MD4: 01.09 Newcastle 1 Wigan 0

[kennethlindheim]

High-flyers Wigan face a tough challenge if they are to continue their early season form, as they travel to St James' Park to face Newcastle.

Chris Hutchings' side have bounced back from their opening day defeat to Everton, and now lie in third place after victories against Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Both sides could make late additions to their squads as the transfer window is poised to slam shut, and any late deals will have to be completed swiftly if there are debuts to be made in Saturday's game.

Having already inflicted miserable defeats on two North East Premier League sides, Sam Allardyce will be looking to ensure there is no third scalp for The Latics.

The Magpies have been boosted by the return to the score-sheet of star striker Michael Owen, who, having netted in midweek in the Carling Cup, will be looking to step-up his comeback with a place in the starting line-up.

Allardyce will be without defensive duo Peter Ramage and Stephen Carr, who are both ruled out due to knee and hamstring injuries respectively.

Long-term absentee Damien Duff is still sidelined after ankle surgery, whilst Joey Barton's broken metatarsal will keep him out of action for up to a further month.

Allardyce's defensive head-ache could be soothed if Abdoulaye Faye of Bolton and Marseille's Habib Beye complete their reported deadline day transfers in time to make an appearance.

Wigan's summer signing Antoine Sibierski looks set to miss out against his former club through injury, but fellow former Magpie Titus Bramble is in contention for a St James' Park comeback.

New signings Marcus Bent and Rachid Bouaouzan both trained with The Latics on Friday morning, and the attacking duo are in contention for their debuts.

There could be further additions in the mix for Latics boss Hutchings, who continues to hint that he has 'irons in the fire' on deadline day, but the clash could come too soon for any new-boys.

Sky Sports | Football | Match Preview | Newcastle v Wigan - 1st September 2007

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Newcastle Team:
Harper, Taylor, Rozehnal, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Smith, Geremi, Butt, Milner, Owen, Viduka.

Subs:
Given, Martins, Ameobi, Edgar, Pattison.


Wigan Team:
Kirkland, Melchiot, Granqvist, Bramble, Kilbane, Landzaat, Brown, Scharner, Koumas, Sibierski, Heskey.

Subs:
Pollitt, Aghahowa, Boyce, Bent, Skoko.

[kennethlindheim]

Newcastle won 1-0!

It was a frustrating game, but justice was served. Wigan hardly created a chance while we missed chance after chance.

Glad Owen finally scored in a league game again and our defence was rock solid.

8 points from 4 games, nice start.
After the international break we go to Derby, hope for a win because after that we will have a tough run of matches.

[Pennywise]

OMG, I was so frustrated and angry on our strikers (not Martins) through the match, but AS deserved Michael Owen scored a beautiful goal in the end.

Out defence, and team, is much better than the last years...but I didn't like that we don't score more goals...because we create many chances.

This match could also end 0-0..so N'castle have much work left, but we have to focus on the good things to...and its many of them now.

Rozehnal looks like a very calm and great defender. For that price, we've done a great deal.

[Pennywise]

We miss a player like Emerson. Sad that this majestic midfielder motor ended up in Milano. I wanted him behind Ameobi-Viduka.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Owen sinks Latics

Newcastle United kept up their good start to the season as Michael Owen's late winner saw off 10-man Wigan Athletic at St James' Park.

The home side dominated for much of the game but struggled to find the breakthrough despite having two efforts ruled out.

Owen thought he had scored in the first half after James MIlner's shot ricocheted to him. However the striker was bemused to see his effort disallowed by the officials.

Wigan were up against it for the entire second period when Kevin Kilbane was dismissed in the first minute of the half for two bookable offences.

The Latics put up a firm resistance and thought their luck was in when Steven Taylor's effort was also ruled out for offside, However they were rocked when Owen got his head on the end of an Obefemi Martins cross to secure the points for Newcastle.

Sam Allardyce's side were well worth their victory, although for much of the game, it appeared that missed chances and the excellence of old boy Titus Bramble and Chris Kirkland would keep them at bay.

Chances came and went with Kirkland's goal remaining intact courtesy of some good goalkeeping, last-ditch defending, the woodwork and one controversial decision.

Exposed

Owen was denied the opening goal on eight minutes when he ran on to Mark Viduka's flick-on and shot towards the far post, where Kirkland got the merest of touches to turn the ball just wide.

The keeper was cruelly exposed on 28 minutes when defender Andreas Granqvist slipped to allow Owen a free run at goal but, although he lifted his shot over the advancing Kirkland, the ball also comfortably cleared the crossbar.

In the meantime, the home side were convinced they should have been awarded a penalty when Bramble miscontrolled and saw the ball loop up on to his arm, but referee Steve Bennett was unmoved.

Viduka, Nicky Butt and Alan Smith all went close to opening the scoring as the Magpies dominated, but it was in the dying minutes of the half that Allardyce's men made their big push.

Butt turned up at the back post to force a 43rd-minute save from Kirkland after Owen had helped on Steven Taylor's cross, and then Taylor powered an injury-time header against the bar with the goalkeeper beaten.

For their part, the visitors threatened only sporadically, but Steve Harper had to pull off a fine save to keep out Jason Koumas' 19th-minute free-kick and then plucked former team-mate Antoine Sibierski's header from underneath his crossbar.

Harsh sending off

Kilbane, who had been booked for a wild challenge on Taylor before the break, was perhaps harshly yellow-carded for the second time with less than a minute gone in the second half for a challenge on Smith and was sent off.

Mr Bennett's popularity with the home supporters grew further on 55 minutes when he allowed play to continue after Granqvist had gone to ground under Ameobi's challenge on the edge of the box.

The striker had time to set himself but, from a tight angle, fired across Kirkland and wide of the far post.

Owen seemed certain to break the deadlock on 65 minutes after Butt surged into the box and fed him but, as he moved the ball on to his left foot, Bramble got in another vital block.

Allardyce introduced a third striker within seconds as Martins replaced Smith, but Wigan continued to defend with remarkable tenacity.

They should have been behind on 73 minutes when Butt burst through but with just Kirkland to beat, blasted his shot over the bar.

But the breakthrough finally arrived three minutes from time when Martins turned up on the right to send an inviting cross to the near post, where Owen beat his marker to head home and spark mass celebrations.

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