LOCAL HERO HUGILL TOAST OF THE TOWN
MIDDLESBRO’ 2 WIGAN ATH 0
TONY PULIS was always confident Jordan Hugill would rediscover his goalscoring touch – now the Middlesbrough manager wants the West Ham United loanee to kick on and spearhead a promotion push.
The victory lifted Middlesbrough back into the automatic promotion positions, and was especially sweet for Hugill, a native Teessider who once pulled pints in one of his hometown’s most famous pubs.
Pulis said: “I was really pleased that Jordan got the two goals. What people have missed is that the lad went from Preston to West Ham and was never involved in any football in the Premier League.
“He’s worked hard and in the last few games, we’ve seen some good signs.
“He’s a local lad, and he’s desperate to do well for this football club.”
Middlesbrough’s victory ended a run of four home league games without a win, and featured a rather remarkable 11th clean sheet from their 17 matches.
It had initially looked as though it might be a frustrating afternoon for Hugill, with three early going begging.
Hugill failed to find the target with headers from crosses by Dael Fry and Stewart Downing, and when he did get an effort on target, Wigan goalkeeper Christian Walton pushed the ball around the post.
Walton also kept out Danny Batth’s volley, with Nick Powell blocking a follow-up effort from Fry on the line, but Wigan’s resistance was finally broken from the penalty spot six minutes before the break.
George Friend won the penalty, cutting in from the left and drawing a foul from Cedric Kipre, which Hugill converted.
He was celebrating again five minutes later, controlling the ball on his chest before lashing into the roof of the net after Walton palmed Martin Braithwaite’s cross into his path.
Wigan’s only first-half opportunity came to nothing when Lee Evans glanced a back-post header wide, and the second half proved a similar story, with Paul Cook’s team never really looking like breaking down a solid Middlesbrough side.
The Latics recorded their first effort on target 10 minutes into the second half, but Darren Randolph claimed Nick Powell’s 20-yard effort at the second time of asking after briefly looking as though he was going to spill the ball back into his own penalty area.
Middlesbrough sat back much more in the second period, although Jonny Howson’s low drive might have found the net before the hour mark had it not picked up a deflection off his team-mate, Batth.
Wigan’s defeat leaves them just four points clear of the relegation zone, and Paul Cook admits his side are making far too many costly errors.
Cook said: “I’m very disappointed to lose, but we’re in the midst of disappointing run. You come to places like the stadium today playing against very strong team, know you’re going to have to defend and come under pressure but from my point of view the goals we’re giving away are coming from individual mistakes.
“Without being disrespectful to ourselves, to give it a go was the least we could do. But we’re littered with individual errors from game to game.