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.
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.
Comment 13 - 32 of 32
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
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 :)
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!
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.
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.
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
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
Want a Playstation 3.
Go to Argos pay 279 pounds
Take home and play
simple
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
Lawrence #33. Top. Glad someone of yr intelligence standin up to this @#$%, much better spoken by u than us illiterates. I'll point my mouse (lol!) somewhere else. Blue Moon. O if u forgotten who Villa are just ask the idiot who wants O'Neill sacked.
Comment 27... The thing is, as lovely as your photograph looks, the website that you're promoting is actually @#$%. 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...
Eamon C - Hands off Dunnie! (How many own goals per season do you want?!) Captain City legend 4eva. Blue Moon.
Time to sign Richard Dunne and about three more good defenders or its going to be a long season
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
come in agent delph, have they paid us the 6m yet? keep up the good work.
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.
Great work you northerners. Brill
@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
Martin O'Neil is FEKKING useless......go back to Scotland.
Oh Dear. well done Wigan, seems like only 1 side turned up to that game.
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