Wigan Athletic - 2 Fulham - 1:ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP:Wigan striker Nathan Ellington scored twice to send his club into the last eight of the English League Cup for the first time as the Second Division leaders made light work of a shamefully inept Fulham side.
Ellington, a £750,000 club-record signing from Bristol Rovers last season, ensured a quarter-final home tie against Blackburn for Paul Jewell's team with two first-half goals.
The Fulham substitute Luis Boa Morte grabbed a consolation goal in the 85th minute with a left-foot shot from 18 yards.
However, the home side were rarely tested by their Premiership opponents, who appeared totally uninterested.
With a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Hertha Berlin to overcome in the UEFA Cup next week, Fulham can hardly be sure of progressing past the Germans to extend their European adventure this season.
Their manager Jean Tigana fielded as close to a second XI as possible for this game. Only two of Fulham's starting line-up had appeared in the Premiership against Blackburn last weekend and the apathy appeared to spread to the club's supporters, with fewer than 300 opting to make the journey to Lancashire.
With Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion having been beaten here this season, Wigan were undaunted by their opponents and took the lead on 20 minutes.
Ellington claimed his first goal in 10 games after a Neil Roberts backheel released him in the Fulham penalty area. Ellington rode Zat Knight's challenge before sidefooting the ball under the goalkeeper Maik Taylor.
Knight, and his defensive partner Abdeslam Ouaddou, were given a torrid time by Roberts and Ellington and their shambolic defending, which led to Ellington's second goal on 27 minutes, would have landed a rollicking in Sunday football, never mind the last 16 of the League Cup.
Both defenders failed to clear Jason de Vos's long ball to Ellington and the striker scored with a right-foot volley past Taylor.
The dangerous Roberts almost gave Wigan a 3-0 half-time lead with a 20-yard volley which was well saved by Taylor.
And after such an insipid first-half display, Tigana attempted to bring his team to life by replacing Facundo Sava and the hapless Knight with Boa Morte and Sean Davis.
But it failed to halt Ellington, who would have claimed his hat-trick early in the second half had his close-range shot not been deflected into the goalkeeper's hands by defender Pierre Wome.
Fulham's Davis had a great chance from six yards out on 67 minutes, but his finishing typified his side's performance as he poked the ball over the crossbar.
Guardian Service
WIGAN: Filan, Eaden, De Vos, Jackson, McMillan, Green (Mitchell 76), Dinning, Jarrett, Kennedy, Roberts (Flynn 90), Ellington. Subs not used: Beasant, Teale, Breckin. Goals: Ellington 20, 28.
FULHAM: Taylor, Leacock, Ouaddou, Knight (Davis 45), Wome, Inamoto, Clark, Collins, Djetou, Stolcers, Sava (Boa Morte 45). Subs not used: Herrera, Goldbaek, Hudson. Booked: Ouaddou, Djetou, Inamoto. Goals: Boa Morte 86.
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
