Planet Swans ArchivesREPORT – Manchester Evening News
Mauro Boselli finally started to pay off his ยฃ6million transfer fee as Wigan claimed a place in the Carling Cup quarter-finals.
The Argentinian striker struck his first goal since his summer move from Estudiantes as Wigan manager Roberto Martinez secured victory over his former club Swansea at the DW Stadium.
Cedric van der Gun should have given the Championship visitors an early lead but Boselli put Wigan ahead in the 51st minute and Ben Watson added a late penalty.
Victory was not as comfortable as the Premier League hosts would have liked but Swansea, backed by a vociferous 5,000-strong travelling faithful and buoyed by their rise to third in the npower Championship, made life difficult throughout.
The match was delayed by 15 minutes due to an accident on the M6. That gave the majority of the large Swansea following to have made the 230-mile journey time to take their seats.
And, as anticipated, they were soon in full voice, directing their ire and ‘Judas’ chants at Martinez over his acrimonious departure from the club last year.
After a fairly even first half, Wigan began to take greater control of possession at the start of the second but still found it hard to find a way through a determined Swansea side.
The chance they had been waiting for finally arrived six minutes after the restart as Alcaraz split the visitors’ defence with a superb through-ball.
Boselli raced through and calmly rounded Ma-Kalambay for a well-taken goal.
Wigan had taken the ascendency and Maynor Figueroa tested Ma-Kalambay with a rasping drive from 30 yards.
Boselli, looking ever more dangerous, tried his luck from 40 yards after spotting Ma-Kalambay off his line and forced the Belgian to scramble back and concede a corner.
Wigan applied the finishing touch in injury time after substitute Charles N’Zogbia was tripped in the area by Andrea Orlandi and Watson struck from the spot.
