ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Wigan Athletic 1 Everton 0:HENRI CAMARA finally gave the JJB Stadium reason to cheer as his first Premier League goal in almost two years catapulted Wigan out of the relegation zone last night and put in-form Everton to the sword.
The Senegal international striker replaced the ineffectual Olivier Kapo at half-time and needed just six minutes to rifle home a low shot after a delightful piece of skill from Antonio Valencia. It gave Steve Bruce's men only their second home league win of the season and their first since beating Manchester City 2-1 almost two months ago.
Camara (31) spent last season on loan at West Ham but failed to score a goal. He returned to the JJB Stadium in the summer and, having scored three times in the League Cup earlier this season, he finally found the net in the top flight for the first time since scoring against Middlesbrough for Wigan in December 2006.
Everton's defeat means none of the league's top 10 were able to produce a win over this latest round of fixtures. Yet during the early exchanges, David Moyes' men looked full of confidence and Yakubu and Louis Saha again dovetailed to good effect. Tim Cahill spurned an opportunity in the fifth minute when he headed Mikel Arteta's corner wastefully over the crossbar from eight yards out.
In the 14th minute, Everton crafted the best move of the first half when Yakubu broke clear down the left flank and delivered a cross into Saha's feet. The France striker rifled a low, first-time shot goalwards from around 16 yards - but his effort drew a fine one-handed save from Chris Kirkland.
In the 34th minute Emile Heskey used his aerial strength to flick a high ball into Valencia's path on the right side of Everton's six-yard box. The Ecuadorian clipped a cross across the face of goal and Wilson Palacios stopped to head goalwards but contrived only to send the ball over the bar.
Wigan went close twice within the space of a minute on the stroke of half-time whistle when Tim Howard palmed away Lee Cattermole's curling shot from 14 yards, then produced an even better save to repel Scharner's header.
Bruce's decision to replace Kapo with Camara proved inspired. The Senegal forward was the quickest to react when Valencia's skill handed him a goal on a plate six minutes after the restart.
Valencia controlled a long punt upfield on the right-hand side of Everton's 18-yard box. He then drove at Joleon Lescott, slipping the ball between the defender's legs with a cheeky nutmeg before spotting Camara lurking at the far post. Valencia slid a low cross across the face of goal and there was Camara to rifle the ball home.
Wigan could have made the game safe in the 71st minute when Valencia hit a powerful shot from 14 yards which Howard could only parry. Three minutes later, Cahill attempted to tuck away a loose ball from 14 yards but Scharner blocked his effort. Cahill had a chance to earn a point in injury-time - but he shot over the bar.
WIGAN ATHLETIC:Kirkland, Taylor, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa, Valencia, Brown, Palacios, Cattermole, Kapo (Camara 46), Heskey. Subs not used: Pollitt, Kilbane, Koumas, De Ridder, Cywka, Routledge.
EVERTON:Howard, Neville (Baines 85), Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Cahill, Fellaini, Arteta, Osman, Saha (Anichebe 65), Yakubu. Subs not used: Nash, Castillo, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Gosling.
Referee:Rob Styles (Hampshire).
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