It was impossible to detect the inner tension he must have been feeling from the smiling countenance of Martinez as he disembarked from the team coach but the drawn features of the players who followed behind him told a different story.
Antolin Alcaraz almost sold Al Habsi short with a weak back-pass within moments of the first whistle but with Kenwyne Jones looming, the Wigan keeper rushed out to spare his skipper's blushes.
Hearts were in Wigan mouths when Jones headed goalwards from one such missile, but Jonathan Walters, who was clearly offside, applied a needless touch from a couple of yards out and was correctly penalised.
The linesman's flag did nothing to deter the vociferous home support. "We're sending you down," they crowed. And as Al Habsi beat away efforts from Jones and Jermaine Pennant, and Emerson Boyce hacked another Jones effort off the line, it looked like they just might.
By half-time, nothing had changed. With Blackpool and Birmingham level at Old Trafford and White Hart Lane respectively, and Wolves trailing 3-0 at home to Blackburn, Wigan were one of four teams on 40 points.
wigan were second from bottom, albeit only on goal difference.
The grim scramble for survival soon began to assume a different complexion, however.
Wigan started the second half with the air of a team transformed. and 130 miles or so to the south, Roman Pavlyuchenko put Spurs ahead against Birmingham. The visitors were up to 18th, behind Wolves only on goals scored.
Hope stirred among the blue-and-white pocket of away fans. N'Zogbia blasted over and Pennant appeared to impede Rodallega as he cut in from the left but referee Andre Marriner ruled it was not a penalty.
Minutes later, Wigan survived a similar claim as Alcaraz climbed all over Jones and, unperturbed, they pressed on. Conor Sammon, the hero against West Ham last weekend, forced a first save of the afternoon from Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic before being replaced by Tom Cleverley, who almost immediately did likewise.
Then, just after 1730 BST, came the news Wigan had been waiting for. Manchester United had gone 3-2 up against Blackpool at Old Trafford. If results stayed the same, Wigan were safe.
The jubilation of the travelling support turned to euphoria when Rodallega rose in the six-yard box to head home N'Zogbia's left-wing cross 13 minutes from time.
Visiting nerves grew increasingly taught as the allotted five minutes of added time stretched into six, but in the end there was to be no denying wigan
Antolin Alcaraz almost sold Al Habsi short with a weak back-pass within moments of the first whistle but with Kenwyne Jones looming, the Wigan keeper rushed out to spare his skipper's blushes.
Hearts were in Wigan mouths when Jones headed goalwards from one such missile, but Jonathan Walters, who was clearly offside, applied a needless touch from a couple of yards out and was correctly penalised.
The linesman's flag did nothing to deter the vociferous home support. "We're sending you down," they crowed. And as Al Habsi beat away efforts from Jones and Jermaine Pennant, and Emerson Boyce hacked another Jones effort off the line, it looked like they just might.
By half-time, nothing had changed. With Blackpool and Birmingham level at Old Trafford and White Hart Lane respectively, and Wolves trailing 3-0 at home to Blackburn, Wigan were one of four teams on 40 points.
wigan were second from bottom, albeit only on goal difference.
The grim scramble for survival soon began to assume a different complexion, however.
Wigan started the second half with the air of a team transformed. and 130 miles or so to the south, Roman Pavlyuchenko put Spurs ahead against Birmingham. The visitors were up to 18th, behind Wolves only on goals scored.
Hope stirred among the blue-and-white pocket of away fans. N'Zogbia blasted over and Pennant appeared to impede Rodallega as he cut in from the left but referee Andre Marriner ruled it was not a penalty.
Minutes later, Wigan survived a similar claim as Alcaraz climbed all over Jones and, unperturbed, they pressed on. Conor Sammon, the hero against West Ham last weekend, forced a first save of the afternoon from Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic before being replaced by Tom Cleverley, who almost immediately did likewise.
Then, just after 1730 BST, came the news Wigan had been waiting for. Manchester United had gone 3-2 up against Blackpool at Old Trafford. If results stayed the same, Wigan were safe.
The jubilation of the travelling support turned to euphoria when Rodallega rose in the six-yard box to head home N'Zogbia's left-wing cross 13 minutes from time.
Visiting nerves grew increasingly taught as the allotted five minutes of added time stretched into six, but in the end there was to be no denying wigan
