Wigan 1 Villa 2
James Milner's second-half winner kept Villa's Champions League dream burning brightly in a hard-fought victory at Wigan.
James Milner's second-half winner kept Villa's Champions League dream burning brightly in a hard-fought victory at Wigan.
Gary Caldwell's header had cancelled out a James McCarthy own goal to leave the sides all square at the break, but Milner was on hand to punish goalkeeper Chris Kirkland's error midway through the second half.
It was a fine performance from Martin O'Neill's side after a closely-fought but thoroughly engaging contest at the DW Stadium.
The win gave a welcome boost to the claret and blues top-four hopes, moving them within three points of fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand still to come.
Both sides threatened early on but it was Villa who took a 25th-minute lead, although they had the Latics to thank when McCarthy comically sliced Carew's header into his own net.
Yet it took Roberto Martinez's men just two minutes to pull level, with Caldwell getting in front of Richard Dunne to head home a Charles N'Zogbia free-kick.
But it was to be Villa's day – Kirkland was left stranded after failing to get a fist on Ashley Young's 63rd-minute corner, the ball broke to Milner on the edge of the area to fire low through a crowd of bodies into the empty net.