Football Live

Saturday December 15, 2007 Finished JJB Stadium

Wigan Athletic 5 - Blackburn Rovers 3

Wigan Athletic

  • Landzaat 9’
  • Bent 11’, 66’, 81’
  • Scharner 37’

Blackburn Rovers

  • Santa Cruz 46’, 50’, 61’
  1. Blackburn Bent out of shape

    Blackburn Bent out of shape

    A hat-trick by Marcus Bent inspired Wigan to a 5-3 victory over 10-man Blackburn in a tremendous, topsy-turvy game at the JJB Stadium. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Wigan Athletic
    • Blackburn Rovers
    • 90+5' And that's it! It's all over. 5-3 to Wigan the final score, after a truly tremendous game of football.
    • 90+3' Savage goes into the book. Kilbane takes the ball towards the corner flag, and the Welshman clatters into him from behind.
    • 90+2' Changes for both sides. Andreas Granqvist comes on for Agahowa, and David Dunn replaces Santa Cruz.
    • 90+1' There will be four minutes of injury time. Blackburn's comeback attempt appears to have subsided. That last goal by Bent really knocked the wind out of them.
    • 90' Ryan Taylor is replaced by Salomon Olembe.
    • 89' Bent harries Nelsen and almost nicks the ball away from him, but the Blackburn captain recovers just in time to get the ball away!
    • 87' Nelsen thumps the ball forward, Santa Cruz brings it down but Scharner intervenes and clears the danger.
    • 86' Pinball in the Wigan box! Savage is denied by a superb challenge by Bramble, Santa Cruz can't get a shot in and Bentley's low left-footed shot is finally pounced upon by Kirkland!
    • 85' Bentley crosses from the left, Kirkland punches the ball out and it hits the advancing Santa Cruz and bounces wide!
    • 84' Warnock rampages down the left, Valencia nudges him to the ground and Blackburn have a free-kick.
    • 83' Steve Bruce breathes a huge sigh of relief on the touchline. The home fans can scent those precious three points...
    • 81' GOAL! 5-3! Agahowa - who looks suspiciously offside - runs onto a pass down the right wing and centres for Bent to tuck the ball home for his hat-trick! And that's surely curtains for Blackburn!
    • 80' Sight of goal for Wigan! Brown slips a ball through to Agahowa, but the linesman's flag is up.
    • 79' It's the calm before the storm now, as Wigan steel themselves for the inevitable Blackburn onslaught.
    • 77' What a miss! Bentley whips in a corner from the left and Santa Cruz puts his header over the bar from inside six yards!
    • 76' Agahowa is a lucky boy! He encroaches on a free-kick, having already been booked, but the previously card-happy Clattenburg lets him off the hook.
    • 75' Change for Blackburn. Matt Derbyshire comes on for McCarthy.
    • 74' Wigan on the attack once more! Taylor spots the run of Brown and looks to find him with a clipped through-ball, but Friedel gathers. Michael Brown is booked for a foul on Reid.
    • 72' Samba gets his head to a deep cross from midfield but can't direct his header on target.
    • 71' Clattenburg dips into his back pocket again, and this time Agahowa is on the receiving end after a clumsy tackle on Samba.
    • 70' Warnock is cautioned for chopping down Valencia.
    • 69' Taylor fouls Reid and goes into the book. Wigan break down the left through Taylor, but with men in support he elects to cut inside and shoot, and his shot drifts wide.
    • 66' GOAL! 4-3 Wigan! Unbelievable stuff! Valencia beats his man on the right and curls in a cross that Bent heads home at the far post!
    • 65' Taylor whips a free-kick into the Blackburn box from deep on the left and Samba heads it behind for a corner!
    • 64' Wigan on the attack now. Brown sends a throw deep into the Blackburn box, but it's headed clear. Steve Bruce must be shaking his head in disbelief.
    • 61' GOAL! 3-3! The ten men draw level, and it's a hat-trick for Santa Cruz! Bentley plays in Warnock down the left, Warnock lifts an inch-perfect cross into the box and Santa Cruz powers a header past Kirkland! Amazing stuff here at the JJB Stadium!
