Paper Talk: Wigan back on right track

...season was never going to be a spectacle, but his Cardiff counterpart Lennie Lawrence was able to be a little more observant.

Ever the realist, Lawrence insisted: “This match gave the perfect illustration of why they are where they are (second in the Championship) and, for now at least, in position for automatic promotion to the Premiership, and why we are where we are (in the midst of a gaggle of clubs in perilous danger of relegation). Wigan have the ability to play below their best and still win. Unfortunately we don’t. It’s quite simple.”

Two second-half goals were enough to mathematically guarantee Wigan at least a place in the playoffs, and now Jewell intends to sit in the comfort of his own home tomorrow night and watch Ipswich play Wolves in their attempt to recapture second place behind leaders Sunderland. But did Jewell’s team deserve their victory? If Cardiff’s Richard Langley, Cameron Jerome and Jobi McAnuff had been a little more precise, then Lawrence’s team might have gone in at half-time three goals to the good. Instead Wigan, who had decided to start with top scorer Nathan Ellington playing an unaccustomed midfield role wide on the left and on-loan Brett Ormerod in partnership with Jason Roberts, were given the opportunity to reshuffle without the need to regroup.

Within five minutes of the restart they were in front. Steve McMillan, the young Scottish full-back, overlapped down the left and aimed a cross for Roberts, who glanced his header past Neil Alexander for his 20th goal of the season.

Within six minutes Wigan might have doubled their lead, with Ormerod lobbing in a cross from the left that was only fractionally too high for Ellington to connect. Even so, Cardiff still seemed capable of salvaging a point, only for a succession of calamitous errors to ruin their hopes.

First Langley found himself woefully caught in possession, and then the entire defence seemed to be wrong-footed by the subsequent Wigan move. It left Graham Kavanagh, Cardiff’s inspirational captain until a month ago when he was sold to reduce crippling debts, to decide what to do with the ball as he found himself clear in his opponents’ penalty area.

Kavanagh later admitted that scoring himself against a club still so dear to him would have been emotionally testing, but instead he was grateful to be presented with the option of rolling the ball into the path of sprinting substitute Alan Mahon, who completed the victory.

STAR MAN: Graham Kavanagh (Wigan)

Player ratings. Cardiff: Alexander 6, Vidmar 6, Collins 6, Gabbidon 7, Barker 6, Ardley 6, Ledley 5, Langley 6, McAnuff 5 (Boulding 69min, 5), Jerome 7, Thorne 6 (Lee 69min, 5)

Wigan: Filan 6, Eaden 6, Jackson 6, Breckin 6, McMillan 7, Bullard 6 (Wright 86min, 6), Jarrett 6, Kavanagh 8, Ellington 6 (Mahon 76min, 7), Roberts 7, Ormerod 6

Scorers: Wigan: Roberts 51, Mahon 86

Referee: G Hegley

Attendance: 16,8580