Premier League - Wigan win at uninspired Villa

Eurosport - Sat, 15 Aug 17:32:00 2009

A stunning strike from Hugo Rodallega helped Wigan Athletic to a 2-0 win at Aston Villa to open their new Premier League campaign with three points.

Hugo Rodallega, FOOTBALL - 0

Welsh midfielder Jason Koumas doubled the Latics' lead in the second half seal the club's first opening day win in the Premier League.

Rodallega had looked lively from the outset as Wigan gradually began to take hold of the match, and his ensured the first goal for a Roberto Martinez side in the Premier League was one to remember.

On the half-hour mark, Villa full-back Nicky Shorey's attempt to head a long ball clear succeeded only in directing it towards the Colombian, who had time to steady himself before firing a wonderful dipping half-volley right into the far top corner of Brad Friedel's goal.

The visitor's sealed the win against an uninspired Villa on 55 minutes when Charles N'Zogbia was allowed to run from his own half before finding Koumas inside the area, and the Welshman fired a low strike that beat Friedel at the near post.

The match began in tentative fashion, with both sides easing their way into the new season. Wigan played the more enterprising football, characteristic of their new manager, and slowly began to take the initiative.

Honduran midfielder Hendry Thomas was unfortunate not to open the scoring on 17 minutes when he drills shot from distance beat Friedel but struck the post and rebounded clear.

Villa hit straight back via James Milner, who impressed on his England debut in Amsterdam in midweek, when the midfielder's long-range shot was beaten away two-handed by Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland.

Kirkland was called into action again in the closing stages of the half, when he pulled off an excellent save at full stretch to tip Ashley Young's curling free-kick over the bar.

Just before Koumas's goal 10 minutes into the second half, Villa came close after confusion in the Wigan box saw the ball run loose, only for Titus Bramble to hack the ball clear.

Bramble again came to Wigan's rescue in the 89th minute, atoning for the error that allowed Emile Heskey to beat Kirkland to the ball and pass back to Young by recovering in time to block the shot when the England winger looked certain to score.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

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  1. 93.i been saying since we signed heskey that he is not­ a­­ premiership quality with about 8 other from the­ villa­­ team, how right i am, MON will not bankrupt the­ club,­­ but he will get them relegated like i have­ predicted,­­ he can sign established big names as he­ cant handle­­ them, i mean look at his signings, the­ crock downing,­ a­ pensioner to join friedel with that­ goal keeper­ from­ coventry, signing a player from­ coventry says it­ all!!!­ and some kid from leeds, who­ again no­ premiership or­ world class experience, and a­ player­ from newcastle--­ the club who got relegated­ cos they­ let so many goals­ in!!! MON get some balls­ or let­ someone with balls do­ the job, we want­ trophies and­ championships at villa­ not 5th, 6th or­ 7th­ place!!!

    heskey the donkey is rubbish and must­ go,­ only cos he­ is good mates with MON from leicester­ he­ is in the­ team.

    fridel start collecting your­ pension,­ you could never­ organise your defense

    From rahul s, on Sun 16 Aug 6:33PM
  2. Some of those Villa fans need there heads sorted,­ booing their team at half time and full time on the 1st­ day of the season is pathetic ok they didnt exactly­ play well but they can play much better and will do in­ future games, instead of being a destructive influence­ on your team show them some support get behind them for­ good games and bad, I hate seeing supporters boo there­ team ive never done it myself and never will even if we­ got relegated im still a supporter and I will always­ support my team, Wigan played very well and deserved­ their win goal of the month contender and everything :)

    From Martin S, on Sun 16 Aug 8:31AM
  3. villa fans are unbelievable!! a couple of weeks back­ they were bouncing round thinkin they were the biggest­ thing since sliced bread because they beat juventus in­ some 'peace cup'. one defeat in the first game­ of the season and thats it...o'neil is useless,­ we're gonna be fighting relegation..etc etc...then­ if you win three games on the bounce and pick up a­ result at the emirates or stamford bridge, you will be­ bouncing round again telling everyone how it champions­ league football beckoning for the villa...last season­ you did it when you were in the top four, spouting off­ how you were gonna win the league and champions league­ football was a certainty...time to get a grip villa,­ there's not many better managers around that are­ available than o'neil, and with the current backing­ of lerner, if you dont win anything under those­ two...its a good chance you never will win anything!

    From zyklonb_block11, on Sun 16 Aug 6:25AM
  4. I don't know why some people are surprised with­ this result. Villa have been awful for months, dropping­ from serious title contenders to out of the Top4 team­ and almost out of everything. They lost Gareth and did­ not want to replace him.O'Neil has played his­ surprise card on the first half of last year. Now he is­ struggling without it. And do you remember when he­ opted out of the UEFA cup? That was a turning point­ cause Karma hits the arrogant. Villa will be fighting­ against relegation this season.

