Arouna Kone boosted Wigan's chances of staying in the Premier League with a late goal Sunday to secure a 2-1 win over Newcastle in a game that was marred by an ugly tackle on Massadio Haidara.
Kone slotted in the winner in the 90th minute after a goalmouth scramble following a corner, with the Newcastle players all appealing for handball on Maynor Figueroa.
Newcastle had been even more furious earlier following Callum McManaman's wreckless knee-high challenge on Haidara in the first half, which went unpunished by referee Mark Halsey. Haidara had to be carried off on a stretcher and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and Newcastle's anger spilled over into a halftime scuffle with furious assistant manager John Carver having to be restrained as he tried to confront McManaman.
Wigan had gone in front in the 18th through Jean Beasejour, with Davide Santon equalizing for Newcastle in the 72nd. But Kone's late goal ensured that Wigan is now three points from safety with a game in hand on Aston Villa.
But it was McManaman's tackle that remained the talking point after the game, with Newcastle manager Alan Pardew fewing.
''The tackle was awful, and we've lost the game in the last minute to what I think is a handball, and also got a boy going to hospital,'' Pardew said. ''In all honesty it's difficult to take and difficult to talk about at this stage.''
Pardew said it was too early to give any injury details for Haidara.
''It's not going to be good because the tackle was so bad,'' Pardew said. ''It looks like knee ligaments and bad bruising and that's the best we can hope for.''
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez defended McManaman and said the tackle was an accident.
?''No-one wants to see that but I guarantee that is just a striker trying to win the ball over-enthusiastically because he is making his (full league) debut,'' Martinez said. ''What you need to look at in those incidents is if there is intention, a nastiness about the tackle. We are not a nasty team.''
