Wigan 3 Wolves 2
Wolves failed to get the win they wanted for manager Terry Connor in his final game in charge ended in defeat at Wigan today.
Wolves failed to get the win they wanted for manager Terry Connor in his final game in charge ended in defeat at Wigan today.
Matt Jarvis gave Wolves a ninth minute lead against the run of play but that was quickly cancelled out by Franco Di Santo (11) and Emmerson Boyce (14).
Boyce made it 3-1 in the 79th minute with a tremendous swerving shot with the outside of his boot that gave substitute keeper Carl Ikeme no chance before Steven Fletcher (85) narrowed the deficit.
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Connor made two changes for his final game in charge.
Jarvis and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake were recalled for Michael Kightly, who didn't travel because of his groin injury, and Steven Fletcher, who dropped to the bench.
After being forced back from the start, Wolves took the lead with their first attack when Jarvis cut inside from the left and rifled a fierce, angled curling shot into the top corner of the net.
But Wigan turned the game on its head to deservedly be ahead by the quarter hour mark with two goals in three minutes.
First, Franco Di Santo levelled with a shot that tricked in past the helpless Dorus De Vries after a deflection when Stephen Hunt was caught in possession by one-time Wolves target James McCarthy for Wigan's 2,000th goal as a League club.
Wigan continued to press and Shaun Maloney saw a fine drive palmed away by De Vries.
But the Latics didn't have long to wait until taking the lead as Boyce climbed above Richard Stearman to send a header into the roof of the net from Jean Beausejour's corner.
Roberto Martinez's side moved the ball far better than a ragged looking Wolves all match and the hosts always looked the more damgerous team.
Wolves struggled to get to grips with former Villa winger Maloney, who popped up everywhere and was a constant threat.
Victor Moses was next to try his luck, firing over after turning onto James McArthur's wayward shot.
Wigan should have increased their lead in the 48th minute but Franco Di Santo somehow missed Beausejour's cross from point-blank range.
Wolves made a surprise replacement in the 51st minute when Carl Ikeme came on for De Vries for his Premier League debut and his first appearance for the club since January 2009.
But it was Wolves who created the next chance, Ebanks-Blake heading over Jarvis's cross after the striker got in between Maynor Figueroa and Gary Caldwell.
The lively Kevin Doyle then had Wolves' only other on-target effort when his far-post header hit keeper Ali Al Habsi from Jarvis's free kick.
Ikeme got a taste of the action in the 70th minute when he saved superbly from Maloney.
Substitute Albert Crusat fired into the side-netting following Di Santo's pass when Dave Edwards gave the ball away as Wigan looked for their fourth goal.
And, after Wolves won a fruitless first corner on 74, a brilliant tackle by Karl Henry on substitute Albert Crusat prevented further misery for the 2,500 visiting fans.
Fletcher reduced the arrears with his 12th goal of the season when he rolled the ball home from the edge of the box after superb closing down by Edwards led to Al Habsi spilling the ball.
Ikeme excelled again in the 90th minute when he flung himself to his left to keep out Crusat's drive, before fellow sub Hugo Rodallega hit the post at the death.
Wolves go to the Championship but with new boss Stale Solbakken set to be unveiled on Monday, there is plenty of hope for the future.