    • 60' Samba dinks a ball through towards McCarthy, but he's offside.
    • 59' That dismissal has not helped Blackburn's comeback campaign one jot.
    • 57' Emerton is off! He tussles with Taylor off the ball and bundles him to the ground, and Clattenburg produces the red card! Emerton and Taylor have had a few run-ins this afternoon, but that looked a little harsh.
    • 56' Wigan attack and Bent is screaming for Agahowa to play the ball to him, but he's wandered offside anyway and Agahowa is dispossessed.
    • 55' Sight of goal for Wigan! Bent chests down a high ball into the path of Agahowa, but the Nigerian snatches at his half-volley and drags it wide.
    • 54' Santa Cruz with another robust aerial challenge - this time on Kilbane - and Clattenburg decides a little chat is in order.
    • 53' Santa Cruz challenges Scharner for a high ball. The Blackburn man appeared to lead with his arm, but Mark Clattenburg turns a deaf ear to Scharner's protests.
    • 52' Nelsen challenges Bent from behind, and the Wigan forward stays down.
    • 50' GOAL! 3-2! Emerton crosses from the right, the ball hits Boyce, Kirkland makes a stunning reflex save but Santa Cruz volleys in the rebound! That's just the start Mark Hughes wanted! Can Wigan hold out now?!
    • 48' Wigan are back on the attack already! Emerton barges into Agahowa just inside the Blackburn box but the Nigerian commendably stays on his feet.
    • 46' The second half begins. Can Blackburn build on that goal from Santa Cruz and turn this into a real thriller, or do Wigan possess the savoir-faire to kill the game off?
    • 45+3' And the first half comes to an end! It's been end-to-end stuff at times here, and that late goal for Blackburn sets things up very nicely for the second half...
    • 45+2' GOAL! 3-1! And it's a stunner by Santa Cruz! He controls a throw-in from the left on his chest, rolls the challenge of Bramble and fires a superb right-footed half-volley into the top-left corner from the edge of the box!
    • 45' Pedersen goes down under a challenge from Boyce inside the area, but the ref waves play on! There was definitely contact there.
    • 44' Emerton dwells on the ball for too long on the Blackburn right and Taylor snaps into the challenge. That kind of industry has typified Wigan's performance in this first half.
    • 43' Bentley crosses from the right, Pedersen tries to hook the ball goalwards but it's an easy catch for Kirkland.
    • 42' If Blackburn are to mount an improbable comeback here, they could really do with a goal before half-time.
    • 41' Julius Agahowa comes on in place of the injured Heskey.
    • 39' Bad news for the home side now. Heskey is down again, and this time the stretcher is on. It was a fairly innocuous challenge on Steven Reid, but Heskey was waving his arm in the air as soon as he hit the deck.
    • 37' GOAL! 3-0 Wigan! Samba fouls Heskey between the edge of the box and the left-hand corner flag and Wigan win a free-kick. Taylor rifles a cross into the six yard box and Scharner heads it home from point-blank range! Tremendous stuff from Wigan! Steve Bruce looks delighted!
    • 35' Antonio Valencia wins a corner for Wigan on the right.
    • 34' Bentley bends in a free-kick from the left and it hits someone's head and flies up into the air but Kirkland claims it just ahead of Santa Cruz.
    • 32' There's no cohesion to Blackburn's attacking play whatsoever. Savage follows up a long ball and heads it goalwards, but it bounces out for a goal-kick. Mark Hughes is looking tight-lipped on the visitors' bench.
    • 31' Taylor looks to slide a pass through to Bent but Emerton spots his run and guides the ball back to Friedel. Bentley cuts in from the right and tries a shot at the other end, but shanks it and it flies high and wide.
    • 29' Bentley wins a free-kick on the right. Pedersen curls it in, Kilbane heads it clear.
    • 28' Blackburn's passing has been uncharacteristically sloppy here. They're struggling to get a foothold in the game.
