Nathan Broadhead’s goal was his second since joining on loan from Everton – both strikes coming in 1-0 Wigan wins
Wigan claimed a first home win of the Championship season by edging an uninspiring north west derby against blunted Blackburn.
On-loan Everton forward Nathan Broadhead prodded home Wigan’s winner on the rebound after Rovers keeper Thomas Kaminski parried from Will Keane.
Rovers would have climbed back into the top six with a point but failed to register a shot on target, with top scorer Ben Brereton Diaz firing their best opening wide.
They remain seventh, two places above Leam Richardson’s Latics who leap seven places from 16th to ninth with a scrappy but deserved victory.
Wigan, promoted last season as League One champions, began the evening with the second tier’s worst home record after drawing three and losing three of their six games at the DW Stadium.
The Latics, whose away return of 13 points from 18 is the Championship’s best, believed that poor home sequence in a first half they controlled confidently, albeit without sustaining consistent pressure.
Tom Naylor sent a stooping header wide from Max Power’s near-post free-kick and the lively Broadhead cut in from the right only to shoot straight at Kaminski.
The hosts’ best opening came from a Blackburn mistake as leading marksman Keane robbed Scott Wharton just inside Rovers’ half and advanced to unleash a 20-yard shot the keeper punched clear.
But it was Keane’s harrying that would help to break the deadlock as he robbed Tyler Morton in the Blackburn box and Broadhead was on hand to poke home after Kaminski’s instinctive stop.
Rovers rarely threatened a leveler although Brereton Diaz should have done better than flash wide of Ben Amos’ near post when he was found unmarked 15 yards out.
Defeat continued Blackburn’s up and down start under Jon Dahl Tomasson – Rovers have alternated four wins and five losses in their past nine games and are yet to draw a match this season.
They have lost five of their past six away games, failing to score in each defeat and visit managerless Middlesbrough on Saturday, while Wigan also travel to the north east to face Sunderland.
Wigan Athletic boss Leam Richardson told BBC Radio Manchester:
“It’s a credit to the players and staff about the work ethic we’ve put in. We’ve come up from League One together, the lads work tirelessly and there’s a challenge every 72 hours at the minute.
“If you’re going to be genuine, we probably worked hard enough to get the right result tonight because we were up against a fantastic team with some great players, a good manager and they asked a lot of questions.
“They’re a good counter-attacking team and we had to be mindful of that in the middle of the pitch.”
Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson:
“The players are obviously very disappointed. It was a game of a lot of mistakes, from both sides, and it’s disappointing to concede a goal like that in a game like that, with not many chances.
“We know how important the first goal is in this league, and it’s something we need to deal with. In recent games, we have created a lot of chances. Tonight it was not so much.”
On Blackburn’s inconsistency: “We are so inconsistent, and I hate that, the players hate that and of course the fans hate that.
“I’m not surprised, because I say the same when we are winning games. And it might be like that for some time, with us having a new squad, and a new team.”
line ups
Wigan
formation 3-4-2-1
12amos
15Kerr5Whatmough16Tilt
27Darikwa8thpower4naylor11McClean
20Broadhead10keane
9Wyke
- 12amos
- 15Kerr
- 5Whatmough
- 16Tilt
- 27Darikwa
- 8thpower
- 4naylorBooked at 27mins
- 11McCleanBooked at 79minsSubstituted forbennettat 90+3′minutes
- 20BroadheadSubstituted forAasgaardat 67′minutes
- 10keaneSubstituted forfletcherat 82′minutes
- 9WykeSubstituted formagentaat 82′minutes
substitutes
- 6cousins
- 18Shinnie
- 21bennett
- 23fletcher
- 28magenta
- 30Aasgaard
- 40tickle
Blackburn
formation 3-4-1-2
1Kaminski
5Hyam4Ayala16wharton
19hedges6morton27travis3pickering
8thszmodics
14Hirst22Brereton
- 1Kaminski
- 5Hyam
- 4AyalaSubstituted forwhartonat 67′minutes
- 16wharton
- 19hedgesSubstituted forBritainat 45′minutes
- 6morton
- 27travisSubstituted fordachshundat 83′minutes
- 3pickering
- 8thszmodicsSubstituted forDolanat 45′minutes
- 14HirstSubstituted forGallagherat 53′minutes
- 22BreretonBooked at 87mins
substitutes
- 2Britain
- 9Gallagher
- 10Dolan
- 13pears
- 23dachshund
- 33Phillips
- 36wharton
Referee: Josh Smith
Attendance: 13,611
live text
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Match ends, Wigan Athletic 1, Blackburn Rovers 0.
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Second half ends, Wigan Athletic 1, Blackburn Rovers 0.
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Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Joe Bennett replaces James McClean.
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Foul by Adam Wharton (Blackburn Rovers).
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Ashley Fletcher (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Curtis Tilt.
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Callum Brittain (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by James McClean (Wigan Athletic).
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Ben Brereton (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card.
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Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Bradley Dack replaces Lewis Travis.
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Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Ashley Fletcher replaces Will Keane.
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Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Josh Magennis replaces Charlie Wyke.
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Foul by Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers).
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Curtis Tilt (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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James McClean (Wigan Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Tyrhys Dolan (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by James McClean (Wigan Athletic).
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Attempt saved. Tom Naylor (Wigan Athletic) header from the center of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by James McClean with a cross.
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Foul by Lewis Travis (Blackburn Rovers).
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Curtis Tilt (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
