Premier League: Wigan 3 Blackburn 3

A last-minute Yakubu penalty earned Blackburn Rovers a 3-3 draw against Wigan Athletic in a controversial clash at the DW Stadium.

Blackburn took the lead through Yakubu in the opening minute but goals from Jordi Gomez and Gary Caldwell had Wigan in the ascendancy.

However, a misjudgment by referee Andre Mariner allowed Blackburn to take a quick corner and Junior Hoilett headed in the Rovers equaliser.

Albert Crusat looked to have won the game for the home side with a late strike but a late Yakubu penalty snatched Blackburn a point.

The visitors had the perfect start to the match with a goal inside the first minute after some terrible Wigan defending. A Paul Robinson goal kick was flicked on by David Dunn and then Steven Nzonzi for Yakubu to latch onto.

The ball should have been easily cut out by Caldwell but the Scottish international misjudged the flight of the ball which allowed the Nigerian to race onto the ball and lob it over Ali Al Habsi.

Not long after, though, they had an equaliser when Gomez latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and the Spaniard fired the ball into the net.

The home side continued to dominate possession but it was Blackburn who had the next opportunity in the game as Pedersen crashed a free kick against the post in the 19th minute.

The game was turned on its head in the 30th minute as Wigan took the lead through Caldwell. The defender atoned for his error in the opening minute by putting his side into the lead but he was helped by some awful Blackburn defending.

The Wigan captain was all alone 12 yards out from goal to head home a David Jones corner and send the DW crazy.

In the final minute of the half the home team came within inches of extending their lead through the lively Gomez. The forward picked the ball up 35 yards from goal and, as no defender closed him down, he unleashed a low drive that was just inches wide of Robinson’s left hand post.

The Latics went close to extending their lead two minutes into the second half as a Ronnie Stam cross was headed to Jones but his left-foot volley from the edge of the area was just inches wide.

On the hour the game had its controversial moment as the visitors equalised through Hoilett. Rovers were awarded a corner and Yakubu went to touch the ball in the quadrant for a corner but did not actually make contact. However Pedersen thought he had and dribbled into the area and fired a low cross that beat Al Habsi which allowed Hoilett to head in from a yard.

Wigan later got the goal they deserved through substitute Crusat in the 87th minute.

With the game in the sixth minute of injury-time, Blackburn were awarded a penalty as Jones collided with Robinson from a Rovers corner. Yakubu stepped up and scored for the visitors to earn them a point.