Spurs fans reckoned they were in for another goal glut they were quickly proved wrong.

Wigan arrived in north London having lost 4-0 at home to Blackpool on the opening day and 6-0 at home to champions Chelsea.

Spurs were unbeaten and fresh from the 4-0 crushing of Young Boys. Another big win was expected.

But from the moment Wigan’s Steve Gohoun struck the bar in the eighth minute it was clear this was going to be no pushover.

Ali Al Habsi, replacing shell-shocked Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal, saved a fierce shot from Defoe and then the England striker rattled a post after 40 minutes.

Redknapp sent on Roman Pavlyuchenko and Niko Kranjcar at the start of the second half in a bid to revitalise his ailing side.

But it was Wigan who looked the stronger and there were gasps in the crowd when Latics defender Antolin Alcaraz somehow contrived to miss from two yards.

Spurs failed to heed the warning and in the 80th minute Hendry Thomas lifted the ball over the Spurs defence for the pacy Rodallega to beat Cudicini.

Spurs went in search of an undeserving equaliser and Al Habsi made an exceptional save to tip over a Kranjcar effort and from the corner the goalkeeper did well to block Michael Dawson’s shot.

After the match it was revealed that Crouch had broken a rib and would join a long list of absentees from England’s matches next week.

Redknapp offered no excuses. “My players have got to get used to the idea that no one is going to give you anything.

“Apart from Kranjcar there was no one here with any ideas or drive about them.

“Teams are going to come here and defend as Wigan did and it is up to us to break them down. No one is going to let us play the way we want to play. It just does not happen like that.”

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was a relieved man after the two drubbings by Blackpool and Chelsea.

He said: “This was a real test of our mental strength. We had to be competitive and we showed that in abundance when it mattered.

“I was proud of our performance. Tottenham have world-class players but we matched them.”