Allardyce on thin ice

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For the second successive season a Ryan Taylor free-kick proved to be the undoing of an inept United side again booed and jeered by their own die-hard fans come the final whistle.

Taylor grabbed the winner in spectacular fashion just after the hour to continue Wigan's revival under new boss Steve Bruce as the Latics have taken eight points from his five matches in charge.

But for Allardyce, who was rumoured to be close to being on his way out prior to a face-saving draw against Arsenal earlier this month followed by wins over Birmingham and Fulham, the dark days have returned.

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 had the one and only chance in the first half, with Paul Scharner unleashing a long-range effort that Shay 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 it at least brought Newcastle a chance in the 52nd minute. Mario Melchiot's mistake forced goalkeeper Chris Kirkland into a hasty clearance that ballooned into the air, and from 22 yards Viduka produced a spectacular overhead kick.

But it proved to be the spark that ignited Wigan, Taylor - a right back operating on the left wing - whipping in a right-footed shot over the wall and into the top left-hand corner of Given's net.