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The first half was dire with West Ham starting the brighter, but the Latics held onto the 0-0 scoreline and slowly came more into the game. This culminised with Killer Kilbane's goal in the final seconds of the half.
The second period was as much a battle to pass the ball successfully as it was to beat the Hammers. Thankfully the lads were abl to hang on and are now sitting in the lofting 15th position.
Here is what the manager's thought.
Steve Bruce
We've played quite well like that at home for the past three weeks now. We didn't play well at Middlesbrough [Wigan lost 1-0] but credit to the players as they dealt with the pitch, and it's not easy to play football out there.
I thought we throughly deserved it and it was probably a good time to play West Ham after their heroics against Liverpool. It's difficult to have performed well against them and travel up within 48 hours so it was a good time to get them in that respect.
It was a great delivery from Ryan Taylor and Killer [Kilbane] has used a bit of initiative and it was well worked. He is a top class professional and he never moans or groans. He has a steady head whom anyone would welcome into their dressing room. He is naturally fit and a great pro.
We've picked up something like fifteen points since i've been here, and apart from Bolton the games we did lose have all been nip and tuck. We now have Sunderland and Derby to play next. When we beat Sunderland a few weeks ago, I would have loved that to have been a league game but we have to hope we can produce a similar performance.
Alan Curbishley
After our great result against Liverpool, we're disappointed because we never really got going," conceded Curbishley who saw Kevin Kilbane's first goal of the campaign settle the match upon a difficult surface. "It'll sound like sour grapes but the pitch is embarrassing. I was talking to Steve Bruce about it during the game because it's very difficult. I don't think that the Premier League are used to pitches like that and teams coming here will have to adapt because it's a big factor if you're trying to play some football.
A big part of Wigan's play is the set-plays and balls in the box and I thought we coped quite well until obviously the last minute of the first half when we were undone," he said. "It was so frustrating because when we see it again we have probably got probably our smallest player on one of their biggest players.
Eventually you end up knocking it long. It was very difficult. We got on top in the first half, but couldn't fashion that final ball and some of my players were then resorting to just putting it in there and hoping for a bit of a scrap. It never happened for us. I would have taken a point while the game was going on because I knew how difficult it was.
It is a great three points for Wigan. I don't begrudge them it in terms of it was a tight game - they got the goal and edged it. I hope it does them a power of good.
West Ham fans upon arriving home
Next Game
Next up for the Latics is a vital trip to Sunderland. Roy Keane's men are down at the foot of the table with the Latics and the game is a nother relegation six-pointer for the Latics.
*Thank you we do actually know your not from West Hammersmith.
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