    From Half A Brain, on Sun 16 Aug 3:37AM
  5. Villa deserved to lose becuse MON insists on Delph.­­ Delphs' inexperience and Shorey's abysmal­­ defending caused us the 3 points that were so assured.­­ MON should have stuck to Reo-Coker or Sidwell. Hats­ off­ to Wigan for their attractive style played. This­ 3­ points will make the difference between Champoins­­ League or Europa... or even relagation if Villa­­ continue to play kindergarden football.

    From Sick of it all, on Sun 16 Aug 2:59AM
  6. Said it before and will say it again, Wigan are a­ pleasure to behold. A chairman who is not only a­ shrewed businessman but also knowshow to select a­ manager. His choice of Martineze is a piece of genius.­ This man not only gets is team to play football on the­ ground, but also play a closing down game. Just love­ you pie eaters. Keep the dream alive and enjoy­ yourselves. L,F,C supporter

    From Dave, on Sat 15 Aug 11:31PM
  7. Martin O'Neil is FEKKING useless......go back to­­ Scotland. thats what troika THINKS BUT­ MATE...................................................­ ..... WAIT FOR­ IT........................................... HE'S­ IRISH U DUMB C!!nt get a life,
    Up the villa bad start­ pick urself up guys come on i believe proberley the­ only 1 lol well done wigan villa fan

    From Andrew, on Sat 15 Aug 10:17PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Want a Playstation 3.
    Go to Argos pay 279 pounds
    Take­ home and play
    simple

    From David, on Sat 15 Aug 10:00PM
  9. Don't normally post on other teams sites, but this­ would appear to be the outstanding result of the day to­ any neutral in my eyes(and Arsenal away of course).­ Well done the Wiganers.

    "The pride of county­ Durham"since 1879.

    SAFC

    From PWilson, on Sat 15 Aug 9:39PM
  10. Lawrence #33. Top. Glad someone of yr intelligence­ standin up to this @#$%, much better spoken by u than­ us illiterates. I'll point my mouse (lol!)­ somewhere else. Blue Moon. O if u forgotten who Villa­ are just ask the idiot who wants O'Neill sacked.

    From sasettle, on Sat 15 Aug 8:42PM
  11. Comment 27... The thing is, as lovely as your­ photograph looks, the website that you're promoting­ is actually @#$%. In the interest of science (or­ something like), I actually had a look at it, and­ there's not much there really, is there? A couple­ of photographs of somebody in their underwear... Hardly­ worth pointing your mouse at is it? (A euphemism for­ the especially hard of thinking). So just go away.­ Please. Thank you.
    Now, I wanted to say something­ about Villa... But fu*k me, I've forgotten what it­ was...

    From Lawrence, on Sat 15 Aug 8:34PM
  12. Eamon C - Hands off Dunnie! (How many own goals per­ season do you want?!) Captain City legend 4eva. Blue­ Moon.

    From sasettle, on Sat 15 Aug 8:26PM
  13. Time to sign Richard Dunne and about three more good­ defenders or its going to be a long season

    From eamon c, on Sat 15 Aug 8:20PM
  14. Rodallega is a really good player has got a lot­ potential but aston villa need to pick themself up they­ played horribly from january onwards last season and it­ seemed they were not much better here

    From lopezmaxi92, on Sat 15 Aug 7:56PM
  15. come in agent delph, have they paid us the 6m yet? keep­ up the good work.

    From ALAN, on Sat 15 Aug 7:32PM
  16. Troika u pr@t. Martin O'Neill is the best manager­ u'v had for years! At the time when he was lookin­ to get back into management we'd have snapped arms­ off for him! U Wigan Piers, the rest of us ain't­ really gonna know wot to expect against a superb­ brilliant innovative rising star like Martinez....­ until oooo let's think, say, three Match of The Day­ videos? Blue Moon.

    From sasettle, on Sat 15 Aug 6:54PM
  17. Great work you northerners. Brill

    From nora.prince, on Sat 15 Aug 6:12PM
  18. @Troikia- If it wasn't for Martin O'Neil Villa­ would still be in the lower end of the league and not­ in Europe remember the ''successful''­ times under O'Leary

    From Barry, on Sat 15 Aug 5:44PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Martin O'Neil is FEKKING useless......go back to­ Scotland.

    From Troika, on Sat 15 Aug 5:31PM
  20. Oh Dear. well done Wigan, seems like only 1 side turned­ up to that game.

    From Steve, on Sat 15 Aug 5:21PM
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