Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez says his players are ‘living the dream’ after reaching their first ever FA Cup final by beating Millwall at Wembley.
Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman scored in each half to send the Premier League side into the final and secure European football at the DW Stadium next season.
And Martinez, who claimed the pressure was all on his players, said there was no bigger achievement as his side made history.
“The pressure was on the players but they were magnificent today,” he said. “They lived the dream for Wigan.
“It does not come any bigger than this. It is a huge achievement for everyone connected to the club.
“We showed a good know-how of how to win the game. The players deserve huge credit for that.”
The Latics dominated the early precedings and took a deserved lead on 25 minutes when Maloney volleyed past David Forde from Arouna Kone’s pinpoint cross.
Then 12 minutes from time, McManaman sealed the win, collecting Jordi Gomez’s pass to round Forde and slide the ball into the net.
And Martinez was particularly pleased for McManaman, who has come in for criticism in recent weeks for his reckless tackle on Newcastle’s Massadio Haidara.
“I do not like to show emotion but it was a huge moment when Callum McManaman scored,” he said.
“There has been such an unfair campaign against Callum for an unfortunate incident when he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The Latics will now face the winner of Sunday’s semi-final – either Chelsea or Manchester City – in the final on May 11.
Image courtesy of BBC Sport, via YouTube, with thanks
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
