Cardiff 1-2 Wigan
Ben Watson is sick of being branded an FA Cup hero — but he will be labelled such again after his unstoppable thunderbolt sent FA Cup holders Wigan into this year’s quarter-finals.
Just when he had banned all further talk of his Wembley winner against Manchester City last May, just when he could take no more teasing from his team-mates about his supposed superstar Cup status, he produced an even better goal here in Cardiff.
His manager knows how reluctant he is to court extra attention and did his best to divert it. Three times Uwe Rosler was asked and refused to talk about the quality of Watson’s 30-yarder, preferring to laud Wigan’s first, scored by Chris McCann after great work from Jordi Gomez and described by Rosler as ‘fantastic collectively’.
Of Watson’s winner, Rosler said: ‘I didn’t see it. I just turned my head and it was in.’
Later Rosler apologised for being so evasive. It did not really matter. Watson’s right boot had done the talking for him.
One more win and Watson will be back at Wembley. He must be hoping someone else can grab the limelight next time but, for now, the reluctant hero has been handed the headlines again.
He seemed almost apologetic at the end as he returned to the pitch sheepishly to embrace his colleagues more than half an hour after being substituted. Rosler claimed Watson had been carrying an injury and might be out for a while, but he would not elaborate. Perhaps it was just another smokescreen.
A gentleman in a blue-and-white striped suit and top hat was ecstatic at the final whistle and the Cup holders are doing the dear old tournament proud once again.
As for Cardiff, their only bright spot was the performance of Mats Daehli on his full home debut. The shortest legs in football scrurried at pace and wrong-footed opponents with impressive regularity. We saw the makings of a much-needed understanding with Wilfried Zaha.
Yet, beyond that, Cardiff lacked drive and imagination against determined opponents and the jeers which greeted the final whistle suggested patience is wearing thin among their fans. Under-pressure manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wasn’t much happier afterwards.
‘Probably the only plus was Daehli’s performance, otherwise it was very disappointing,’ he said.
Fraizer Campbell, who scored Cardiff’s first-half equaliser following a failed raid by Zaha, may not be too thrilled with that piece of analysis, though Solskjaer’s verdict on the winner was suitably generous.
‘It was a wonder strike, there was nothing we could do about it,’ he said. ‘We’ve got a big, big game against Hull next weekend and at least we’ve got a chance to rest.’
After what happened to Rene Meulensteen at Fulham on Friday night, Solskjaer may be getting nervous.
But his great friend Rosler said reassuringly: ‘Ole’s a winner and he’ll make it happen here, he’ll be fine.’
Maybe so. But only if the Norwegian is given time in this cut-throat world, where the panic button is never far away for an owner.
—Daily Mail