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As you may know I like to get my match reports in at least a couple hours after the game to get the first and of course best reaction on what has happened to the Latics in the 90 minutes of grueling football. Last night however I couldn't do such a thing and instead sit now, with this new feeling which engulfed me last night when I heard Gary Caldwell managed to scored with his feet.
That feeling is hope.
Last season with eight games to go, although we were to play lesser opposition. We managed to pull of the unthinkable. Three points against the red half of Liverpool may have just spurred the players and the fans into the belief that we can do it all again. Who ever said football was boring.
Wigan looked the better of the two sides straight from the start. Wigan looked to get the ball down and pass it about comfortable in the knowledge that everyone knew where the other was to be. That air of confidence is starting to pour into our game, and the momentum from previous fixtures was coming through us.
Liverpool on the other hand looked shaky and it defiantly showed that they had lost 3-2 away to QPR during midweek. That mixed with tired legs was defiantly having an affected on the way Liverpool were playing the game.
So it would be Wigan who would carve out the first chance of the match. The reliable Victor Moses wriggling past players would get clear in the Liverpool box. Before deciding to shoot left footed instead of laying it back into the waiting Shaun Maloney. It was a start and showed we were here to fight for it.
But as the game grew so did Liverpool. As any team would when you have the likes of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard playing for you. There best chances of the half fell to Suarez and one of the summer signings Stewart Downing. Both players coming close with shots, which had Ali Al Habsi worried.
But the first goal of the game would go to Wigan. Following a Shaun Maloney free kick which was only partly cleared. The Scottish midfielder managed to get back on the end of it. Before pushing the ball back into the box. Gary Caldwell flicked the ball onto Victor Moses. Who managed to get a head to the ball before taking the boot of Martin Skertle straight to the head.
Penalty decision by the referee and the rest of Wigan's season hinged on this going in. So who would step up, but the new hero of Shaun Maloney. After waiting for lengthy treatment to Victor Moses, who would later give way for Albert Crusat, Maloney stepped up and slotted the ball low into the right hand corner of Pepe Renia's goal to the jubilation of the Latics faithful.
1-0 up at half time, maybe we can do this.
Yet we weren't saying that for much into the second half as within a few minutes of the restart the game was level. Luis Suarez scoring after controlling the ball from the pass from Jordan Henderson. The striker managed to slot the ball into the corner of the net.
It looked like all Wigan's hard work would collapse.
And it nearly did Suarez again being a menace, after the ball was pumped back into the Wigan box following a poorly cleared corner. The ball looped over Ali Al Habsi and Gary Caldwell, before Suarez decided to handle the ball across the line. Replays don't really tell you anything about whether it was or not. But it does look like it touches his arm.
So with that scare firmly in Wigan's mind. We settled on the ball and went back to playing our game. And it paid off. Gary Caldwell scoring yet again this season. This time though using his feet, after dummying the ball past Skertle then slotting into the corner of Renia's goal. 2-1 and we were the deserved leaders.
It could have been more for Latics had Ben Watson been able to make a good connection on Franco Di Santo's flick on with 20 minutes left to play. But it didn't matter as we held strong as a unit and got too defend in numbers.
Things maybe changing down in Wigan.