Blackburn 0 Wigan 1 (THE SUN)

ESCAPE FROM ALCARAZ ... Antolin Alcaraz kept Wigan up and sent Blackburn down with his late goal

Published: 16 minutes ago

BLACKBURN have been relegated from the Premier League after Antolin Alcaraz’s late header earned Wigan all three points as Ewood Park.

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CHICKEN is let loose at Ewood Park as Rovers headed for Prem eggs-it door

The defender’s 87th-minute strike ended a miserable, wet night for Rovers boss Steve Kean, who had to endure relentless chants of ‘Kean Out’ thoughout.

The home fans also vented their anger towards Blackburn chicken-farmer owners Venky’s, with a rooster running onto the pitch at one point in an ironic gesture. The result also meant that Wigan ensured their Premier League status for another season, completing a remarkable turnaround in the last few months.

Knowing exactly what was at stake, both sides started with real intent.

But it was Wigan’s Victor Moses who fired in a speculative shot over the bar in the fourth minute to set pulses racing amongst the home fans.

ROVER AND OUT ... Steve Kean's Blackburn have been relegated

Play was briefly halted in the seventh minute when a chicken - draped in a Blackburn Rovers flag - wandered on to the pitch, only to be rescued by the combined efforts of Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi and Blackburn striker Ayegbeni Yakubu.

Franco Di Santo had the first shot on target for Wigan when play resumed but his effort was easily saved by Blackburn’s Paul Robinson.

Modeste, who is on loan at Rovers from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, then linked up well with Yakubu at the other end only to blaze over as both sides looked to take a grasp of the match.

Moses forced another save from Robinson in the 24th minute after he outpaced Scott Dann and fired in a shot from the left of the box from a tight angle.

The errors began to creep in for under-pressure Blackburn, with Morten Gamst Pedersen blasting a poorly-taken free-kick over Al Habsi’s net, much to the frustration of Yakubu.

Wigan then wasted the chance to take the lead from Shaun Maloney’s free-kick as Blackburn managed to scramble the ball clear.

PROTEST ... Blackburn fans were chanting 'Kean out" and "Venky's out" all game

The visitors tore Blackburn apart on the counter-attack with 10 minutes left on the clock in the first half, with Di Santo’s cross picking out Moses in the box, only for the midfielder to nod his close-range header directly at Robinson.

The second half was slightly delayed following unconfirmed reports that paramedics were called to attend to Blackburn defender Gael Givet.

The former France international was replaced at half-time by Radosav Petrovic.

Givet is known to have a long-standing heart problem and was substituted in Blackburn’s Premier League clash against Sunderland last November after he suffered heart beat irregularities.

But thankfully, it emerged that Givet had been taken off due to a hamstring problem.

Wigan started the second half on the front foot and James McCarthy should have done better when his shot on the half-volley went just wide of Robinson’s goal.

Yakubu then went close at the other end when Scott Dann played the ball in to the Nigerian, only for the striker’s shot to be blocked by Antolin Alcaraz as Wigan piled bodies into the box.

FOWL ON THE PITCH ... a chicken was let loose on the Ewood turf

Another good chance went begging for Wigan in the 57th minute when Moses was unable to control Di Santo’s flick-on and skied the ball over the bar.

There was then relief all round as Givet took his seat in the stand to watch the rest of the game to cheers of “There’s only one Gael Givet” from the home fans.

Blackburn were unlucky to not be given a penalty soon after following a goalmouth scramble, as Junior Hoilett was brought down by Emmerson Boyce in the box, but referee Mark Clattenburg waved away calls for a spot-kick.

Wigan had a penalty shout of their own waved away when Moses went down easily in the box and was shown a yellow card for his efforts.

As the rain continued to pour, Blackburn desperately went in search of the lifeline that would keep them in the top flight, but they struggled to find any fluency in the deteriorating conditions.

CROWDED OUT ... Jason Lowe is surrounded by Wigan players

Martin Olsson put in a testing cross which Al Habsi and Gary Caldwell dealt with before Kean make a tactical switch and brought on striker David Goodwillie for defender Bradley Orr with 10 minutes of normal time remaining.

Moses was again denied by Robinson as the Blackburn keeper parried his shot before making a quick reflex save to stop McCarthy’s follow-up.

Maloney then wasted a golden chance to guarantee Wigan’s Premier League future and end Blackburn’s when he headed over the bar from close range.

The visitors were making all of the chances, and Alcaraz finally gave them the lead in the 87th minute when he headed Jean Beausejour’s corner past Robinson.

The defender’s goal ensured the Latics will play in the top flight next season and condemned Blackburn to the npower Championship.

LAT TASTES GOOD ... Wigan players celebrate their late winner

Blackburn: Robinson, Orr (Goodwillie 80), Dann, Givet (Petrovic 46), Martin Olsson, Hoilett, Dunn (Marcus Olsson 44), Lowe, Pedersen, Modeste, Yakubu. Subs Not Used: Kean, Formica, Nzonzi, Rochina.

Booked: Petrovic,Pedersen.

Wigan: Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McArthur, McCarthy, Beausejour, Moses, Di Santo (Sammon 85), Maloney. Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Crusat, Ben Watson, Gomez, Rodallega, Diame.

Booked: Moses. Goals: Alcaraz 87.

Att: 26,144

Ref: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).