Wigan struggling after Viduka winner

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Paul Jewell's men must head to Sheffield United next week knowing even victory might not be enough to save them after results elsewhere consigned them to the bottom three.

Jewell had started the game in bullish fashion, making five changes to the side which had performed so pitifully against West Ham last week, including switching goalkeepers in favour of Mike Pollitt.

Emile Heskey aimed an early header goalwards, before Jonathan Woodgate denied Julius Aghahowa in front of goal in the seventh minute.

Wigan almost made their breakthrough in the 17th minute when Ryan Taylor flung in a fine cross from deep on the right and Lee McCulloch rose highest to beat Mark Schwarzer, but he saw his header strike the bar.

Boro snatched a scarcely-deserved lead in the 29th minute in bizarre fashion, when Stewart Downing apparently slipped in the process of delivering his 25-yard free-kick into the box.

The move seemingly caught out everybody except Viduka, who noticed the ball dropping invitingly on the edge of the six-yard box and stole in to sweep it past Pollitt.

Downing was denied by a fine block by Pollitt and in the 50th minute he squandered an even better chance when he collected Julio Arca's ball but shot wide.

Moments later Viduka was inches away from connecting with a Fabio Rochemback free-kick into the Wigan box, before the Latics made an impression in the 52nd minute when Aghahowa seized on a loose ball, only for his snatched shot to be easily saved by Schwarzer.

In typical end-of-season fashion, Pollitt ended the match in the opposite goalmouth desperately trying to snatch salvation for the Latics - but none was forthcoming.