Spurs back to best in Wigan win

Gareth Bale
12 April 2012

Gareth Bale scored twice as Tottenham returned to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League with a stylish 3-1 triumph over a hapless Wigan side at White Hart Lane.

Spurs followed up their defeat to Manchester City with poor displays against Wolves and Watford but they were at their splendid best on Tuesday night, playing their usual brand of free-flowing attacking football, and Bale put them ahead in the 29th minute.

Luka Modric dispatched a cool 18-yard strike to make it 2-0 five minutes later and Bale scored his second after 64 minutes before James McArthur grabbed a late consolation for the Latics.

The win puts pressure back on both Manchester sides at the top of the table and increased Spurs' lead over fourth-placed Chelsea to seven points.

Spurs flew out of the blocks and Ali Al Habsi pulled off a point-blank save from Younes Kaboul's bullet header before Emmanuel Adebayor headed over Kyle Walker's cross.

Only a James McCarthy goalline clearance kept the score goalless after Kaboul met Rafael van der Vaart's corner.

But Bale put Spurs ahead in the 29th minute. The Welshman took down Modric's chip at the far post before hooking the ball in on the volley for his 10th of the season.

Spurs made it 2-0 when Wigan's attempted clearance from a Benoit Assou-Ekotto cross ricocheted into Modric's path and he coolly turned and slotted past Al Habsi from 18 yards.

Bale added his second 19 minutes into the second half. He picked up a pass from Assou-Ekotto on the corner of the box, took one touch past to ease past Ben Watson and fired a peach of a drive across Al Habsi into the far corner.

McArthur's shot deflected off Scott Parker and looped over Brad Friedel and in off his far post as Wigan pulled a goal back but it was too little, too late.

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