McCann the man sees off Bluebirds
WIGAN kept their dream of winning a second-successive FA Cup alive with another Premier League scalp to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Midfielder Chris McCann opened the scoring, before Bluebirds’ Fraizer Campbell equalised with a low drive. Ben Watson hit the first-half winner with a superb strike from 30 yards.
There were several new faces for the home fans to get behind. Spanish defender Juan Cala made his debut for the club, having joined from Sevilla. Norwegian recruits Mats Daehli and, in the absence of banned talisman Craig Bellamy, Jo Inge Berget, made their first appearances at Cardiff City Stadium.
It was the Latics who opened the scoring in the 19th minute. When the Bluebirds failed to clear, the hustling Jordi Gomez pilfered the ball before finding Chris McCann unmarked in the box. Manchester United loanee Wilfried Zaha showed no urgency to intercept the cross, and all McCann had to do was side-foot it home.
Cardiff fans’ agony was compounded by the fact that the goal was made by an ex-Swansea City player.
As the half wore on, Cardiff began to impose themselves.The 2008 FA Cup finalists’ equaliser came after 27 minutes through top-scorer Campbell.
After a scramble in the box and two blocked shots, he struck low and hard past the unsighted Ali Al Habsi.
Wigan were bereft of territory and chances until centre-back Cala gave away a free-kick almost 30 yards out, five minutes before the break — and he was made to pay. Gomez shifted the ball to Watson, who cracked it sweetly past goalkeeper David Marshall.
After the break, Daehli continued his impressive afternoon in the Cardiff midfield when he repeatedly cut inside from the left and tested his opposition.
City keeper Marshall was almost embarrassed when he let a wayward cross go out for a corner, only for McCann to hook the ball goalwards, forcing a reaction save.
A largely uneventful second half was perfect for the visitors as they sat on their lead. But for a couple of nervy moments — a deflected shot from Daehli and an Al Habsi save off Zaha — the Championship side looked relatively comfortable.