Rodallega 35

Liverpool’s challenge for the EPL’s fourth place took a severe knock when they lost to relegation strugglers Wigan, for the first time ever.

The Latics thoroughly deserved their victory, clinched by a first-half strike from Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega.

The newly-laid pitch at the DW Stadium replaced the mud-heap which had hampered Wigan’s passing game. And they did pass the ball well, unlike a largely wretched Liverpool.

Yet Liverpool could have taken something from the game if the rusty Fernando Torres had taken any of the four chances which came his way.

He came closest in the 8^th minute when his shot struck the outside of the post. But Wigan were well in control and took the lead on 35 minutes when Rodallega’s stubbed finish beat Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina after Emmerson Boyce’s delightful cross with the outside of his right foot..

Marcelo Moreno nearly doubled Wigan’s advantage on 58 minutes when Jamie Carragher’s clearance rebounded off him and was cleared from under the crossbar by Sotirios Krygiakos.

Reina also denied Charles N’Zogbia as Wigan continued to threaten. And Torres’s late volley wide from a Dirk Kuyt knock-down was the nearest Liverpool came to salvaging something from a poor performance.