Wigan Athletic 1-4 Sunderland

I had a feeling that something about this game just didn't quite fit. Yet it wasn't that it was going to be a great Sunderland performance, and let me set the record straight here and now. The media all over the world will put this down as a great Sunderland performance.

Wrong Wigan were by far the better side for much longer periods of the game. Simple, four attacks and Sunderland score. I am not putting Sunderland down, they did what they had to do and I give credit to them. But this wasn't by far as well they played against Manchester City.

The doom and gloom really started before the game had even started. Three changes made from the 2-2 draw with Stoke. Steve Gohuri, Albert Crusat and Ben Watson coming in for Gary Caldwell, Victor Moses and Mohammed Diame respectively. You had to ask the question why?

Moses has been out best attacking threat, and as for Diame his work rate is the best in the team. So his removal stunned us all. As for Gohuri playing, that was plain stupidity. Emmerson Boyce lined up on the bench, and his right foot alone could play better that Gohuri could.

So it wasn't set up to be a classic Wigan performance. Yet for the first 45 minutes we looked to have the beating of a slow and sluggish Sunderland side, who were defiantly suffering from the weekends game.

Hugo Rodallega having the best of the early chances. Crusat being set off wide on the left hand side by David Jones. Played a lovely ball back to Rodallega who's shot went flying over the cross bar. You were beginning to think it wasn't going to be Rodallega's season, normally they would slot into the back of the net for the Colombian hit man.

Yet Wigan carried on and kept control of the ball for most of the half, and by the mid way point and two more excellent chances to take the lead. Jones being played in down the left by Jordi Gomez, slipped the ball well past the keeper before the ball struck the inside of the post, before flying back out for Watson to hit the inside of the opposite post.

Those missed chances would prove costly.

On stroke of half time, Nicolas Bentdner fell over. Referee saw this a clear free kick. How the referee could give I will never be sure. Yet the resulting free kick which lay central to the goal was blasted into teh win by Craig Gardener before swerving into the top corner.

Very cruel end to the half for Latics and it would be the sucker punch.

Second half again Wigan would start the brighter, yet for our possession we couldn't really work a shot on goal. Instead Sunderland would go 2-0 up with there second attack of the half. Maclean played in over the top, his first header well saved by Ali Al Habsi, before tapping in the rebound, catching the whole Wigan defence flat footed.

All over and dusted, or so it appeared. Yet we rolled up our sleeves and gave it a go. None more so than Hugo Rodallega who would go on to pull a goal back. An excellent strike 18 yards out, which looked to have given Wigan some hope and belief.

Yet it would all crumble following two lots of poor defensive displays.

Sunderland's third should have been stopped way before Bendtner picked the ball up wide on the right to swing the ball into the box for Sessengon to score. Maynor Figeroua the only defender really getting stuck in, was in my eyes fouled by Bendtner but the referee was having nothing of it.

The fourth goal was great strike into the top corner by David Vaughan. By that time Wigan heads had dropped and they had forfeited the game.

You have to say that if we played how we could do, then this Sunderland side would have been a walk over. Yet we didn't, missing players tolled the main part. Gary Caldwell left a huge gap in the central defence, while Mohamed Diame's absence in the middle showed how much we rely on him. Ben Watson could't make a pass tonight.

This one will have to go down as a chance wasted, and the moment of the past few games. Looks well and truly over. Oh well only got to beat Manchester City next time out.