2nd February, 2008

KB: KUMB; HM Hammers Mad; ST Sunday Times; SE Sunday Express; SM Sunday Mirror; OB Observer;
DM Daily Mirror; GU Guardian; TM Times; HD Hammers Diary; SK Sky; DE Daily Express

Sky Sports: Wigan climbed out of the relegation zone as Kevin Kilbane's header gave them a 1-0 victory over West Ham. A poor surface contributed to a scrappy first half and there was little sign of the deadlock being broken until, seconds before the interval, Kilbane guided Ryan Taylor's clever free-kick past Robert Green from a tight angle. Taylor was a constant menace from set-pieces as Wigan threatened to add to their lead at the start of the second half, while Luis Valencia came agonisingly close with a ferocious shot from distance that ricocheted off both posts before coming out to safety. Substitute Craig Bellamy had one good opportunity to equalise but otherwise West Ham were poor as Wigan comfortably held on for all three points.

KUMB: I understand that the problems with Wigan’s pitch started a couple of weeks ago following a botched use of a pitch cover. Whatever the reason, absolutely nothing seemed to have been done to restore the pitch to any semblance of good order with divots all over the pitch still remaining from the previous match. There must be a suspicion therefore that the lack of work done on the pitch was deliberate. The home side are not exactly noted for their passing game and the pitch gave them the opportunity to drag us down to their level. We fell for it. We started the brighter of the teams dominating the first 20 minutes with lots of possession but without creating much in the way of chances. However, after a few passes got intercepted by the pitch the temptation to do it Wigan’s way became too strong and we started lumping it in the general direction of Ashton and Cole. Given that Wigan were doing exactly the same it became rapidly apparent why there were so many wide-open spaces all over the ground – the North Stand in particular looked to be under half-full. The reason is simple. Even at the bargain price of £15 a head to get in, even in a hole like Wigan, there has to be something better to do on a Saturday than watching the local football side.

Hammers Mad: I understand that the problems with Wigan’s pitch started a couple of weeks ago following a botched use of a pitch cover. Whatever the reason, absolutely nothing seemed to have been done to restore the pitch to any semblance of good order with divots all over the pitch still remaining from the previous match. There must be a suspicion therefore that the lack of work done on the pitch was deliberate. The home side are not exactly noted for their passing game and the pitch gave them the opportunity to drag us down to their level. We fell for it. We started the brighter of the teams dominating the first 20 minutes with lots of possession but without creating much in the way of chances. However, after a few passes got intercepted by the pitch the temptation to do it Wigan’s way became too strong and we started lumping it in the general direction of Ashton and Cole. Given that Wigan were doing exactly the same it became rapidly apparent why there were so many wide-open spaces all over the ground – the North Stand in particular looked to be under half-full. The reason is simple. Even at the bargain price of £15 a head to get in, even in a hole like Wigan, there has to be something better to do on a Saturday than watching the local football side.

Daily Mirror: West Ham fans sang "England's No.1" at Robert Green but it's Wigan's Chris Kirkland who has the chance to persuade Fabio Capello to give him that honour. It was all set up for Kirkland to embarrass himself on a Sunday league pitch with his biggest rival for the third goalkeeping spot at international level between the other posts and a bank of noisy Hammers incensed at Green's exclusion from Capello's first squad making their feelings known. But Kirkland kept his calm and a clean sheet - helped by a flat Hammers performance which produced only one shot on goal - and is now, after being called up by Capello, hoping to add to his own solitary cap. That came in Steve McClaren's first game in charge and Kirkland had resigned himself to being a one-cap wonder. (Sarah Winterburn, 3rd February, 2008)

The Times: The pitch at the JJB Stadium may not have been fit for a king, but Palacios was one of the few players who overcame the atrocious pitch to show their quality. Even the match-winning goal, a looping header by Kevin Kilbane from Ryan Taylor’s free kick, was a fluke. “I tried to head it back across the six-yard line, but I caught it very well and it just went over Robert Green,” Kilbane, the left back, said. Wigan ought to have won by a more handsome margin. Antonio Valencia hit the woodwork twice with one effort, while Marcus Bent, a substitute, spurned a great opportunity to score his eighth league goal of the season. West Ham, who triumphed against Liverpool in midweek, hardly created a chance as they slipped to their first defeat away to Wigan and Alan Curbishley, the manager, said that the result was hugely damaging in terms of his team securing a Uefa Cup spot. “For us to push into the top six, we’ve got to pick some wins up,” Curbishley said. “We play Birmingham next week and then Fulham. We’ve got to get results if we’re going to have a chance of doing that.” Meanwhile, groin injuries have forced Craig Bellamy and Danny Gabbidon to withdraw from the Wales squad to play Norway in a friendly international on Wednesday. (Neil Johnson, 3rd February, 2008)

Daily Telegraph: The key moment came just before the half-time whistle. A free-kick straight in front of goal was lofted to the left side of the area where Kilbane beat Freddie Ljungberg in the air and attempted to head back across the box only to see the ball loop over Richard Green and into the net. The visitors' response was negligible, with Hayden Mullins scooping way off target and substitute Craig Bellamy also stabbing high and wide. Wigan should have had the game wrapped up when Antonio Valencia's drive hit both posts and Marcus Bent, left out in favour of new signing Marlon King, shot over after he was played through by Valencia with just over a minute left. (Graham Chase, 3rd February, 2008)

The Guardian: "The pitch was an embarrassment," said West Ham's manager, Alan Curbishley. "It was a horrible pitch," conceded Wigan's Steve Bruce, "but psychologically we know what to expect and we have played to the conditions." On this cloying surface, Wigan's determination deservedly won through. In the second half particularly, they tore through central midfield at will, with Antonio Valencia and Wilson Palacios overpowering their opponents. And, whenever Wigan win a free-kick, Ryan Taylor is a potential trump card. It was his neat free-kick in first-half injury time that gave Wigan their decisive goal, Kevin Kilbane stealing in at the near post to loop a header over West Ham's goalkeeper, Robert Green. (David Hopps, 3rd February, 2008)