Rodallega hits winner for Wigan

Mar 9, 2010 - 8:43 AM By GEOFF McALLISTER STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Under-fire Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez refused to admit defeat in the race for fourth place in the Premier League, despite seeing his lacklustre side beaten 1-0 by struggling Wigan.

A first-half strike from Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega secured Wigan's first ever victory over the Reds, throwing Benitez's 'guarantee' of Champions League football next season into serious doubt.

Benitez, who was booed by a section of the Liverpool fans at the final whistle, refused to concede fourth place, but admitted his side had been poor.

Benitez said: "I am really disappointed with the performance. In the first half we did not do anything well at all and it is difficult to explain this performance.

"We did not play well, especially in the first half. We did not show attitude, we worked hard after the break but without game intelligence.

"We saw a bit more character in the second half but we were playing too quickly and not holding onto the ball and Wigan were defending really well.

"We had too many things that were wrong during the game. We are not happy, we have to show more character if we want to be in the top four but we will keep going."

Liverpool welcomed back Glen Johnson to the squad for the first time this year while defenders Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Emiliano Insua came into the side at the expense of Daniel Agger and the injured Fabio Aurelio.

Fernando Torres also continued his return to fitness by taking his place in the Liverpool eleven, but after the Spaniard struck a post early on, it was Wigan forward Rodallega who was to take the headlines.

Wigan, playing for the first time on a newly re-laid pitch, looked the livelier from the off, the triumvirate of James McCarthy, Charles N'Zogbia and Rodallega combining well without creating clear-cut openings.

But ten minutes before half-time, Rodallega clinically poached his first goal in the league since Boxing Day and his eighth of the season, volleying smartly past Pepe Reina from a pinpoint Emmerson Boyce cross to give Wigan the half-time lead.

Johnson was introduced to proceedings on 54 minutes to inject some life into Liverpool's play, but despite Torres again wasting a gilt-edged chance just after the hour when he volleyed wide from just eight yards, Liverpool's play looked laboured and devoid of ideas.

Five minutes of injury time offered the Reds a glimmer of hope, but attack after desperate attack never looked like threatening Wigan's rock solid defences.

The win eases Wigan's relegation worries and lifts them four points clear of the drop zone.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez said: "I am delighted for the players because they worked incredibly hard tonight.

"It is a big result for the club because we have never beaten Liverpool before and that is special, but it is an important three points in any context.

"But we now need to take the commitment and quality we showed today forward and build confidence from the way we played today."