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A hat-trick from Andy Liddell handed Latics a shock 3-0 triumph over title-chasing Brighton.
The result finally broke Wigan’s unenvied record of six consecutive draws and extended their unbeaten record to 11 matches as their play-off push was kick-started into life.
Albion arrived at the JJB Stadium with a fearsome reputation and armed with one of the hottest properties in Nationwide football, young striker Bobby Zamora.
And the visitors looked sharp from the word go, putting Wigan under a mountain of pressure in the opening minutes as the home defence struggled to settle.
But they failed to find a gap through the crowded penalty area and it wasn’t long before the blue wave swept up to the other end of the pitch.
A great one-two between Lee McCulloch and Gary Teale sent the young winger racing down the right flank. His cross found the head of Liddell but the ball deflected inches wide for a corner.
Liddell didn’t have to wait too long for his first success, though. After eight minutes a McCulloch lay-off found him on the edge of the penalty area. He took one touch to wrong foot his marker and drilled the ball inside the ‘keeper’s near post.
Teale and Tony Dinning both pitched in by forcing strong saves from the opposition net minder and Peter Kennedy pulled off one of the best tackles of the season to halt a rampaging Zamora inside the box.
The lead was doubled after 18 minutes when, chasing a Dinning through ball, McCulloch was bundled over in the box by Danny Cullip and Liddell calmly chose the right side from the spot kick.
McCulloch had an excellent shooting chance of his own soon afterwards after Liddell worked hard to shake off his marker and fired in a great cross. But Simon Royce again saved strongly.
The chances were more scarce for Wigan after the break as the frenzied activity of the first period finally settled down.
Liddell continued to spearhead the attack and sent in a great cross for Teale after springing the offside trap but the Scotsman’s strike was blocked by the scrambling defence.
Teale had a mighty game down the right flank and somehow always managed to find an extra yard or two of space for his mazy runs and rocket crosses. One such ball fizzing perilously across the face of goal only to see McCulloch and Liddell fail to stretch the extra inch to toe poke a third.
There was little else in the way of goalmouth action for most of the half, apart from a wild effort from Arjan De Zeeuw which sliced harmlessly into the South Stand.
Brighton’s attacking force was well marshaled all game, with substitute Daniel Webb’s wide striker 15 minutes from full-time their best scoring chance.
And the game was put beyond doubt 10 minutes from full-time when McCulloch fought bravely to win a challenge in midfield and send Liddell charging into the box unopposed to place the ball comfortably past a stranded Royce.
With their tails up late on, Latics could easily have extended their lead through Liddell and substitute Neil Roberts but for magnificent saves from Royce. But no Wigan fan or player will have been disappointed with a performance perhaps bettered only by the 6-1 win over Stoke earlier this season.
Courtesy of wiganathletic.tv