Match ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Cardiff City 1.
Wigan Athletic 0-1 Cardiff City
- From the section Championship
Cardiff deepened Wigan's relegation worries with a 1-0 win at the DW Stadium as manager Malky Mackay lost to his former club.
Aron Gunnarsson scored the game's only goal after 20 minutes when he slotted in following Kenwyne Jones's assist.
The result is another setback for Mackay, who was sacked as Cardiff boss in December 2013.
Cardiff board members did not witness the win, boycotting the match in protest at alleged racism at Wigan.
Wigan owner Dave Whelan was fined £50,000 last year for making racist comments about Jewish and Chinese people and served a six-week ban from football.
Relations between Mackay and Cardiff's Malaysian owner Vincent Tan are strained, with Mackay under investigation by the Football Association regarding allegations he sent "sexist, racist and homophobic" text messages during his time in charge of the Welsh club.
The Wigan manager handed debuts to former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant and Cameroon defender Gaetan Bong, but the new faces could not arrest the Latics' slide.
Wigan have failed to record a home win in six months and remain nine points from safety in 23rd place.
Cardiff meanwhile are up to 13th and are now unbeaten in their last five matches.
Wigan Athletic manager Malky Mackay on Cardiff fans singing his name: "To get that response was something that will live with me. It was terrific. Overall, I'm obviously disappointed we lost the game but I'm very proud of my team.
"The head of the referees' association texted me yesterday to apologise on behalf of the linesman for the first goal at Bournemouth, that he got it wrong. Then there's two tonight that are wrong as well and it cost us."
Cardiff City manager Russell Slade: "It was a difficult surface for both teams to play the football they ideally want to play. It was who dealt with those conditions best and whose decision-making was the best out there, and there wasn't much in it."
Line-ups
Wigan
- 26Al Habsi
- 17Boyce
- 4MaguireBooked at 88mins
- 28Pearce
- 20Bong
- 15PennantSubstituted forCowieat 78'minutes
- 24PerchBooked at 56mins
- 16Kim
- 18Ojo
- 11McClean
- 32FortunéSubstituted forWaghornat 70'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Carson
- 3Taylor
- 7McCann
- 10Mckay
- 19Cowie
- 33Waghorn
- 46Robles
Cardiff
- 1Marshall
- 16ConnollyBooked at 90mins
- 5Ecuele Manga
- 36Morrison
- 21Ralls
- 30Kennedy
- 17GunnarssonBooked at 52mins
- 7Whittingham
- 11Noone
- 13DoyleSubstituted forK Harrisat 78'minutes
- 9JonesSubstituted forRevellat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 12John
- 15McAleny
- 18Adeyemi
- 22O'Keefe
- 29Revell
- 33Moore
- 40K Harris
- Referee:
- Andy Woolmer
- Attendance:
- 10,016
Match Stats
Home TeamWiganAway TeamCardiff
- Possession
- Home59%
- Away41%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away2
- Corners
- Home3
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away17
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Cardiff City 1.
Offside, Cardiff City. Peter Whittingham tries a through ball, but Kadeem Harris is caught offside.
Offside, Wigan Athletic. Kim Bo-Kyung tries a through ball, but Harry Maguire is caught offside.
Foul by Kim Bo-Kyung (Wigan Athletic).
Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Matthew Connolly (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
James McClean (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Matthew Connolly (Cardiff City).
Attempt saved. Kim Bo-Kyung (Wigan Athletic) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt missed. Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Peter Whittingham with a cross following a set piece situation.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Craig Noone (Cardiff City) because of an injury.
Booking
Harry Maguire (Wigan Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Harry Maguire (Wigan Athletic).
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Harry Maguire (Wigan Athletic).
Alex Revell (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Martyn Waghorn (Wigan Athletic).
Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Peter Whittingham with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Don Cowie.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Kadeem Harris replaces Eoin Doyle.
Substitution
Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Don Cowie replaces Jermaine Pennant.
Offside, Wigan Athletic. Emmerson Boyce tries a through ball, but Martyn Waghorn is caught offside.
Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by David Marshall.
Attempt saved. Harry Maguire (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by James Perch.
Attempt blocked. James McClean (Wigan Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by James Perch.
Offside, Cardiff City. Joe Ralls tries a through ball, but Eoin Doyle is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Martyn Waghorn replaces Marc-Antoine Fortuné.
Jason Pearce (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Eoin Doyle (Cardiff City).
Sheyi Ojo (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Matthew Kennedy (Cardiff City).
Jermaine Pennant (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Craig Noone (Cardiff City).
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Alex Revell replaces Kenwyne Jones.
Emmerson Boyce (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Joe Ralls (Cardiff City).
Offside, Cardiff City. Peter Whittingham tries a through ball, but Eoin Doyle is caught offside.