    • 27' And it's almost three! Bent pursues a pass into the box but Samba forces him wide and then blocks his shot! Mark Hughes's men are really living dangerously here.
    • 25' Heskey is fouled in midfield by Steven Reid and Wigan have a chance to catch their breath. The next goal in this game will be a big one.
    • 22' McCarthy steps up... AND IT'S SAVED! The South African scuffs his penalty and Kirkland springs to his right to turn it round the post! Great action here in the Lancashire derby! That was a pretty awful penalty though.
    • 21' Penalty to Blackburn! Heskey has his arm round Samba as they challenge for a corner from the left, and the ref points to the spot! Heskey is booked for protesting.
    • 19' Heskey challenges for a high ball with Samba but is penalised for a hand-ball. He goes down clutching his left ankle, and the physio comes on.
    • 18' Wigan have started at a blistering pace here. Blackburn don't know what's hit them!
    • 17' Kilbane gets his head to a corner from the right but his flick-on eludes all his team-mates and Blackburn's goal survives.
    • 16' Booking for Brett Emerton. Kilbane knocks the ball past him on the left-hand side, inviting the challenge, and the Australian duly obliges.
    • 13' A wobbly moment at the back for Wigan! Emmerson Boyce gets in a real tangle as he tries to shepherd the ball back to Chris Kirkland and Santa Cruz almost gets in there!
    • 11' GOAL! 2-0 Wigan! Bent chases a long ball forward, lifts it over the stumbling Stephen Warnock and then composes himself to rifle a right-footed half-volley past Friedel from about 15 yards! What a start by the home side!
    • 9' GOAL! 1-0 Wigan! And it's a great finish by Denny Landzaat! Marcus Bent brings down a high ball with a deft touch and Landzaat takes it from him, surges towards goal and then coolly side-foots the ball past Friedel!
    • 7' Bad miss by Santa Cruz! Bentley cuts the ball back from the right-hand side and it reaches the Paraguayan twelve yards out and totally unmarked but he blazes it over the bar!
    • 6' Taylor curls in two dangerous corners from the left-hand side, but Blackburn hold firm.
    • 5' Yellow card for Christopher Samba. He nicks the ball away from Heskey on the edge of the area and then thunders into him as he chases the ball towards the corner flag.
    • 4' Sight of goal for Wigan! Taylor curls in a delightful cross from the left and Marcus Bent elects to take the ball down on his chest - rather than head the ball at goal - but the touch is too heavy and the ball bounces through to Friedel.
    • 3' Ryan Taylor takes the free-kick, from a central position about 25 yards out, but it's an easy save for Brad Friedel.
    • 2' Bentley looks to nutmeg Kilbane, but the Irishman reads it and clears down the left. Heskey wins a free-kick after grappling with Nelsen for a high ball.
    • 1' And we're off! Wigan win a free-kick wide on the left, but it's headed clear.
    • - The teams are on the pitch here at The JJB Stadium. Wigan are in their home strip of blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and white socks, while Blackburn are in their away kit of red and black halved shirts, black shorts and black socks.
    • - Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne and Wear)
    • - Blackburn: Friedel; Emerton, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock; Bentley, Reid, Savage, Pedersen; McCarthy, Santa Cruz
    • - Wigan: Kirkland; Taylor, Boyce, Bramble, Kilbane; Valencia, Brown, Scharner, Landzaat; Bent, Heskey
    • - BLACKBURN TEAM NEWS: Blackburn are almost at full strength with both David Bentley and Ryan Nelsen returning from suspension.
    • - WIGAN TEAM NEWS: Following the recent return of Emile Heskey, Wigan boss Steve Bruce has further good news in his striking department as Julius Agahowa returns from his lay-off with an infected toe.
    • - Hello and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of Wigan v Blackburn, from 15:00 GMT!

