Wigan shoot Hammers into relegation zone

West Ham 0 Wigan 2

The Welsh forward, 19 this week, was making only his second league start since signing from Bristol City for £2million and curled his 50th-minute shot into the top right-hand corner.

Leyton Baines added Wigan’s second seven minutes later after his 35-yard drive cannoned in off the hip of West Ham defender Jonathan Spector.

West Ham’s defeat, coupled with Newcastle’s late victory at Reading, plunged Alan Pardew’s struggling squad back into the relegation zone.

Wigan applied the early pressure and West Ham keeper Rob Green was forced to touch Paul Scharner’s glancing header onto the post inside the first minute.

There were few touches of class in a scrappy opening but one of them almost created the opening for West Ham.

Harewood latched onto a neat through-ball from Nigel Reo-Coker, skipped one challenge and rifled his shot goalwards, forcing Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland into an athletic save.

When West Ham did piece together some meaningful possession they did look dangerous.

Paul Konchesky swung in a teasing cross which was just too far ahead of Tevez, who came flying into the Wigan six-yard box.

The move lifted West Ham. Konchesky picked out Benayoun and the Israeli midfielder flicked a header forward to Harewood, who struck his shot on the turn just wide of the far post.

It was West Ham’s best period of the game but they still lacked the confidence to play their way up field and all too often resorted to long balls forward.

Etherington’s free-kick then forced Kirkland to punch Kevin Kilbane’s uncertain header out for a corner. When the ball broke for Tevez at the far post it was just inches too far ahead of the Argentinian’s outstretched leg.

Tevez raised the tempo after the interval with a typical charging run into the Wigan box but his shot deflected on to the post and bounced clear.

West Ham then lost all shape at the back. Kilbane sold Collins a simple dummy and found Cotterill at the back post with a low cross. Cotterill cut inside Etherington and curled his shot into the top corner.

Within seven minutes Wigan were 2-0 up after Baines’ drive deflected off Spector.

Wigan could have been 3-0 up after Scharner planted a header past Green – only for the linesman to rule offside.

WEST HAM: Green, Spector, Ferdinand (McCartney 68), Collins, Konchesky, Benayoun (Sheringham 58), Mullins, Reo-Coker, Etherington (Bowyer 82), Harewood, Tevez.

WIGAN: Kirkland, Wright, Boyce, Hall, Baines, Cotterill (Camara 80), Scharner, Skoko (Landzaat 75), Kilbane, Heskey, McCulloch.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).