Stoke 2-2 Wigan: Watson keeps his cool to save 10-man Latics

Ben Watson brought new meaning to the term ‘supersub’ as he stepped straight off the bench to hammer home a penalty and rescue a point for Wigan.

Talk about pressure. The flame-haired midfielder has played only 16 minutes of first-team football since he got dropped in the middle of November.

And Latics boss Roberto Martinez took that decision in part because the former England Under-21 ace had missed two spot-kicks as his team slumped to the foot of the Premier League table.

But when Hugo Rodallega won a soft penalty four ­minutes from the end at the Britannia Stadium, it was time for him to step up.

Jordi Gomez, the man ­designated to take any kicks, had already been subbed. And as Stoke players argued with referee Michael Oliver about the decision, Martinez stayed cool and sent on his substitute.

Watson walked calmly up to the ball, placed it on the spot, took a few steps back and then fired it home to rescue a game that 60 seconds earlier had looked lost.

Substitute Cameron Jerome had just given Stoke the lead against a Wigan team reduced to 10 men seven minutes ­earlier when Gary Caldwell was sent off for handling a goalbound header. Jon Walters rifled that one home to equalise a Victor Moses goal on the stroke of

half-time.

Martinez said: “Ben is one of the best players technically in English football and I had great belief in him. He’s ­always ready to walk out and play.

“Maybe it is a good thing to walk on the pitch calmly to take a kick rather than be out of breath.

“You have to have specialist players to do different jobs. Nobody would think it a ­surprise to have a specialist in American football, so why should this be different?”

Stoke assistant boss Dave Kemp said: “I can’t remember seeing that happen before, a player being sent on just to take a penalty.

“But he scored it, so you have to give credit to the manager for making that decision.”

Wigan showed courage to keep out a first-half onslaught of corners and long throws.

And they did it well enough to limit the home team to a couple of long-range efforts before then producing a ­sparkling bit of football.

Robert Huth gave the ball away with a careless header when he had more time, and got punished brutally. Mohamed Diame sent ­Rodallega scampering down the right, and his near-post cross was met with a brilliant finish by Moses.

Stoke upped the pressure in response, but it was beginning to look like it wasn’t their day when Huth’s header from a Rory Delap long throw smacked the inside of the post.

But Tony Pulis sent on ­Jerome to add even more ­muscle alongside Peter Crouch and it changed the game.

Crouch, back after suffering a virus and still searching for his 100th league goal, reached ­Jermaine Pennant’s cross with a back-post header.

Jerome met the loose ball with another header that was going into the goal until ­Caldwell blocked with his arm.

It was harsh on the Wigan skipper but ref Oliver had ­little choice but to show a red before Walters crashed home the kick.

And without their most ­influential defender it seemed Wigan wouldn’t hold on, ­especially once Crouch and Walters combined to send ­Jerome clear.

But then came that last bit of drama and it was Watson’s one touch that mattered most.