Wigan Athletic 0 Liverpool 1

Stephane Henchoz in action against his former club

Hyypia's first-half goal proved to be the cure to Liverpool's away day blues and ended a run of three successive defeats on their travels. But it was hardly a vintage performance by the Reds.

Luckless Wigan boss Paul Jewell had to rely on a patched up side to face his old club with his resources badly stretched by injury and suspension.

His problems were particularly acute up front with leading scorer Jason Roberts still serving a three-match ban, David Connolly and Lee McCulloch injured, and on-loan Neil Mellor not permitted to play against his own club.

To add to the misery Henri Camara - Wigan's eight-goal top scorer in the Premiership - failed to make it back in time from African Cup of Nations duty with Senegal.

It meant Austrian defender Paul Scharner getting an emergency role in attack, as the Wigan side boasted just five Premiership goals between them.

Liverpool were intent on avoiding that fourth successive away defeat after a dismal run of results which had yielded just one point from a possible 12.

Rafael Benitez was looking to his strikers to come up with the goods and Liverpool were boosted by the return of skipper Steven Gerrard, who missed the 2-0 defeat at Charlton with a knee injury.

With Peter Crouch injured Robbie Fowler got his first start since returning to the club.

And it was the Anfield legend who produced the first threat of the game forcing Mike Pollitt into action at a sold out JJB Stadium.

Harry Kewell and Fernando Morientes were involved in the neat build up, with the Spaniard supplying the cross from the right. Fowler got his head to it but Pollitt saved it comfortably diving to his left.

Gerrard had a half-hearted penalty appeal turned down, claiming handball against Reto Ziegler, and the Liverpool skipper provided an inviting ball for Fowler, but the keeper was quickest to react and snuffed out the danger.

Robbie Fowler's greatest involvement in the game

Wigan were following Jewell's instructions to get stuck in, and Swiss star Ziegler tried his luck from long range, getting plenty of power but no accuracy in his shot.

Liverpool hit the front on the half hour after a Jimmy Bullard clearance from a free-kick was knocked back in by Jamie Carragher.

Hyypia, still forward after the set-piece, enjoyed a slice of good fortune when the ball landed between the two Wigan central defenders, and his shot went in off Pollitt.

The damage could have been worse but, on the stroke of half-time, Pollitt came up with a terrific save to deny Morientes a second for the Reds.

The Latics made a determined start to the second period and went agonisingly close to levelling it.

Matt Jackson banged in a superb cross but the header from Andreas Johansson brought the best out of Jerzy Dudek, who tipped it over the bar.

Liverpool then had a couple of chances, Kewell losing his footing as he fired in a shot and Gerrard testing Pollitt with a fierce strike.

Wigan skipper Arjan de Zeeuw was a foot from glory, missing the target with a header after a cross was whipped in by Ziegler. And he suffered again, heading over the bar from a corner.

The hosts battled on in search of an equaliser, but they were vulnerable on the break and substitute Djibril Cisse failed to cash in and find the finish to beat Pollitt.

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