Wigan 0-0 Cardiff: Latics' survival chances hanging by a thread

Wigan can be relegated on Sunday after being held to a 0-0 draw by mid-table Cardiff.

Birmingham need just a single point in their local derby against Aston Villa on Sunday to confirm the Latics' relegation to Sky Bet League One.

Despite dominating the game, Wigan were unable to break through a determined Cardiff rearguard.

It was the visitors who came closest to breaking the deadlock, with Craig Noone firing against the crossbar in the first half.

Wigan predictably came flying out of the blocks and Welshman Craig Morgan headed just wide from Jamie Hanson's corner.

The home side were screaming for a penalty in the 14th minute when Shaun MacDonald took Gabriel Obertan's short pass before appearing to be clipped inside the area. However, referee Oliver Langford ruled against the Welsh international and waved play on.

But the home side were unable to make their first-half dominance count on the scoreboard, with Morgan stabbing over from another Hanson corner.

After soaking up everything Wigan could throw at them, Cardiff almost sneaked ahead just before the interval when Noone took advantage of a mistake from David Perkins, only to fire against Matt Gilks' crossbar.

Perkins almost made amends within seconds of the restart only for his shot to fly just over the bar.

Wigan threw on man of the moment Nick Powell and Ryan Colclough just before the hour mark to try to tip the balance their way.

Powell almost made his presence felt immediately, narrowly failing to get on the end of a Michael Jacobs corner, with Dan Burn seeing his follow-up hacked away.

It became end-to-end stuff around the three-quarter mark and Cardiff almost nosed ahead with only their second real attempt at goal.

A flick header from Aron Gunnarsson flew inches wide of the far post agonisingly in front of the onrushing Bruno Manga, who would have had a tap-in.

Colclough was also looking lively off the bench, with a left-foot shot almost creeping in at the near post, but Ben Amos showed a very safe pair of hands to preserve his clean sheet.

Wigan manager Graham Barrow

"I've said all along I'd like to take it all the way.

"If we get the right result tomorrow we can take it to the second-last game of the season, which I think would be an achievement.

"I'm not trying to escape anything but, since I've been in charge, we've never been in charge of our own destiny. I wanted to get in control of that, but we haven't managed to do that.

"The really disappointing thing was this was a real opportunity lost."

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock

"I don't think anyone needs to be asking me what I'd like to get out of the next two games.

"Huddersfield are my old club and Newcastle are a team I'd love to beat, if I'm honest.

"Two wins out of two would be nice and we'll definitely be looking to finish like that."