Huge win for Martinez and Co at the DW stadium.
Struggling Wigan Athletic recorded a morale-boosting 2-1 win against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
Goals by Jean Beausejour and a last minute one from Arouna Kone – his ninth of the season – got them the three points but their victory was overshadowed by a dreadful foul on Massadio Haidara by Callum McManaman.
McManaman grabbed all the right headlines last weekend with a goal in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat of Everton but he is guaranteed the wrong ones on Monday after he went in studs up and connected with Haidara’s knee.
The 20-year-old Frenchman had to be stretchered off, just 14 minutes after he had replaced the injured Mathieu Debuchy, and according to the club was already on his way back to Newcastle with thigh and knee injuries.
McManaman went unpunished as referee Mark Halsey’s line of vision was blocked by a Newcastle player but it did not go unnoticed by John Carver, the Newcastle assistant manager.
He was so incensed by the challenge that as the teams trooped off at half-time he vented his feelings at McManaman and had to be hauled away and as a result both he and Wigan first team coach Graham Barrow were sent to the stands by Halsey.
Victory for Wigan — only their second in nine league games — takes them to within three points of fourth from bottom Aston Villa and with a game in hand.
Newcastle — with just one win in 15 away matches this season — too are still in trouble as they are just six points ahead of Wigan.
Wigan had taken the lead in the 18th minute as Beausejour scored his first ever goal for the club — his last Premier League goal coming over two years ago for Birmingham — when a mistake by former Inter Milan defender Davide Santon allowed him the time to shoot.
Newcastle were constantly being hit by Wigan on the counter-attack and it took a great piece of defending by Jonas Gutierrez to deny James McCarthy adding a second for Wigan in the 42nd minute.
McManaman, who had been a doubt before the game with an ankle injury, was eventually replaced in the 58th minute by manager Roberto Martinez as he sent on James McArthur.
The game looked to have swung Newcastle’s way when Cisse found Santon with a terrific pass in the 72nd minute.
Santon still had work to do but he unleashed a fine effort from the right side of the penalty area which beat Joel Robles and went in the far corner.
Cisse then went close but his effort went the wrong side of the post and their luck was out again when Wigan got the winner.
Halsey failed to spot a deliberate handball by Maynor Figueroa and from the resulting confusion as Newcastle failed to clear Kone snapped up the chance from close range.
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