WIGAN 1, WEST HAM 0

IT takes a lot to get Robert Green angry but mention rebounds and you could get the mother of all mouthfuls from the keeper.

Green made a sizzling save in the build-up to Croatia's Wembley consolation - which left him fuming - on Wednesday night.

Best not to ask how the World Cup hopeful felt after a similar stop before Hugo Rodallega's matchwinner here.

Unlucky Green has eight months to convince Fabio Capello that he should be England's No 1 when the greatest sporting carnival on the planet starts in South Africa.

The West Ham keeper, who wore gloves with the words "England's No. 6" emblazoned on the back at the start of the Italian's reign, is doing just fine - unless the ball bounces off him.

If Green keeps his place for the World Cup and suffers the same sort of luck as the last few days, England will be out of Africa pretty quick.

He should have been getting a telephone call from Capello last night for his amazing 54th-minute block which foiled Jason Koumas.

But he could do little as the ball spun in the direction of Rodallega who scored from close range.

The striker only returned from World Cup duty in South America on Friday lunchtime. He travelled but didn't play for Colombia in their World Cup defeat in Uruguay - and had no time for sympathy, celebrating wildly.

Green can afford few mistakes this season with David James and Ben Foster breathing down his neck and in the first half kept his side alive with a string of vital stops.

His best came before the break when Rodallega's shot deflected off Matthew Upson and was looping into the net until he acrobatically turned the ball over for a corner.

Busy Green was then at full stretch again to push Jordi Gomez's dipping shot for a corner as Wigan pressed.

Roberto Martinez wants his Wigan outfit to pass teams to their grave and four defeats leading into this match was causing concern.

Eight of the side that started yesterday were used to Steve Bruce's direct style and asking people like Titus Bramble to be cultured takes some doing.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola also loves beautiful football but Martinez won this battle of the pass masters against his idol.

The penny seems to be dropping with Wigan, who stroked the ball about so much in the first hour the Eastenders were chasing shadows.

Although Martinez will be relieved to win his first home game, a clean sheet will be an even bigger boost after the alarming defensive frailties they have shown so far this season.

West Ham were left complaining that they should have been awarded a penalty after an early foul by Maynor Figueroa on Zavon Hines.

But it looked 50-50 and ref Alan Wiley was not best placed.

Had they had another two seconds in the first half, Carlton Cole would have given them the lead. But Wiley blew for the break as the striker found the back of the net after he lobbed home keeper Chris Kirkland.

Cole rested against the post rueing his bad luck.

After Rodallega had fired the Latics ahead on 55 minutes, youth product James Tomkins blew a gilt-edged chance to equalise.

The unmarked defender planted a header wide when it looked easier to put the ball in the back of the net.

But West Ham offered little at the other end until the emergence of £6million new boy Alessandro Diamanti from the bench on 63 minutes.

Wigan had no answer to his sublime skills and he will not be spending too much time keeping the bench warm during the rest of the season.

The recent capture from Italian side Livorno hit the bar with an outrageous effort and then his pinpoint cross was touched on by Scott Parker but landed a centimetre wide.

Had he come on earlier it may have been different.

But Zola wasn't fooled and knew Wigan deserved this welcome win.

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