English Premiership
Wigan's great escape on track
2012-03-31 18:35
Wigan - Wigan's hopes of escaping the drop for a second successive season received a huge boost on Saturday as they beat Stoke 2-0 in their English Premiership clash.
Second-half goals by Paraguayan Antolin Alcaraz and Victor Moses gave the hosts their second successive win - only the second time they have achieved that under manager Roberto Martinez.
It wasn't enough to lift them out of the bottom three as they stay second bottom but only on goal difference from the two sides immediately above them - QPR and Blackburn Rovers.
Wigan, who have lost just one of their last eight league matches, made the brighter start with the visitors thankful that goalkeeper Asmir Begovic was on top form.
First the Bosnian saved well from Franco di Santo and later in the first-half got down well to deny former Celtic striker Shaun Maloney.
However, he was nowhere to be seen when Moses found Chilean wing Jean Beausejour all alone at the far post but with the net beckoning the former Birmingham wing fired over.
The hosts kept up their attacking style in the second-half and counted themselves unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Dean Whitehead looked to have handled Gary Caldwell's ball.
Referee Mark Clattenburg disagreed and only gave them a corner.
However, they put that behind them as they deservedly went ahead as Beausejour proved more effective as a creator as he set up fellow South American Alcaraz, who put the ball past Begovic.
Beausejour was to miss another golden opportunity midway through the second-half but fortunately for him the impressive Moses wrapped up the points when he scored close to the final whistle.