Tasty Latics Cook up recipe for survival
NEIL WARNOCK put away his fishing rod to reel in three massive points for his latest employers in this relegation scrap.
Despite enjoying retirement in Cornwall with wife Sharon, which has involved tending the garden and the odd fishing trip, the SOS call from Boro was one the manager, 71, couldn’t resist.
The impact was immediate and effective – the Teessiders looking a completely different proposition than the bedraggled outfit that had lost 3-0 at home to Swansea last week and had cost Jonathan Woodgate his job.
Now in his 16th managerial post, Warnock hasn’t lost a first game for a new club since 1997 when he was at Oldham.
He said: “I have been missing that banter around the dressing room so it is good to be back.
“But even though this was a great result, we’re miles away from being safe yet.
“We’ve still got seven games left to play so we just need to keep on going.”
For Stoke boss Michael O’Neill, who saw Nick Powell sent off for two yellow-card challenges in the space of two minutes, these are worrying times.
Just a ripple of polite applause from the man himself heralded the first goal of the Warnock era.
Even before Ashley Fletcher struck in the 28th minute there had been flashes of attacking promise from his new charges.
The same player and Britt Assombalonga both went close to scoring in a spirited start from the visitors.
When Patrick Roberts floated in a dangerous free-kick the lively Fletcher moved in for the kill, leaping above his markers to head home his 11th goal of the season from eight yards.
There had been little to worry Boro in a first half they dominated although Stoke’s James McClean could barely believe Dejan Stojanovic’s reflexes as the goalkeeper diverted a closerange volley around the post. The Republic of Ireland international should then have equalised after the break only to waste a couple of good chances.
O’Neill, who had gone for broke by releasing forwards Tom Ince and Sam Vokes from the bench, was rocked by one of Warnock’s replacements.
Within 60 seconds of sending on Marcus Tavernier, the little winger rewarded his new boss by cutting in from the right to beat Jack Butland with a stinging strike in the 62nd minute.
For Warnock it was business as usual, made easier in the end by Powell’s rush of blood.
O’Neill said: “We knew what to expect from Neil’s team beforehand but we struggled to deal with them.”
WIGAN boss Paul Cook saluted his battlers as late goals from substitutes Lee Evans and Michael Jacobs gave his side’s hopes of avoiding relegation a huge boost.
But the loss was a setback for Blackburn’s play-off bid.
“Great credit to the players, they’ve got this never-say die attitude,” said Cook, after six clean sheets in a row.
“It was a very, very tough game. We’ve just got to keeping going but it’s a great result.”
Evans struck with 10 minutes to go after Christian Walton’s sloppy error.
The keeper spilled a routine cross and Evans rifled home off the underside of the bar.
Fellow sub Jacobs then scored on the counter-attack with virtually the last kick of the game, to extend the Latics’ unbeaten run to eight matches.
“I felt that if anyone was going to win it was us, but ultimately we were not as much as a threat,” said Rovers boss Tony Mowbray.
“It hurts, but there’s still plenty to play for.
“We controlled the second half but still found a way to lose.”
Kieffer Moore shot just wide early on for the hosts and Cedric Kipre headed wide from a Kieran Dowell corner.
Rovers grew into the game and Joe Rothwell rifled a long-range effort just wide.
Marshall produced a great diving stop to turn Stewart Downing’s left-foot free-kick past the post and Sam Gallagher headed over as Rovers started the second-half on top.
But Walton’s bad mistake allowed Evans to pounce and, after Marshall had tipped Dominic Samuel’s bullet header over the bar, Jacobs netted to kill off the game.