Town dropped to three points behind the top two as top of the table Wigan defeated the Blues 1-0 at the JJB Stadium. The only goal of the game was scored by Nathan Ellington three minutes before the break after Fabian Wilnis had been adjudged to have fouled Jason Roberts in the area.

Returning striker Shefki Kuqi went straight into the starting line-up in place of the suspended James Scowcroft. Central defender Jason De Vos was missing for the same reason, David Unsworth moving across from left-back and Matt Richards coming back into the side.

As Joe Royle had revealed earlier in the week, Ian Westlake returned to the side, in place of skipper Jim Magilton. The long-serving Richard Naylor took over as skipper.

Wigan started brightly and within three minutes Nathan Ellington shot wide from a Jason Roberts pass.

On 11 the awful JJB Stadium surface wrong-footed David Unsworth on halfway to the advantage of Ellington. The striker broke through on goal and, with Roberts well-placed in the centre, shot wide. It was a very lucky escape for Town.

Unsworth was given the chance to test Filan in the 13th minute with a 30-yard freekick. However, the loanee failed to sting the keeper's fingers with his strike.

Roberts hit a low 20 yarder in the 17th minute but Kelvin Davis was equal to it and pushed the ball round his post.

Four minutes later, Darren Bent curled an edge of the box effort over the bar, before the game was brought to a standstill when a streaker ran onto the pitch from one of the Wigan stands. A couple of stewards eventually decided to remove him from the pitch as Town fans enquired whether the interloper was "Delia in disguise".

Richard Naylor had a header from a corner blocked in the 25th minute as the Blues started to look a serious threat for the first time during the game.

Soon after, Wigan should have gone ahead. Ellington well-placed inside the area shot off the post and, with Davis on the ground and beaten, Bullard sent the rebound well over the bar.

Miller went wide at the other end with Filan out of his goal after heading clear, but Town had failed to create anything dangerous. At the other end Gary Teale screwed a 25-yard strike well wide.

The home side went ahead in the 42nd minute. Ellington was found inside the penalty area and got beyond Richard Naylor. Fabian Wilnis got the right side of the striker and challenged and appeared to win the ball, only for referee Graham Laws to point to the spot.

After complaints from Town, but interestingly no cards for Wilnis, Ellington stepped up and rolled the ball slowly to Davis's right and into the net.

Before the break, new Wigan signing Graham Kavanagh picked up a yellow card for a foul on Darren Bent. There was also a scare for Latics' keeper Filan when he dropped a Kuqi header, however, no Town player reacted to loose ball.

Wigan had certainly been the more dangerous of the two sides in the first half and their lead was well deserved, although the penalty had seemed harsh. The pace of the Wigan midfield and strikers had given the Blues problems and could have led to two goals prior to the spot-kick.

Manager Joe Royle made a change at the break, Dean Bowditch taking over from Darren Bent.

The Wigan strikers started the second half as they had ended the first, Roberts turning Naylor but scraping his shot wide.

On 56 Darren Currie's dangerous freekick flew across the box but failed to receive a touch before being claimed by Filan. Just before the hour, Currie was replaced with Jim Magilton.

Soon after Jimmy Bullard, watched by Town in his Peterborough days, was close to putting the home side two goals up. The former West Ham trainee struck a powerful shot from inside the area which Davis pushed away and Wilnis put out for a corner.

Jim Magilton sent away Dean Bowditch with a backheel in the 65th minute but as on many occasions during the afternoon an offside flag was raised. Pablo Couñago came on for Kevin Horlock in the 70th minute, the Blues switching to 4-3-3.

As so often of late, Town were looking short of ideas in midfield, despite enjoying a fair amount of possession in the second half, while Wigan's backline were proving adept at dealing with Kuqi's aerial threat. A rare chance saw the Finn slice wide from the edge of the area.

Teale shot over for the Latics and late on Ellington put an effort over, but all Town could throw at the new league leaders was a few balls into the box which failed to really test their defence.

A deserved defeat against a confident Wigan side with pace throughout the side, who probably ought to have scored more than once.

Conversely, the Blues continue to look short on confidence and a creative spark in midfield. Roberts and Ellington proved the expected handful and should have scored prior to the penalty.

Kuqi looked like a player without a game for three weeks but once again it was the midfield which was the big concern.

Town, now out of the top two on points and having fallen to three successive defeats, need to get back to form very quickly, preferably with a win over Nottingham Forest next Saturday.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Richards, Naylor, Unsworth, Miller, Horlock (Couñago 70), Westlake, Currie (Magilton 59), Bent (Bowditch 46), Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls