Latics cruised to a 4-0 win with a brace from Henri Camara, a goal in between from Amr Zaky and rounded off by Tomasz Kupisz

CARLING CUP ROUND 2 – JJB STADIUM – Tuesday 26th August 2008
 
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Henri Camara 31, 61
Amr Zaki 59
Tomasz Kupisz 89
4-0
NOTTS COUNTY

Notts County were admirable opponents tonight but goals from Camara, Zaky and Kupisz rounded off a very comfortable win for Latics.

The Magpies never really threatened Carlo Nash in goal, they had a shot on target in the 81st minute and that was after a Calamity James moment that they really should have capitalised upon.

Wigan took the game by the scruff of the neck from the first whistle and rarely gave a chance to the visitors. Even on the counter attack the Latics’ defence was more than capable of halting the advances of the desperate men in black and white. Camara showed his desire from the beginning, working and grafting to get the early goal. Heskey did his job by being the target man.

Valencia and de Ridder were bossing the midfield and everything was going Latics way. It was a big change from the loss to Hull last year, this team needed a confidence boost and my word did they get it tonight. The travelling 100 or so County fans that came reminded me of the ties I went away watching Latics on lost causes, I felt jealous at times.

But the game went exactly as Bruce will have planned it, be cautious at first and then go for the jugular. The first goal was very well worked, a beautiful ball played in by new boy Figueroa to Camara, who trapped the ball then calmly slotted it past Russell Hoult in the Notts County goal.

Half time came and the Notts County players looked shattered, they had been run ragged all half. This showed in the second half as two quick goals killed the game off. Great link up play put Zaky through on goal and it was two nil.

The third came courtesy of Zaki unselfishly crossing the ball for Camara to head home from 10 yards. The game was wrapped up in the last few minutes by Tomasz Kupisz, bagging the fourth goal and sealing a comfortable and moral boosting win ahead of the league game with Hull on Saturday.

Report by Jayt

Cockney Latic Man of the Match: Henri Camara
Referee: C Webster
Attendance: 4,100
LINE UP
WIGAN ATHLETIC NOTTS COUNTY
36 Carlo Nash 1 Russell Holt
29 Lewis Montrose 4 Mike Edwards
19 Titus Bramble 5 Adam Tann
8 Kevin Kilbane 3 Paul Mayo
31 Maynor Figueroa 2 Jason Beardsley
11 Michael Brown 8 Neil McKenzie
18 Daniel de Ridder 10 Jay Smith
17 Emmerson Boyce 22 Delroy Facey
16 Antonio Valencia 21 Spencer Wier-Daley
9 Emile Heskey 16 Ben Fairclough
27 Henri Camara 23 Richard Butcher
SUBS
12 Mike Pollitt 12 Kevin Pilkington
4 Lee Cattermole 6 Michael Johnson
28 Tomasz Kupisz 9 Jamie Forrester
5 Wilson Palacios 14 Sean Canham
13 Amr Zaki 7 Matthew Hamshaw
26 Rachid Bouaouzan 11 Myles Weston
TIMELINE
31′ Goal Henri Camara    
46′ Player Off Emile Heskey
Player On Amr Zaki
   
57′     Player Off Spencer Weir-Daley
Player On Myles Weston
60′ Goal Amr Zaki    
62′ Goal Henri Camara    
62′     Player Off Neil McKenzie
Player On Matthew Hamshaw
63′ Player Off Luis Antonio Valencia
Player On Thomasz Kupisz
   
70′ Player Off Kevin Kilbane
Player On Rachid Bouaouzan
   
74′     Player Off Delroy Facey
Player On Jamie Forrester
90′ Goal Thomasz Kupisz