LATICS ARE SAFE

Antonio Valencia's second half brace steers Wigan to a fourth season of top flight football.

The Ecudorian scored twice within eleven minutes to stun UEFA Cup chasing Villa on their own ground and the result means that Latics will be in the Barclays Premier League for a fourth consecutive season.

The 2-0 win was also Wigan's second away victory of the season, and there was no better time to get it!

After a goalless first half, Latics took the lead on 52 minutes after good work by Jason Koumas who gave the ball to Valencia, and his strike took a deflection off defender Wilfred Bouma, and the ball looped over goalkeeper Scott Carson. It was the first Latics attack of the second half.

It wasn't long before Latics struck again, and shell shocked Villa couldn't force themselves back into the reckoning. Chris Kirkland's long kick found the head of Emile Heskey, who flicked the ball onto Valencia, and his brilliant shot at the near post had beaten Carson.

The Latics winger could have even got a hat-trick with twenty minutes remaining after good work from Michael Brown enabled Valencia to find space and run towards the edge of the area before his shot was well saved by the diving Carson.

Wigan's best chance in the first half came a few minutes after the half-hour mark when Koumas' corner was flicked on by Paul Scharner, and the ball fell to Marcus Bent whose shot was scuffed.

But Kirkland had to make some great saves himself too to keep Latics in it. He was first called into action on 19 minutes when he brilliantly denied Zat Knight's header from going in when the Villa defender connected to an Ashley Young cross.

Then six minutes later Villa threatened again when Bouma's cross was met by their captain Gareth Barry who headed towards the target, but once again Kirkland did enough to prevent the home side from scoring.

The England international goalkeeper again frustrated Villa when he prevented Gabriel Agbonlahor twice in each half. Seven minutes before the break as he tipped the striker's header from Young's corner, and in the 69th minute he headed from Nigel Reo-Coker's cross which Kirkland acrobatically diverted away from the goal.

It was a brilliant win for Steve Bruce's men, and although the home dominated for spells they had no answer to Valencia's timely strikes. The injured Mario Melchiot was replaced by Bramble and he will have impressed the manager with an outstanding performance, whilst Wilson Palacios and Michael Brown terrorised the West Midlands club in the middle of the park.

More importantly, Latics are definitely safe and they can now look forward to having a say in the destination of the Premier League title as reigning champions Manchester United visit the JJB Stadium next weekend as they battle it out with Chelsea. Thankfully Latics can now relax and try and make life hard for the Red Devils with no consequences.

LATICS: Kirkland; Boyce, Bramble, Scharner, Kilbane; Valencia, Brown, Palacios (Skoko 90), Koumas; Heskey (Sibierski 89), Bent (King 76).

SUBS: Pollitt, Taylor.

BOOKINGS: Brown.

GOALS: Valencia 52, 63.

ASTON VILLA: Carson; Mellberg, Laursen, Knight (Berger 60), Bouma (Harewood 69); Young, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Carew, Agbonlahor.

SUBS: Taylor, Salifou, Routledge.

REFEREE: Rob Styles

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