FA Premiership/ Wigan 1 Newcastle 0: Those who had watched Wigan in any of their four games before this will have seen something of the spirit and organisation that served the Latics so well last season.

In the circumstances a return of only four points from those games was worryingly scant but yesterday Paul Jewell's team finally got what they deserved for a committed and competent performance that strongly suggested they will start next season in the Premiership.

They certainly will if opponents in their final 10 games prove as easy to contain as Newcastle were in the second half yesterday. If attacking honours were just about even during an entertaining first period, Newcastle's lack of ideas and, more disconcertingly, appetite for the fray after the break saw them behind on points as well as by a goal by the time Alan Wiley blew the final whistle.

Few would have put much money on there being no further scoring after Ryan Taylor curled a fine right-footed free-kick over the wall and beyond Shay Given in the 40th minute. After a quiet opening quarter both sides created a number of chances.

Lee McCulloch scuffed an effort from six yards and then shot wide after being cleverly set up by Emile Heskey and, in response, Wigan's goalkeeper, John Filan made a fine left-handed save from Damien Duff's close-range chip before Wiley, to general disbelief, decided Taylor had barged Antoine Sibierski in the penalty area as the Frenchman tried to run on to a loose ball. Contact was slight - hardly sufficient to justify Sibierski's tumble - and Filan's excellent diving save to his right to stop Nolberto Solano's well-struck spot-kick looked like justice done. Making only his second appearance of the season, Filan had already shown himself to be in form by twice saving well from Obafemi Martins.

While Newcastle were a long way from their best, they had done more than enough to suggest they could break Wigan down and their manager, Glenn Roeder, must have been confident his team could get back into the game after the break. Instead, they let themselves get sucked into playing a direct game that the Wigan back four dealt with easily. Duff and Solano, already peripheral figures in the first half, barely had a kick thereafter and it was no surprise to see them substituted on the hour.

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