An 89th minute Darren Bent goal gave the Blues a dramatic victory over Wigan and took them ahead of the Latics at the top of the league. After a goalless first half, a stupendous Leighton Baines 40-yarder put the visitors ahead but Richard Naylor and Bent gave the Blues the win they deserved.

Town made two changes from the side which beat QPR last week, Kevin Horlock missed out due to suspension and Drissa Diallo because of his hamstring injury. In came Darren Currie for his home debut and first start, and Matt Richards who went to left-back, Fabian Wilnis switching to the right. New loan signing Daniel Karbassiyoon was included as a substitute.

Skipper Jim Magilton came close to opening the scoring in the third minute, the Northern Irishman sending a dipping effort just over the bar from just outside the area to the left.

Two minutes later, Wigan weren't far from a goal when Jason Roberts seized on a Richard Naylor slip on the right. The striker crossed towards Gary Teale but Kelvin Davis had read his intentions and blocked the Scot's first-time effort inside the six-yard box.

Roberts shot weakly to Davis in the sixth minute, while at the other end Fabian Wilnis had a strike from a tight angle blocked, Miller's rebound suffering a similar fate and Westlake shooting over.

Darren Currie's 30-yard freekick was easy for keeper John Filan as thick fog descended on Portman Road, the far corners of the pitch only just visible when it was at its most impenetrable.

Westlake had a shot deflect wide in the 24th minute, before former Town loanee Alan Mahon's striker looped off a defender for a corner

It was from this Wigan set-piece which the Blues almost went in front. Shefki Kuqi blocked the kick and found Darren Currie on the right, the new signing flicking the ball to Bent who ran on and cut into the area but shot wide with Kuqi unmarked a screaming for the ball on the left of the box.

Mahon put a 20-yard freekick into the top tier of the North Stand just after the half hour mark and McCulloch shot wide.

The Blues were having most of the possession with Wigan looking a danger on the break. Fears of a repeat of last season's corresponding fixture when the Latics took Town apart appeared groundless based on the first half.

Fabian Wilnis picked up what appeared a harsh yellow card for a foul on Mahon in the 38th minute as the Blues continued to go looking for the goal their possession deserved.

Miller played a ball over the top to Kuqi but the Finnish international marksman shot over when a pass to Westlake might have been a better option.

Kuqi might have put the Blues in front again three minutes before the break but headed Currie's excellent left-wing cross just wide.

Both sets of fans would have been reasonably happy at the break. Town had created the chances to go ahead but Wigan were still on terms with the pace of Ellington and Roberts a threat on the counter attack.

The Blues might have gone ahead on the second minute of the new half after Bent and Kuqi exchanged passes on the left of the penalty area. However, Bent's low ball across the six-yard box failed to find a Town player.

Former Wigan skipper Jason De Vos will have hoped to have done better with his header from Fabian Wilnis's cross from the right in the 50th minute. De Vos, still up from an earlier corner, failed to get any power in his header and Filan claimed with little ceremony.

On 51 Kuqi laid the ball back to Currie on the edge of the box, the midfielder's shot flying well wide.

The Blues were by now completely dominating the game and making chance after chance. Bent shot straight to Filan before new man Currie created himself an opportunity with a fantastic feint, however, his well-struck shot was too close to the keeper, Bent and Kuqi just failing to get on to the rebound.

A goal seemed only a matter of time, Fabian Wilnis lashing a Kuqi layback just wide from the edge of the area.

But as so often when a side is dominating and spurning chances, Wigan went ahead against the run of play. Currie cleared a corner to the centre circle and Leighton Baines took a touch before unleashing a fearsome 40-yard shot which curled at the last into the top corner of Kelvin Davis's goal. It was Baines' first career goal and one he is unlikely ever to forget or better.

The goal seemed to knock the Blues off their stride momentarily, although a series of throw-ins continued to put pressure on the Wigan goal. The home crowd and a number of Town players were unhappy with the manhandling of Jason De Vos by Lee McCulloch at set-pieces, something missed by replacement referee Richard Beeby who put in a dismal and whistle-happy performance.

The Blues got back on terms in the 66th minute after Ian Westlake was fouled by Alan Mahon on the Town left. Darren Currie whipped the ball in and Richard Naylor flicked on and into the far corner of the net from around the near post area for his fourth goal of the season.

A minute later Baines had a go at repeating his earlier wonder goal but this time Kelvin Davis had little trouble in picking the ball out of the air. Not long after, Roberts hit a snapshot wide after De Vos had half-cleared and Ellington shot across the face of goal.

Shefki Kuqi came close to putting the Blues in front when he got behind the defence and headed a quickly taken Naylor freekick from deep over Filan, the keeper getting his fingertips to the ball and a defender clearing.

Bent sent a Kuqi knockdown over the bar from the 18-yard line, ahead of Kelvin Davis pulling off his best save of the half, getting down to his left and stopping Ellington's 25-yard shot.

Roberts picked up a yellow card for dissent as the game entered the last ten minutes. There was a scare for the Blues soon after as Davis spilled a Bullard freekick but Naylor cleared.

With four minutes remaining Matt Richards crossed from the left and Filan tipped Kuqi's header over. Westlake picked up a yellow card a minute later for a foul on sub David Graham.

Just as it seemed that Town were going to have to settle for a draw, Wilnis sent the ball forward, Kuqi flicked it on and Bent deftly looped the ball over Filan and into the net.

Westlake almost set up Kuqi for a third in an inexplicably long period of time added on, Filan saving well from the Finn and then from Westlake's rebound.

There were no scares for Town in the closing stages and the referee's whistle signalled that the Blues will be top of the league on Christmas Day.

As Wigan overran the Blues last season, Town dominated the Latics this time around. The Lancastrians were out-passed in midfield and had little answer to the pace of Bent and Kuqi, while the Finn had the better of the physical battle.

An early slip aside, Richard Naylor and Jason De Vos kept Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington largely under wraps.

Leighton Baines' goal, as fantastic as it was, was very much against the run of play at the stage of the game and Town very much deserved the three points which gets the Christmas run of fixtures off to a magnificent start.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Richards, De Vos, Naylor, Magilton, Miller, Westlake, Currie, Bent, Kuqi. Unused: Supple, Couñago, Karbassiyoon, Bowditch, Collins. Att: 28,286.

Photo: Action Images

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