Wigan claim scrappy victory at home to Burton to move into top half

Wigan picked up a desperately scrappy 1-0 home victory over Burton to move into the top half of Sky Bet League One.

Indeed, it took fully 40 minutes for anything of any note to occur at either end.

Matt Smith – back in the Wigan side after suspension – threaded through a lovely ball to Paul Mullin, who crossed to Fraser Murray, whose shot was blocked.

Murray, however, immediately took a quick throw-in to release Christian Saydee, whose drilled shot found the back of the net after touches by the lunging Mullin and an unsuspecting defender on the goal-line.

Credit to Burton, they came into the game much more after the break, and almost equalised when substitute Dylan Williams’ corner midway through the second half was headed just beyond the far post by Jake Beesley.

The visitors came even closer four minutes later when Williams sent over a free-kick that Beesley connected with at the near post, only for the ball to loop over Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle and come back off the crossbar.

And Wigan were indebted to Tickle in the closing stages for making fine saves to deny both Kyran Lofthouse and Terence Vancooten.