Owen sinks Latics

Newcastle maintained their good start to the current campaign with a hard-fought win over 10-man Wigan at St James' Park

Newcastle see off Wigan's stubborn resistance

Newcastle United kept up their good start to the season as Michael Owen's late winner saw off 10-man Wigan Athletic at St James' Park. The home side dominated for much of the game but struggled to find the breakthrough despite having two efforts ruled out. Owen thought he had scored in the first half after James MIlner's shot ricocheted to him. However the striker was bemused to see his effort disallowed by the officials. Wigan were up against it for the entire second period when Kevin Kilbane was dismissed in the first minute of the half for two bookable offences. The Latics put up a firm resistance and thought their luck was in when Steven Taylor's effort was also ruled out for offside, However they were rocked when Owen got his head on the end of an Obefemi Martins cross to secure the points for Newcastle. Sam Allardyce's side were well worth their victory, although for much of the game, it appeared that missed chances and the excellence of old boy Titus Bramble and Chris Kirkland would keep them at bay. Chances came and went with Kirkland's goal remaining intact courtesy of some good goalkeeping, last-ditch defending, the woodwork and one controversial decision.

Exposed

Owen was denied the opening goal on eight minutes when he ran on to Mark Viduka's flick-on and shot towards the far post, where Kirkland got the merest of touches to turn the ball just wide. The keeper was cruelly exposed on 28 minutes when defender Andreas Granqvist slipped to allow Owen a free run at goal but, although he lifted his shot over the advancing Kirkland, the ball also comfortably cleared the crossbar. In the meantime, the home side were convinced they should have been awarded a penalty when Bramble miscontrolled and saw the ball loop up on to his arm, but referee Steve Bennett was unmoved. Viduka, Nicky Butt and Alan Smith all went close to opening the scoring as the Magpies dominated, but it was in the dying minutes of the half that Allardyce's men made their big push. Butt turned up at the back post to force a 43rd-minute save from Kirkland after Owen had helped on Steven Taylor's cross, and then Taylor powered an injury-time header against the bar with the goalkeeper beaten. For their part, the visitors threatened only sporadically, but Steve Harper had to pull off a fine save to keep out Jason Koumas' 19th-minute free-kick and then plucked former team-mate Antoine Sibierski's header from underneath his crossbar.

Harsh sending off

Kilbane, who had been booked for a wild challenge on Taylor before the break, was perhaps harshly yellow-carded for the second time with less than a minute gone in the second half for a challenge on Smith and was sent off. Mr Bennett's popularity with the home supporters grew further on 55 minutes when he allowed play to continue after Granqvist had gone to ground under Ameobi's challenge on the edge of the box. The striker had time to set himself but, from a tight angle, fired across Kirkland and wide of the far post. Owen seemed certain to break the deadlock on 65 minutes after Butt surged into the box and fed him but, as he moved the ball on to his left foot, Bramble got in another vital block. Allardyce introduced a third striker within seconds as Martins replaced Smith, but Wigan continued to defend with remarkable tenacity. They should have been behind on 73 minutes when Butt burst through but with just Kirkland to beat, blasted his shot over the bar. But the breakthrough finally arrived three minutes from time when Martins turned up on the right to send an inviting cross to the near post, where Owen beat his marker to head home and spark mass celebrations.

Newcastle United	Team Statistics	Wigan Athletic
1	Goals	0
0	1st Half Goals	0
6	Shots on Target	4
12	Shots off Target	1
6	Blocked Shots	2
9	Corners	1
15	Fouls	20
4	Offsides	7
2	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	1
74.4	Passing Success	65
16	Tackles	25
93.8	Tackles Success	96
64.5	Possession	35.5
57	Territorial Advantage	43