EPL: Wigan Survive Blackburn Succumbs

Blackburn Rovers, the 1995 Premier League champions, considered necessary to win to have any probability of staying up after 11 seasons in the top flight, but were incapable to find a way through Wigan's defence.

Wigan Athletic, for whom triumph secured their Premier League survival, scored the only goal of the game all the way through Antolin Alcaraz's header three minutes from time as they registered their sixth win in last eight league games.

Blackburn earlier had a penalty appeal wrongly turned down by the referee when Junior Hoilett was fouled from behind by Emmerson Boyce in the second half.
Wigan coach Martinez later said "It doesn't seem real yet,"

"It's a great feeling because you could feel the tension and it was a cagey affair."

"To do that and to keep a clean sheet - to have that and what it means is incredible. Eight years in the Premier League."

"We've been in the bottom three for a long time. They made the football club proud and the chairman proud."

After the final whistle at Ewood Park intones of 'Kean out', 'Stand up if you hate Venky's' and 'Venky's out' rang around the stadium, as they had all through the match.

Regardless of the acquaintance that a win would keep their survival hopes alive, the match was subjugated by supporter protests against Rovers manager Steve Kean and detested owners Venky's, an Indian poultry firm, who took over in November 2010 promising big signings such as Ronaldinho and David Beckham.

Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League title in 1995 when all-time fan and steel tycoon Jack Walker was still sponsoring the club and present Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish was their manager. Blackburn who terminate their campaign away to FA Cup winners and Champions League finalists Chelsea, have struggled to summon up those glory days since Walker's death in 2000.

One more team will drop out of the Premier League at the weekend, with Bolton Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers in actual fact in a straight head-to-head fight to shun relegation as Aston Villa's goal difference is finer to the two sides beneath them.

Bolton Wanderers needs to win at Stoke to have any possibility of staying up but, if QPR draw at Manchester City, Wanderers are down without a colossal margin of victory at the Britannia Stadium. If QPR lose and Bolton wins will keep Bolton up.