Owen Coyle believes his Wigan Athletic side showed they can
be a match for a lot of teams in Europe as they recorded their maiden victory
in continental competition.
The DW Stadium played host to European football for the
first time and the FA Cup winners responded with a deserved 3-1 win over
Slovenians Maribor. Coyle said: "Maribor are a very good side but from
start to finish I thought we were outstanding.
"The football we played, we passed and moved the ball
at a real intensity culminating in some terrific goalscoring chances. Not that
there is any negative, but there's no doubt we could have scored six or seven
goals tonight."
Nick Powell had the honour of scoring the Latics' first
European goal in the 21st minute, albeit thanks to a horrible mistake from
Maribor keeper Jasmin Handanovic, and Ben Watson made it 2-0 before half-time.
Wigan should have scored many more goals, with on-loan
Manchester United man Powell in particular guilty of a number of bad misses. And
it looked like that could cost Coyle's men when Maribor captain Tavares pulled
one back on the hour mark.
With 90 minutes almost up, Scott Carson then had
to produce a terrific save to keep out a sweetly-struck effort from Tavares
before Powell made the game safe with a fine individual goal. Coyle said:
"We felt we conceded a sloppy goal, although we know the quality of (Jean
Philippe) Mendy and Tavares, and then Scott Carson makes a great save
at 2-1.
"Apart from that, I don't recall them having too much
and we really should have put the game to bed and been very comfortable. But
when you don't there's always the chance there can be a sucker punch. The lads
stuck to their task and Nick Powell rounded it off, which was fitting. The fans
were brilliant tonight and it's fitting they left on the back of seeing a
wonderful goal."
“There's no doubt we
could have scored six or seven goals tonight.”
Owen Coyle, Wigan
Athletic manager
Wigan fans certainly enjoyed their first experience of
staging European football on the back of their stunning FA Cup final triumph
over Manchester City in May. And three points to add to the goalless draw in
Belgium against Zulte Waregem two weeks ago means they are well placed in Group
D.
Coyle said: "When we bring it all together, it's a
terrific sight to see, and you saw that tonight. The fans were bouncing,
enjoying European football.
"Sixteen years ago we were a Division Four club and to
be out there on that European stage - and not only on the stage but showing the
quality they did. Because with that performance tonight, we would have stood
toe-to-toe with an awful lot of teams, and that was very pleasing."
Coyle was all too aware, though, of the debt the team owed
Carson for his tremendous one-handed save when Tavares' shot looked to be
heading for the top corner. "It would have been the biggest injustice
you've ever seen but it wasn't and that's why he's there," said Coyle of
his summer signing from Bursaspor.
"He's an outstanding goalkeeper. He's been England goalkeeper
before and I know he's got the desire to try to get back to that level.
Performances like this will certainly help. That's the key ingredient of top
goalkeepers. He was probably idle for 95 per cent of that game, but when he's
called upon he makes a wonderful save and there's no doubt it was a huge moment
in the game."
Wigan sit second in the table, two points behind Russian
side Rubin Kazan and three ahead of Zulte. Next up for the Latics is a
double-header against Rubin, who appear to be the class of the group, with the
first match at home in three weeks' time.
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