Wigan Athletic 1 Middlesbrough 0
WITH Mido watching from the stands Boro lost for the second time in five days, writes GORDON COX from the JJB Stadium.
Boro were unchanged from the side which lost to Blackburn, while Chris Hutchings made just one change to the line-up that lost to Everton - Antoine Sibierski replacing Caleb Folan.
Sibierski and Emile Heskey caused problems in the early exchanges, the Frenchman just clearing the bar with a fine effort from the edge of the penalty area.
It was Heskey's movement which kept Chris Riggott, David Wheater and Andrew Davies alert, while Andrew Taylor's workload was a little easier in the opening 15 minutes.
Jeremie Aliadiere saw a lot of the ball inside the Wigan half as Boro looked to break, but he couldn't create a telling chance for Yakubu.
The home side, as is often case, were more purposeful, with Jason Koumas pulling most of the strings. Denny Landzaat whistled a shot just wide across the face of Mark Schwarzer's goal while Koumas brought a palmed save from the Boro goalkeeper with an excellently executed free-kick from 22 yards midway through the first half.
Antonio Valencia was next to threaten. Cutting in from the right he fizzed a low shot across goal and just wide of Schwarzer's right-hand post.
After Boro drew the sting Stewart Downing had a low shot well blocked, but then wasted an opportunity to cross after good work from Tuncay Sanli, who himself blasted well over from 10 yards shortly afterwards.
Koumas and Sibierski brought saves from Schwarzer as the fear grew that the home side may have been taking a breather.
Entering the final few minutes of the opening period Downing needed treatment and limped his way through the rest of the half, while Aliadiere escaped with nothing more than a bump on the nose after he and Yakubu contested the same ball.
Half-time: Wigan Athletic 0 Middlesbrough 0
Koumas and Sibierski caused problems early in the second half, but Boro stood firm - until the 54th minute.
Players backed off Valencia allowing him to shoot low from 20 yards. Schwarzer parried but couldn't hold and Antoine Sibierski slid in to tuck home from inside the six-yard box under pressure from Andrew Davies.
Boro responded and Downing struck a low shot through a crowded box but just wide.
A thunderous low drive from the same player minutes later from the edge of the penalty area thudded back off Chris Kirkland's left-hand post.
A pacey run from Aliadiere left three in his wake, but a low shot from the edge of the penalty area was straight at Kirkland.
Approaching the mid-point of the second half both sides made a change as the injured Sibierski was replaced by Julius Aghahowa, while Dong Gook Lee took over from Yakubu.
It was Wigan who continued to look the better side and Mario Melchiot headed just over a few minutes before Heskey lobbed wide.
In the closing stages Gareth Southgate made the last of three changes as Lee Cattermole replaced Aliadiere, David Wheater went up front and George Boateng moved to right-back.
Deep into injury time Boro were caught on the break from their own free-kick well inside Wigan territory. A quick run from Aghahowa ended with a square ball to Heskey, who shot just wide from the edge of the area.
Another break less than a minute later saw Valencia race through the middle to set up Paul Scharner, but Emanuel Pogatetz's international team mate sliced into the side netting from inside the Boro box.
Wigan Athletic: Kirkland; Melchiot, Bramble Granqvist, Kilbane, Valencia, Scharner, Landzaat, Koumas, Heskey, Sibierski (Aghahowa 66). Unused subs: Pollitt (gk); Hall, Cotterill, Skoko.
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer; Davies, Riggott, Wheater, Taylor, Sanli (Johnson 70), Boateng (Capt), Arca, Downing, Yakubu (Lee 66), Aliadiere (Cattermole 86). Unused subs: Jones (gk); Hines.
Bookings
Wigan Athletic: Kilbane, 80, foul.
Boro: Tuncay Sanli, 37, persistent misconduct; Johnson, 76, foul; Arca, 84, foul.
Referee: Steve Tanner, Somerset.
Attendance: 14,007
Website Boro Man of the Match: David Wheater.
Conditions: Cool and clear.
