Latics claim much-needed win

Viduka: No way through

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Wigan picked up their second successive home win with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle at the JJB.

Wigan enjoyed more of the possession and probably just about deserved their win, but both sides produced little going forward in a game which suffered from a serious Christmas hangover.

The first half produced very little, with neither goalkeeper really being tested. Both defences held firm whenever there was a threat of danger and the game became a midfield battle.

Mark Viduka almost broke the deadlock early in the second half after a mix-up between Mario Melchiot and Chris Kirkland on the edge of the area allowed the Australian to send a looping overhead kick goal-wards, but Titus Bramble managed to head the ball off the line.

On 64 minutes Ryan Taylor's fantastic free-kick won the game for the Latics. He had looked a threat from set-pieces all game, and his effort from the edge of the area swerved over the wall and into Given's top right-hand corner.

Newcastle never looked like finding an equaliser and Wigan comfortably played out the remaining minutes to move themselves out of the relegation zone.

Miserable

By the Magpies' standards this was another miserable affair coming hot on the heels of a desperate home draw against Derby on Sunday.

They failed to muster a single shot on or off target during the opening 45 minutes, and just one overall throughout the 90, and even then that was fortuitous.

Wigan were little better, but then their cause is a different one as they are merely scrapping for every point they can glean in a bid to haul themselves out of the bottom three.

They did at least have the one and only chance in the first half, with Paul Scharner unleashing a long-range effort that Given safely gathered after it had taken a deflection off Geremi.

There was a greater degree of urgency at the start of the second half, but that was no surprise given the ineptitude of the first period.

But it at least brought Newcastle a chance in the 52nd minute - albeit their one and only of the game - courtesy of an error from Wigan skipper Melchiot on his return from a three-match ban.

Mistake

The mistake forced goalkeeper Kirkland into a hasty clearance that ballooned into the air, and from 22 yards Viduka produced a spectacular overhead kick.

It was an effort that would have struck the top left-hand corner of the net but for the intervention of former Newcastle defender Bramble who cleared off the line.

But it proved to be the spark that ignited Wigan because after a couple of bookings for James Milner and Emre, and a Taylor free-kick fired into the wall, the latter duly made amends soon after.

Following Smith's foul on Michael Brown outside the area, Taylor - a right-back operating on the left wing - whipped a right-footed shot over the wall and into the top left-hand corner of Given's net.

Taylor's only other goal for Wigan was in February this year, again from a free-kick and the winner in a 1-0 victory over Newcastle.

For Allardyce, that said it all on another worrying afternoon.