  • Summary

    • 86' Pinball in the Wigan box! Savage is denied by a superb challenge by Bramble, Santa Cruz can't get a shot in and Bentley's low left-footed shot is finally pounced upon by Kirkland!
    • 85' Bentley crosses from the left, Kirkland punches the ball out and it hits the advancing Santa Cruz and bounces wide!
    • 81' GOAL! 5-3! Agahowa - who looks suspiciously offside - runs onto a pass down the right wing and centres for Bent to tuck the ball home for his hat-trick! And that's surely curtains for Blackburn!
    • 77' What a miss! Bentley whips in a corner from the left and Santa Cruz puts his header over the bar from inside six yards!
    • 66' GOAL! 4-3 Wigan! Unbelievable stuff! Valencia beats his man on the right and curls in a cross that Bent heads home at the far post!
    • 61' GOAL! 3-3! The ten men draw level, and it's a hat-trick for Santa Cruz! Bentley plays in Warnock down the left, Warnock lifts an inch-perfect cross into the box and Santa Cruz powers a header past Kirkland! Amazing stuff here at the JJB Stadium!
    • 57' Emerton is off! He tussles with Taylor off the ball and bundles him to the ground, and Clattenburg produces the red card! Emerton and Taylor have had a few run-ins this afternoon, but that looked a little harsh.
    • 50' GOAL! 3-2! Emerton crosses from the right, the ball hits Boyce, Kirkland makes a stunning reflex save but Santa Cruz volleys in the rebound! That's just the start Mark Hughes wanted! Can Wigan hold out now?!
    • 45+2' GOAL! 3-1! And it's a stunner by Santa Cruz! He controls a throw-in from the left on his chest, rolls the challenge of Bramble and fires a superb right-footed half-volley into the top-left corner from the edge of the box!
    • 45' Pedersen goes down under a challenge from Boyce inside the area, but the ref waves play on! There was definitely contact there.
    • 37' GOAL! 3-0 Wigan! Samba fouls Heskey between the edge of the box and the left-hand corner flag and Wigan win a free-kick. Taylor rifles a cross into the six yard box and Scharner heads it home from point-blank range! Tremendous stuff from Wigan! Steve Bruce looks delighted!
    • 27' And it's almost three! Bent pursues a pass into the box but Samba forces him wide and then blocks his shot! Mark Hughes's men are really living dangerously here.
    • 22' McCarthy steps up... AND IT'S SAVED! The South African scuffs his penalty and Kirkland springs to his right to turn it round the post! Great action here in the Lancashire derby! That was a pretty awful penalty though.
    • 13' A wobbly moment at the back for Wigan! Emmerson Boyce gets in a real tangle as he tries to shepherd the ball back to Chris Kirkland and Santa Cruz almost gets in there!
    • 11' GOAL! 2-0 Wigan! Bent chases a long ball forward, lifts it over the stumbling Stephen Warnock and then composes himself to rifle a right-footed half-volley past Friedel from about 15 yards! What a start by the home side!
    • 9' GOAL! 1-0 Wigan! And it's a great finish by Denny Landzaat! Marcus Bent brings down a high ball with a deft touch and Landzaat takes it from him, surges towards goal and then coolly side-foots the ball past Friedel!
    • 7' Bad miss by Santa Cruz! Bentley cuts the ball back from the right-hand side and it reaches the Paraguayan twelve yards out and totally unmarked but he blazes it over the bar!
    • 4' Sight of goal for Wigan! Taylor curls in a delightful cross from the left and Marcus Bent elects to take the ball down on his chest - rather than head the ball at goal - but the touch is too heavy and the ball bounces through to Friedel.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Mark Clattenburg

  • Wigan Athletic

    Manager: Steve Bruce

    Captain: Emile Heskey

    On the Field

    • Kirkland
    • Boyce
    • Bramble
    • Granqvist
    • Kilbane
    • Valencia
    • Scharner
    • Landzaat
    • Koumas
    • Bent
    • Heskey

    Subs

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    • Melchiot

  • Blackburn Rovers

    Manager: Mark Hughes

    Captain: Ryan Nelsen

    On the Field

    • Friedel
    • Emerton
    • Nelsen
    • Samba
    • Warnock
    • Bentley
    • Savage
    • Dunn
    • Pedersen
    • Santa Cruz
    • McCarthy

    Subs

    Injured

    • Ooijer

    Suspended

    None