Wigan overcame the dismissal of Jason Koumas to secure a priceless 1-0 success over Bolton.
Bruce's boys overcome Koumas red to beat Bolton
Wigan Athletic overcame the early dismissal of Jason Koumas to secure a priceless 1-0 success over Bolton Wanderers.
The game was finely poised early on, although Bolton were handed the initiative when Koumas was given his marching orders for a studs-showing challenge on Gary Cahill.
To Wigan's credit they still pushed forward in numbers and were rewarded when Emile Heskey give the home side a deserved lead in the 34th minute.
Bolton created the better of the chances after half-time with Kevin Nolan adamant Kevin Davies' point-blank header was handled on the line by Michael Brown.
However, Wigan held on to keep Bolton in the bottom three, while the three-point haul lifts Bruce's side over Middlesbrough in the table into 12th.
Wigan found themselves a man down early on when referee Steve Tanner showed Koumas a straight red card for a late studs-showing tackle on Cahill, who to be fair did not make a meal of the challenge.
By the interval, the 10 men of Wigan had taken a deserved lead, with Heskey back on the score-sheet for the first time since the third match of the season on August 18.
Prior to that, he had planted an eight-yard header narrowly wide in meeting a right-wing cross from Antonio Valencia, whilst Wilson Palacios flashed a 20-yard drive inches past the right-hand post.
Then came what proved to be the winning goal, sparked by a clearing header off the line by Ivan Campo to a towering far-post header from Paul Scharner after he had rose to meet a Palacios corner.
Latics ahead
From the ensuing throw, captain Mario Melchiot looped a hanging ball into the heart of the area where Heskey stole in front of Gretar Steinsson to hook the ball home on the volley from eight yards.
That inevitably roused Bolton from their slumber, and after El Hadji Diouf saw a close-range effort ruled out for handball in controlling a Kevin Davies' cross, he was then fortunate to avoid a dismissal of his own.
The Senegal striker had earlier been booked - his 15th yellow card of the season and 12th in domestic football - for another handball deep in his own half.
When he went to ground all too easily outside the Wigan area after brushing past Scharner, Tanner opted not to issue a second caution - and subsequent red - for what was clear simulation.
It came as no surprise when Diouf did not appear for the second half, with Megson possibly fearful he would eventually be dismissed.
Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland made his first save just before the break in latching onto a diving header from Grzegorz Rasiak, who had replaced the injured Tamir Cohen moments earlier.
Point-blank
Kirkland was far busier after the break as Bolton finally made good use of their numerical advantage, initially blocking at point-blank range a 47th-minute effort from Nolan.
Kirkland then held everything Bolton pumped into the area, although he was saved by Emmerson Boyce at one stage as he blocked a inadvertent goal-bound kneed clearance from Scharner.
But in the 67th minute came the second highly-contentious decision from Tanner as Brown appeared to use his left arm to block a far-post downward header from Kevin Davies, following a Matt Taylor corner.
Despite furious protests from the Bolton players, with Nolan running halfway down the pitch to confront Tanner as Wigan broke upfield, the Whites were denied a penalty.
If Tanner had witnessed the incident, it would have led to a red card for Brown and seen the Latics reduced to nine men, but they managed to escape.
Wigan were then rarely troubled in the closing stages until injury-time - when Erik Edman cleared a Nolan header off the line after he had seized upon a Heskey backflick to a long throw from Campo.
| Wigan Athletic |
Team Statistics |
Bolton Wanderers |
| 1 |
Goals |
0 |
| 1 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 3 |
Shots on Target |
5 |
| 3 |
Shots off Target |
5 |
| 7 |
Blocked Shots |
4 |
| 9 |
Corners |
4 |
| 16 |
Fouls |
18 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
3 |
| 1 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 60.9 |
Passing Success |
65.6 |
| 15 |
Tackles |
17 |
| 66.7 |
Tackles Success |
76.5 |
| 49 |
Possession |
51 |
| 51.6 |
Territorial Advantage |
48.4 |
|
