Tuesday 19 November 2013

On this day in 2011: Yakubu steals six-goal show for 10-man Blackburn

Looking back at Premier League history, we recall when Yakubu helped 10-man Blackburn hild Wigan

Premierleague.com rifles through the annals of the Barclays Premier League to find significant events.

19 November 2011 – Wigan Athletic 3-3 Blackburn Rovers

Yakubu Ayegbeni converted a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time, awarded for a foul on his own goalkeeper Paul Robinson, to earn Blackburn Rovers a dramatic point at the DW Stadium.
"If we carry on playing like that then we won’t be in the position we're in right now"
Roberto Martinez, Wigan
Robinson had come forward for a corner but was kicked in the head by David Jones and Yakubu took the chance to level the scores from the resultant spot-kick.
Wigan had looked set to end a run of eight successive Barclays Premier League defeats, nine in all competitions, after they had led 2-1 and 3-2 but the draw ensured they stayed bottom of the table, a place and point behind Rovers.
Blackburn had arrived only 50 minutes before kick-off in this Lancashire derby but were quickly into their stride as they took the lead after just 68 seconds, Yakubu chipping the ball over Ali Al-Habsi, after Steven Nzonzi had flicked on a long ball. It was the Nigerian's 100th league goal in England.
Wigan levelled in the seventh minute, when Jordi Gomez scored from 20 yards, and went ahead with a Steven Caldwell header in the 32nd minute.
Morten Gamst Pedersen had hit a post at the other end in between those goals and Rovers' task looked harder when David Dunn was sent off for a second yellow card after fouling Mohamed Diame just after half-time.
But the visitors equalised on the hour when Junior Hoilett headed home a cross from Pedersen, who had appeared to dribble the ball straight from a corner, but it was revealed that it already been taken unbeknown to the Wigan team.
Substitute Albert Krusat restored Wigan's lead with a 20-yard shot in the 88th minute before Yakubu's rescue act.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said: "The performance was magnificent. We did enough to win the game comfortably. If we carry on playing like that then we won’t be in the position we're in right now."
Blackburn manager Steve Kean lauded his team's never-say-die attitude.
"It tells you everything about the spirit at this club that we twice came from behind to earn a point," he said. "The lads just don't stop, they keep working and there were some outstanding performances."
Wigan managed to survive relegation as they finished the campaign in 15th place but Blackburn did go down after finishing 19th.

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