Wigan Athetic 0 WBA 1: A remarkable save in injury-time by West Bromwich's Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak ensured a victory that moved them another place - and five points - away from the relegation zone. Wigan's Jason Roberts was presented with an apparently open goal and connected cleanly, but Kuszczak flung himself across the goal to save brilliantly.
Albion deserved it too, and not just for the goalkeeper's heroics. Three minutes before half-time, Albion's centre-half Darren Moore contrived to get himself sent off with a foul of almost stunning stupidity. Ten minutes after being booked for almost pulling Lee McCulloch's head off his shoulders, Moore deliberately obstructed Roberts as the forward pushed the ball past him and set off down the right touchline.
True, there was no one between Roberts and Kuszczak, but the Wigan forward was 60 yards from goal and never going to outpace Curtis Davies, Moore's central defensive partner.
The brick-red face of Albion's manager Bryan Robson had to be seen to be believed. Without even waiting for half-time, he sent on the full back Martin Albrechtsen for Nathan Ellington and switched Steve Watson across to centre-half. The crowd settled back in anticipation of a second-half siege.
It duly arrived, but not before Albion had taken the lead. Paul Scharner, the Austrian signed by Wigan as a defender but pressed into service as a stand-in midfielder, received a poor pass from Leighton Baines and lost possession to Ronnie Wallwork on the halfway line. He slipped the ball to Albrechtsen, breaking down the right, the Dane's pace and control took him clear, and his shot past Mike Pollitt in the Wigan goal was emphatic.
Guardian Service
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