Wigan 0 Aston Villa 0
Alex McLeish was the target of the anger of Villa's away supporters as they were held to a goalless draw by Wigan.
Alex McLeish was the target of the anger of Villa's away supporters as they were held to a goalless draw by Wigan.
The Villa boss had thus far escaped the hostilities on the claret and blue faithful on the road but was subjected to chants calling for his head and boos at the final whistle after a game that was poor on quality at the DW Stadium.
McLeish made three changes from the side which lost 1-0 to Manchester City as he persisted with a 4-4-1-1 formation with Robbie Keane in behind Darren Bent.
Gabby Agbonlahor was back in the starting line-up after injury and with Stiliyan Petrov absent with a thigh problem the forward took the captain's armband.
Stephen Warnock came in for Richard Dunne (fractured collarbone) while Barry Bannan was handed a place in the centre of midfield with Emile Heskey left on the bench.
Wigan knocked the ball round crisply in the opening minutes but went closest from a set-piece when ex-Birmingham man Jean Beausejour picked out Gary Caldwell at the back post he lifted his shot on to the roof of the net.
Villa went close in the 14th minute after Keane threaded an exquisite through-ball with the outside of his boot over the Wigan defence for Bent to run on to.
The England international pulled the trigger from the edge of the box but Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi had already come off his line to narrow the angle and blocked Bent's shot.
Two minutes later Warnock burst forward into the box and was teed up by Agbonlahor but the left-back smashed a powerful drive into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Wigan went close from a corner again in the 24th minute when Jordi Gomez curled in a dangerous ball for Antolin Alcaraz who could not quite make contact with his head inside the six-yard box.
The home side looked the more threatening as the first half wore on but it was Villa who went closest just before the interval as Keane's acrobatic overhead kick went wide of the post.
Villa should have broken the deadlock moments after the break when Bannan's free-kick picked out the head of Carlos Cuellar but Al Habsi was in the right place to make a comfortable save.
The second half was a much scrappier affair although Agbonlahor crossed the ball for Bannan in the 60th minute but he could only lift his long-range attempt over the bar.
McLeish threw on Emile Heskey and Stephen Ireland in a bid to freshen up his faltering attack in the wave of some negative chanting from the Villa fans.
Things got worse for Villa as Bent went off on a stretcher after he attempted to get out of the way of a tackle by Alcaraz and was replaced by Charles N'Zogbia in the 77th minute.
Keane was denied a shooting opportunity shortly after when he brought down a difficult ball in the penalty area only for Emmerson Boyce to nip in to block.
A brilliant piece of play by Mohamed Diame set up Hugo Rodallega in the 80th minute but the Wigan striker's curling effort on the turn went just over the crossbar.
Wigan should have gone ahead five minutes later when Caldwell's cross from the left was chested by Moses into the path of Rodallega but his shot went straight at Shay Given.
Heskey headed over from Bannan's corner late while Given was forced to make a diving save to his right to push Franco Di Santo's shot past the post.