Wigan 1 West Brom 0 - Report and pictures

The first game after the first fortnight off this season was at Birmingham City, when the Baggies were outplayed but escaped with a draw.

This time, though, an organised and determined Wigan Athletic side who remain unbeaten at home, punished their visitors' sloppiness at the back and lack of creativity up front.

Albion could have gone top today, albeit briefly, had they extended their seven-game unbeaten run in the league in front of their 3,750 fans.

But they failed to find the net for just the second time this season and were deservedly beaten by a physical Wigan side who made their pressure count in the 74th minute through Josh Windass' well-taken winner.

Jake Livermore's red card five minutes before the end following a second booking compounded the misery on a feisty afternoon at a stadium used to the physicality of a different sport.

Paul Cook's side remain unbeaten at home, and have now won five and drawn two of their seven matches here. This is no easy place to come.

But the Baggies were outplayed and outfought for large parts of this game.

Darren Moore made just one change to the side that demolished Reading in the second half two weeks ago, bringing in club captain Chris Brunt for the injured Gareth Barry.

There was still no sign of Matt Phillips or Bakary Sako, which meant Tyrone Mears started at right wing-back.

Cook made four changes to the side that shipped four at Preston, although former Baggie Callum McManaman could only make the bench.

The two teams traded blows in the opening ten minutes. Craig Dawson had to mop up the danger after Gary Roberts had pounced on a loose Jake Livermore pass and then the same defender put in a wicked cross for Jay Rodriguez not long after, but the striker's header was gathered by Christian Walton.

Albion enjoyed a spell of pressure after that and 12 minutes in Harvey Barnes caught his first glimpse of goal when Mears found him with a low ball but his shot was blocked well by Chey Dunkley.

The Baggies were moving through the gears and soon after Wolverhampton-born Sam Morsy was booked for bringing Mears down on the halfway line like a Wigan Warriors champion.

Reece James also saw yellow a minute later when he clipped Barnes on the edge of the area, and it was the young England under-21 internationl who looked most threatening in the first half.

Midway through the half he lifted the ball over his man expertly before poking it out to Mears, but the wing-back flashed his first-time effort well over the bar.

Even though Wigan were in blue and white, at this stage it felt like a home game for the Baggies, whose 3,750 fans were outsinging the home fans, who had even brought a drum to the battle.

Albion looked like gaining an upper hand but then Wigan responded, and they did so by making the game more physical.

Craig Dawson was booked for clashing with Nick Powell, and Jay Rodriguez was shown yellow for appearing to kick the ball at Roberts.

Little battles were beginning to spring up all over the pitch by this point. Ahmed Hegazi and Josh Windass also clashed and then Jake Livermore became the fifth name in the book before half-time when he clattered into Roberts..

The physicality seemed to suit Paul Cook - who was standing on the touchline in nothing more than shorts and a t-shirt - and his team enjoyed a spell of pressure that culminated in Morsy slipping Windass in behind, but the forward's clipped effort drifted past the post.

Wigan were switching between a 4-3-3 out of possession in order to press Albion, and a three-man defence when they had the ball. And it was working.

The Baggies were struggling to play out from the back, and losing the ball in their own half too regularly.

Eight minutes before the break Dawson kept the ball in play unwisely, allowing Wigan to break down the right, but Windass's cross was just behind Powell, and his attempted flick bounced off Kyle Bartley and safe.

Powell then headed Lee Evans's cross over the bar before he was tripped on the edge of the box by Dawson, who was already on a yellow.

The home crowd thought it was a penalty, the home players thought it was a penalty, and the assistant referee thought it was a penalty too, but referee Jeremy Simpson gave a free-kick 18.01 yards out which Powell blasted it into the wall.

The Latics ended the half on top when Windass forced a save from Johnstone and Roberts squirmed a shot past his post.

The Baggies needed to get Barnes on the ball more in the second half and five minutes in, the youngster broke into the box and appeared to be upended by Dunkley, but Simpson booked him for diving instead of pointing to the spot.

The youngster was fuming with the decision, and perhaps the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, because soon after he overhit a simple pass to Rodriguez on the counter when the striker was through.

Rodriguez reacted by kicking the ball away moments later, but even though he was already on a yellow, he escaped further punishment.

Dawson had been carrying a knock in the first half, and was removed for Tosin Adarabioyo soon into the second period.

Albion's passing was neater after the break, and crisper, but the visitors were still struggling to get in behind and the yellow cards still came.

Three more before the hour mark made it eight in total, but neither keeper was called into action until the 72nd minute, when Johnstone got down well to push Windass's effort around the post.

But two minutes later there was nothing the Baggies keeper could do when the 24-year-old latched onto a flick-on and burst past Hegazi.

When his low shot bulged the back of net it was nothing more than Wigan or Windass deserved.

Moore reacted by sending Hal Robson-Kanu and Kyle Edwards on, but Dunkley should have made it two with a free header at the back post soon after.

With five minutes to go, the comeback got even harder when Livermore was shown a second yellow after trying a cruyff-turn on the touchline when Albion played themselves into trouble.

Wigan saw out the game with relative ease, leaving the Baggies to head back down the M6 for a home double-header next week that has grown in importance.

KEY MOMENTS

23 Barnes lifts the ball over his man before poking it out to Mears, but his first time shot flies over.

28 Home crowd want a red when Rodriguez is booked for an altercation with Roberts.

42 Wigan have a penalty shout when Dawson trips Powell but a free-kick on the edge of the box is given.

50 Barnes is booked for diving in the box when he appeared to be upended by Dunkley.

74 GOAL WIGAN - Windass latches on to a flick-on before bursting pass Hegazi and firing a low shot past Johnstone.

79 Dunkley misses a glorious header at the far post from Roberts's cross.

85 RED CARD - Livermore is sent off for a second yellow after Albion play themselves into trouble.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Gary Roberts - Wigan's forward had the sort of desire Albion couldn't match.

POSITION IN THE TABLE

3rd - with 24 points from 13 games.

TEAMS

Wigan (3-5-2): Walton, James, Kipre, Dunkley, Burn, Morsy (c), Evans, Windass, Powell (Connolly 87), Byrne (Vaughan 91), Roberts (Naismith 88).

Unused subs: Jones, McManaman, Lopes, Garner.

Albion (3-4-1-2): Johnstone, Dawson (Adarabioyo 50), Hegazi, Bartley, Mears (Edwards 78), Brunt (c), Livermore, Gibbs, Barnes, Gayle (Robson-Kanu 75), Rodriguez.

Unused subs: Myhill, Townsend, Field, Hoolahan.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Attendance: 12,739 (3,750 away)