Best spurns spot-kick as Owls punished by in-form Wigan

Wednesday gave as good as they got for long periods against a lacklustre Latics outfit.

And they only had themselves to blame for not going into the break a goal to the good after Leon Best had a penalty of his own saved by Ali Al Habsi.

Jacques Maghoma raced through and was taken out by Al Habsi as he tried to round the goalkeeper.

Referee Andy Haines decided to only caution the goalkeeper when other officials may well have brandished red. And Al Habsi took full advantage by reading Best’s penalty and pulling off a fine save diving to his right.

The home side picked up their game after the break, but it looked like it was going to be one of those days when substitute Callum McManaman fired inches wide of the post inside the final quarter.

But Wigan never gave up hope of breaking the deadlock, and were rewarded when Caolan Lavery tripped James Perch inside the box with 87 minutes gone and Gomez scored from the spot. Ryan Tunnicliffe had a shot saved by Damian Martinez and Emmerson Boyce saw his header tipped round the post.

But it just was not clicking for the home side, and they had to rely on Gomez’s late spot-kick to secure all three points.

Wigan: Al Habsi, Perch, Boyce, Barnett, Beausejour, McArthur (Powell 54), Gomez, Tunnicliffe, Waghorn (McManaman 54), Maynard, McClean (Fortune 72). Unused substitutes: Carson, Crainey, McEachran, Ramis.

Sheff Wed: Martinez, Buxton, Onyewu, Loovens, Helan, Coke, Oshilaja (Prutton 62), Palmer, Lavery, Maghoma (Maguire 62), Best (Nuhiu 75). Unused substitutes: Jermaine Johnson, Davies, Afobe, Llera.

Referee: A Haines (Tyne & Wear).