WIGAN manager Steve Bruce hailed his January bargain Ben Watson after the midfielder scored a late goal in the 1-0 victory at home to Hull.
The transfer window signing from Crystal Palace grabbed his second goal in eight days with a looping volley after capitalising on Hull goalkeeper Matt Duke’s weak punch on 84 minutes.
It had appeared the Latics were heading for their seventh blank in 10 league matches after Mido and Hugo Rodallega had twice each squandered opportunities.
“Ben scored his second goal in as many games and at £1.5m he looks a snip,” said Bruce.
“Simon Jordan (Palace chairman) will be on the phone ranting and raving at me saying I’ve done him.”
Goalscoring has been a problem for Wigan, especially at home with only 14 in 15 matches.Mido and Rodallega both had a couple of good chances to open the scoring in the first half with Charles N’Zogbia also testing Duke with a long-range effort early on.
Bruce admitted the number of squandered chances – the best of which saw substitute Amr Zaki’s header hit a post – had been worrying but stressed his side got what they deserved.
“I thought the first half was one-way traffic to say the least,” he said.
“We have been at that stage many times and the fear was that, in the Premier League, you don’t get many more chances.
“We had umpteen in the first half which we didn’t take and that causes you a concern. “But they stuck at it and got their reward.”
