After seven points from a possible nine it was one game too far for the Latics who despite fighting to the death did not have the same sort of attacking power that Villa possesed and that turned out to be the difference.
There was little else between the teams with both sides having a good battle in the middle of the park leaving plenty of work for the groundsmen to do on Sunday morning.
What will be pleasing for supporters is the fact that the team are now scoring and look much better at the back. Fifty fifty balls are now heavily contested and the famous Wigan team spirit is back. Things are looking brighter and the current squad with the right additions has a good chance of being safe.
The change has no doubt come to be since the arrival of Steve Bruce from Villa's Brummy rivals, Birmingham City. Here is what the respective manager's had to say.
Steve Bruce
I think we deserved something from the game. Both sets of players deserve a pat on the back for both the effort and endeavour they have put in because it was atrocious conditions, there was nothing worse than that.
There was a horrific wind and rain and a poor pitch, and both teams have tried their best to put on a spectacle. I thought we handled those conditions for an hour better than they did, but gradually Villa did in the last half hour. It was a difficult afternoon for us but I did think we deserved something.
There was nothing in it really, we needed a second goal and we did have a couple of half-opportunities just before half-time. The disappointment for us is that we have conceded from a set piece.
To be fair to him [Ashley Young], he has great piece of skill as he went straight past Melchiot and Valencia, and he is an outstanding talent. You can see why Villa have only lost once in their last fifteen away games, they are very strong and defensively solid at the back.
Martin O'Neill
It was a hell of a win. I thought it was as good a win as any this season. I don't mean in terms of the whole performance because in the first half I thought we were a bit stodgy and didn't cause them enough problems.
But we came out in the second period and applied ourselves superbly to the task and thoroughly deserved to win the game. It was a fantastic effort - particularly when you consider what we had to go through at Stamford Bridge a few days ago.
I am delighted for Curtis. I thought his second half performance was absolutely terrific. He gave away a few daft fouls in the first half, ones I felt he had no chance of winning, but as the game wore on he got better and better and I was really pleased for him.
He certainly didn't look like a pub player. He was 5,000 times better than he was against Leicester. It was great to get the win in front of 5,000 fans. It was a brilliant effort to come all that way and I think it's almost incredible. I was delighted for them.
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