Magpies hit back for point

A last-gasp Fabricio Coloccini header saw Newcastle complete a two-goal comeback to earn a point against Wigan.

Coloccini and Ameobi equalise after N'Zogbia brace

A last-gasp Fabricio Coloccini header saw Newcastle complete a two-goal comeback to earn a point against Wigan. Former Newcastle player Charles N'Zogbia returned to haunt his former club with a quick-fire first-half brace (22, 23) from Franco Di Santo assists. But the Magpies improved after the break and substitute Shola Ameobi headed home Jonas Gutierrez's cross on 72 minutes to give Chris Hughton's side hope. Skipper Coloccini then earned a point at the death after Andy Carroll headed a Gutierrez corner on to him to nod home from close range to ensure Newcastle avoided a third successive home league defeat. The game started with boos for owner Mike Ashley over his decision to sell the naming rights to the stadium, and N'Zogbia as a result of his extended campaign of agitation for a move away from the club, which finally paid off in February last year. But the boos on the half-time whistle were all for the club the Frenchman had left behind as Newcastle offered little up front and lacked ideas in midfield, where Wigan boss Roberto Martinez had ordered his players to close down space.

Alarmingly

More alarmingly, they were porous at the back as right-back James Perch's education in top-flight football took an ugly turn up an ever steeper hill. His main job was to try to keep N'Zogbia quiet with a helping hand from Danny Guthrie, making his first appearance of the season after recovering from a knee injury. But the former Magpie gave him a torrid time throughout and capped his afternoon with a quick-fire double which put the Latics in the driving seat with barely a quarter of the game gone. There was an element of good fortune about N'Zogbia's first goal when Di Santo's cross looped up off Jose Enrique and dropped invitingly for the winger to head across goalkeeper Tim Krul and into the bottom corner, although he still had to outjump Mike Williamson and Perch. His second goal less a minute later then oozed class as he brought down Di Santo's cross on his chest before smashing a shot past Krul from a tight angle. Newcastle were laboured in their attempts to get back into the game, although they came close twice within seconds as clock ticked past the 40-minute mark. First Maynor Figueroa had to head over his own crossbar after Carroll had turned Guthrie's free-kick across goal towards Lovenkrands, and then Emmerson Boyce cleared Williamson's header off the line from the resulting corner. It could have been even worse for the Magpies had N'Zogbia opted to cross early to the unmarked Di Santo in injury time, and the home manager headed for the dressing room with chants of "Hughton, sort it out" ringing in his ears with his side starring down the barrel of a third successive home defeat.

Swift response

What Hughton needed was a swift response, but there was little sign of it in the opening minutes of the second half as his side continued to squander possession and make little of it when they had it. The Magpies pinned the visitors back inside their own half, but were unable to find anything like the quality of final ball they needed to break Wigan down, although Carroll headed wide from Enrique's looping 56th-minute ball in. Lovenkrands found himself in a promising position on the hour as Perch prepared to cross, but although the Dane controlled well, Newcastle old boy Steve Caldwell intervened before he could shoot. Guthrie drilled a 65th-minute free-kick harmlessly over the bar with little sign of the fightback the Magpies so desperately required. However, Ameobi, a 60th-minute replacement for Lovenkrands, gave his side hope with 18 minutes to go when he powered home a header from Jonas Gutierrez's cross to spark a belated onslaught. Carroll headed just wide seconds later, but substitute Hugo Rodallega perhaps should have made sure five minutes of the points from time after being played in by N'Zogbia. His side were made to pay at the death when Carroll flicked on Gutierrez's cross and Coloccini headed home from close range to cap a spirited comeback.

Newcastle United	Team Statistics	Wigan Athletic
2	Goals	2
0	1st Half Goals	2
4	Shots on Target	3
7	Shots off Target	5
3	Blocked Shots	0
6	Corners	3
16	Fouls	17
1	Offsides	6
2	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
83.0	Passing Success	77.4
20	Tackles	35
90.0	Tackles Success	60.0
57.5	Possession	42.5
60.5	Territorial Advantage	39.5