The Perfect Chance To Drag Ourselves Clear Of Relegation!
Last updated : 11 November 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
With the Mackems away at Ewood Park; Bolton playing high-flying Liverpool; Stoke at Old Trafford; and West Brom facing Chelsea ... we'll be up and running up the Premiership by the time 'X Factor' reaches the goggle box.
Saturday 15th November 2008 Arsenal v Aston Villa 15.00
Blackburn v Sunderland 15.00
Bolton v Liverpool 12.45
Fulham v Tottenham 15.00
Man Utd v Stoke City 15.00
Newcastle v Wigan Athletic 15.00
West Brom v Chelsea 17.30
West Ham v Portsmouth 15.00
Sunday 16th November 2008 Everton v Middlesbrough 13.30
Hull City v Man City 16.00
LAST SEASON'S FIXTURE:
2007/8 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 WIGAN ATH 0 
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Taylor, Rozehnal, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Smith (Martins 66), Geremi, Butt, Milner, Owen, Viduka (Ameobi 46).
Subs Not Used: Given, Edgar, Pattison.
WIGAN: Kirkland, Melchiot, Granqvist, Bramble, Kilbane, Landzaat (Skoko 29), Brown, Scharner, Koumas (Bent 58), Sibierski (Boyce 48), Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Aghahowa.
Att: 50,461
Michael Owen provided England boss Steve McClaren with the perfect tonic when he headed home a late winner to end Newcastle's Tyneside goal drought.
McClaren was at St James' Park to watch his leading scorer ahead of the forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia and, for much of the afternoon, it looked like being a frustrating day for the £17million man.
Owen passed up four glorious opportunities to open the scoring against 10-man Wigan, who had Kevin Kilbane sent off for two bookable offences just after the break.
However, he made no mistake with three minutes remaining when substitute Obafemi Martins crossed to the near post and he timed his run to perfection to head past Chris Kirkland and snatch the points.
It was his second goal in as many games and Newcastle's first in the league at St James' Park since February, some 647 minutes - or almost 11 hours - of football ago.
Sam Allardyce's side were well worth their victory, although for much of the game, it appeared that missed chances and the excellence of old boy Titus Bramble and Kirkland would keep them at bay.
But their patience was eventually rewarded in front of a crowd of 50,461, who had earlier seen Steven Taylor hit the bar and have a goal ruled out for offside, and Nicky Butt and substitute Shola Ameobi waste gilt-edged openings.
Chances came and went with Kirkland's goal remaining intact courtesy of some good goalkeeping, last-ditch defending, the woodwork and one controversial decision.
McClaren saw Owen denied the opening goal on eight minutes when he ran on to Mark Viduka's flick-on and shot towards the far post, where Kirkland got the merest of touches to turn the ball just wide.
The keeper was cruelly exposed on 28 minutes when defender Andreas Granqvist slipped to allow Owen a free run at goal but, although he lifted his shot over the advancing Kirkland, the ball also comfortably cleared the crossbar.
In the meantime, the home side were convinced they should have been awarded a penalty when Bramble miscontrolled and saw the ball loop up on to his arm, but referee Steve Bennett was unmoved.
Viduka, Butt and Alan Smith all went close to opening the scoring as the Magpies dominated, but it was in the dying minutes of the half that Allardyce's men made their big push.
Butt turned up at the back post to force a 43rd-minute save from Kirkland after Owen had helped on Steven Taylor's cross, and then Taylor powered an injury-time header against the bar with the goalkeeper beaten.
For their part, the visitors threatened only sporadically, but Steve Harper had to pull off a fine save to keep out Jason Koumas' 19th-minute free-kick and then plucked former team-mate Antoine Sibierski's header from underneath his crossbar.
The injured Viduka made way for Ameobi at the break, but it was Wigan boss Chris Hutchings who had the greater problem within seconds of the restart.
Full-back Kilbane, who had been booked for a wild challenge on Taylor before the break, was perhaps harshly yellow-carded for the second time with less than a minute gone for a challenge on Smith and was sent off.
Hutchings responded by withdrawing Sibierski to warm applause from the home fans and replacing him with defender Emmerson Boyce.
Mr Bennett's popularity with the home supporters grew further on 55 minutes when he allowed play to continue after Granqvist had gone to ground under Ameobi's challenge on the edge of the box.
The striker had time to set himself but, from a tight angle, fired across Kirkland and wide of the far post.
Owen seemed certain to break the deadlock on 65 minutes after Butt surged into the box and fed him but, as he moved the ball on to his left foot, Bramble got in another vital block.
Allardyce introduced a third striker within seconds as Martins replaced Smith, but Wigan continued to defend with remarkable tenacity.
They should have been behind on 73 minutes when Butt burst through but with just Kirkland to beat, blasted his shot over the bar.
But the breakthrough finally arrived three minutes from time when Martins turned up on the right to send an inviting cross to the near post, where Owen beat his marker to head home and spark mass celebrations.