Sports / Soccer
Wigan stuns Manchester City to win the FA cup
11 May 2013 at 19:37hrs | Views
London - Substitute Ben Watson scored an injury-time winner to give Wigan Athletic a sensational 1-0 win over Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in the biggest FA Cup final upset in 25 years.
With extra time beckoning, Watson met a Shaun Maloney corner with a near-post header to stun 2011 cup winners City and give Wigan the first major trophy in their 81-year history.
Victory represented a fairytale moment for the modest northwest club and their chairman, Dave Whelan, who punched the air with delight at the final whistle, after a shock that stands comparison with Wimbledon's 1988 success over Liverpool.
VIDEO: FA Cup Final - Wigan v Man City - highlights
He had earlier led the team onto the pitch, having broken his leg while playing for Blackburn Rovers in the 1960 FA Cup final in an incident that ended his top-level football career.
Beneath driving rain, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez celebrated with his players on the pitch, as the Latics temporarily forgot their perilous fate in the Premier League, where they are on the brink of relegation.
City captain Vincent Kompany admitted his team had been out-played.
Watson's goal completed a miserable season for City and their manager, Roberto Mancini, who awoke on Saturday to media reports that he is about to be replaced by Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini.
League champions last year, City will finish the season without a trophy after being burnt off by Manchester United in the league and crashing out of the Champions League in the group phase.
City were overwhelming pre-game favourites but Mancini showed how seriously he was taking the game by starting with Joe Hart in goal, despite having previously vowed to persevere with deputy Costel Pantilimon.
With extra time beckoning, Watson met a Shaun Maloney corner with a near-post header to stun 2011 cup winners City and give Wigan the first major trophy in their 81-year history.
Victory represented a fairytale moment for the modest northwest club and their chairman, Dave Whelan, who punched the air with delight at the final whistle, after a shock that stands comparison with Wimbledon's 1988 success over Liverpool.
VIDEO: FA Cup Final - Wigan v Man City - highlights
He had earlier led the team onto the pitch, having broken his leg while playing for Blackburn Rovers in the 1960 FA Cup final in an incident that ended his top-level football career.
City captain Vincent Kompany admitted his team had been out-played.
Watson's goal completed a miserable season for City and their manager, Roberto Mancini, who awoke on Saturday to media reports that he is about to be replaced by Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini.
League champions last year, City will finish the season without a trophy after being burnt off by Manchester United in the league and crashing out of the Champions League in the group phase.
City were overwhelming pre-game favourites but Mancini showed how seriously he was taking the game by starting with Joe Hart in goal, despite having previously vowed to persevere with deputy Costel Pantilimon.
Source - Reuters
