FA Cup Fifth Round: Cardiff City 1-2 Wigan Athletic

Holders Wigan Athletic upset the odds again in The FA Cup as they dumped Premier League Cardiff City out in the Fifth Round.

Uwe Rosler's side, who are now unbeaten in 11 matches in the competition, progressed thanks to a thunderbolt strike from Ben Watson and now find themselves only one game away from a Wembley return.

The match started at a slow pace, with Wigan content to allow the hosts possession, but despite the trickery attempts of Wilfried Zaha, they struggled to create an opening.

The Latics, who included Watson, Jordi Gomez, Callum McManaman, Emmerson Boyce and Roger Espinoza from the team that defeated Manchester City at Wembley last May, would be no pushovers.

With his electric pace, McManaman was always a danger on the counter, and with support from Watson and Gomez, Wigan would be a threat throughout. 

It was Watson, scorer of the winning cup final goal, who hit a great pass for James Perch from inside his own half, but he fired wide from edge of the area.

It was Gomez who turned creator on 18 minutes as his side took the lead. The Spaniard danced down the left of the box and hit a low cross across the goal, and Chris McCann was on hand to run in from the edge of the box  and drill it past David Marshall.

Cardiff looked shell-shocked as frustration began to grow, but less than ten minutes later they were level. Zaha jinked into a wall of defenders inside the box, and as the ball fell loose, Fraizer Campbell powered home from 14 yards to equalise on 27 minutes.

Campbell's goal seemed to lift a weight from the Cardiff side and support as they look much more confident going forward - Mats Daehli firing over from 18 yards shortly afterwards.

Zaha was starting to get into his pomp, running at the defence whenever possible providing a spark to the City attack, and he sent over a deep cross that was met by the head of Campbell, but the striker could not repeat his earlier heroics as he headed high over the bar.

And then, out of nowhere, the visitors hit back as Watson restored their lead. After winning a free-kick 30 yards from goal, Gomez knocked the ball four yards to his right for the on rushing Watson to pull the trigger as his strike flew like a bullet into the net. The goal was the midfielder's third goal in his last four FA Cup games.

Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer introduced midfielder Don Cowie at the break, replacing Gary Medel, but it failed to make much difference as they still struggled to find a way through the visitors defence.

Zaha was trying, but each time he was met by a sea of blue and white shirts, crowding him out and clearing the danger. 

Wigan then had the first chance of the half. A deep cross from McManaman found McCann at the back post, but his scooped effort from a tight angle was tipped away by Marshall as it looked to be heading for the far corner.

A number of changes were then made, taking the pace out of the game, which was exactly what Wigan would have been hoping for.

Craig Noone was introduced by the home side, as were Josh McEachran and James McClean for Rosler's men, and with the sting now out of the match, frustration began to creep into Cardiff's game.

They were still enjoying plenty of possession as we reached the final 15 minutes, and despite knocking on the door several times, the best chance they created came through Daehli. He skipped inside the box from the right before shooting, but his effort nicked off McCann and whizzed just over the bar.

Wigan then had Ali Al-Habsi to thank as Noone hit a beauty from 20 yards, but the keeper got down low to tip just wide.

With City pressing, the Latics' James McClean stung the hands of Marshall from 18 yards as the hosts centre-back Juan Cala was pushed up-front for last few minutes - but the move was in vain.

The final whistle was met by a chorus of boos, except from the far corner that housed the jubilant 1,500 or so travelling supporters who are just one game away from a Wembley return.

Cardiff City (4-2-3-1): Marshall; Theophile-Catherine, Caulker, Cala, Taylor; Medel (Cowie, ht), Eikrem (Kim, 78); Daelhi, Berget (Noone, 62), Zaha; Campbell. Subs not used: Lewis, Turner, John, Gunnarsson.

Goal: Campbell 27 

Goals: McCann 18, Watson 40

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Attendance: 17,123