Rodallega gives Spurs a reality check

Wigan gave Tottenham a reality check after their Champions League heroics as Hugo Rodallega’s late strike clinched a shock 1-0 win at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Spurs qualified for the Champions League group stages for the first time in nearly 50 years after winning their play-off second leg against Young Boys in midweek.

That achievement rightly earned Harry Redknapp’s side widespread praise but the prospect of glamour group matches against Inter Milan, Werder Bremen and FC Twente may have distracted Spurs judging by this sloppy display.

Rodallega scored the winner 10 minutes from full-time after Carlo Cudicini allowed his tame shot to squirm into the net.

It was a remarkable result for a Wigan side who had conceded 10 goals in their opening two Premier League games and nine in the corresponding fixture at Spurs last season.

Spurs made a sluggish start and Rodallega flashed an early warning shot wide before poor defending from an eighth-minute corner saw Steve Gohouri smash the ball against the crossbar from Mauro Boselli’s knockdown.

The hosts eventually got going and Jermain Defoe was given the freedom of the Wigan penalty box to fire a low shot which brought the best out of Ali Al Habsi, the on-loan Bolton keeper starting ahead of Chris Kirkland.

Peter Crouch clipped a ball through to Defoe five minutes before the break, which the latter poked narrowly wide with the outside of his right foot.

Redknapp made a double-substitution at half-time, bringing on Roman Pavyluchenko and Niko Kranjcar for Crouch and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Spurs began to throw both Ledley King and Dawson forward as a breakthrough began to look less and less likely.

Having spent almost the entire half penned in, Wigan suddenly went on the attack.

Antolin Alcaraz somehow missed the target from point-blank range after the assistant referee wrongly kept his flag down and Jordi Gomez also volleyed over the bar.

Both chances came from crosses by Rodallega and he broke the deadlock 10 minutes from time after Cudicini fumbled his weak shot into the net.

Tottenham poured forward in search of an equaliser and Tom Huddlestone volleyed just wide, Defoe found the side-netting and Kranjcar and Dawson both forced acrobatic saves from Al Habsi.

Wigan brought on James McArthur for Ronnie Stam in the closing moments, while Spurs appeals for handball against Alcaraz were ignored by referee Phil Dowd.

Younes Kaboul wasted a glorious chance to equalise in stoppage-time when he glanced Kranjcar’s free-kick wide.