Goals from Luke Hyam and Conor Sammon saw the Blues to a 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic, their first ever win at the DW Stadium. Hyam turned home the opener on 20 and Sammon netted against his old club in the 63rd minute, before Martyn Waghorn set up a nervy finish for Blues supporters when he pulled one back with eight minutes remaining.
On-loan striker Sammon was handed his second Town start with Hyam also returning to the side having missed the last two games.
Jay Tabb was missing through illness and Paul Anderson dropped to the bench, while recent re-signing Darren Ambrose was on the bench for the first time since signing a short-term deal. Town lined-up 4-3-3 with David McGoldrick behind Sammon and Daryl Murphy.
The Latics dominated the early stages and went close in the third minute when Andy Delort headed into the ground and over from Shaun Maloney’s cross following a freekick, Murphy having tripped Callum McManaman on the right.
Town gradually began to get a foothold in the game and on 14 McGoldrick found Mings on the left with a looping ball, the full-back bringing the ball all the way across the area to the right wing without being able to find a gap for a shot.
Murphy struck the Blues’ first effort on goal in the 18th minute, Latics keeper Scott Carson getting down to his right to push away the Irishman’s 25-yard effort. A minute later, Mings crossed from the left and Sammon stooped to nod wide at the far post.
Town were starting to get on top and in the 20th minute they went in front. Murphy used his strength on the right to hold off a defender before playing a ball in to Hyam on the edge of the area.
The midfielder moved it on to McGoldrick, who fed Mings on the left, who in turn crossed low into the box back to Hyam, who turned the ball home for his - and the Town midfield’s - first goal of the season, only the third of his senior career and the Blues’ first at the DW Stadium in their fourth game at Wigan’s current home.
Town went close to adding a second within a minute when McGoldrick got into a good position on the right inside the area and cut the ball across towards Sammon, but hit the ex-Latic on the backside and the danger was cleared.
Christophe Berra picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 22nd minute for a late challenge on McManaman as he broke on the right. From Adam Forshaw’s freekick, Emmerson Boyce headed well over.
The Blues, who were by now well on top, went close again three minutes later when Cole Skuse threaded a ball through to Murphy just to the right, midway inside the Wigan half. The Blues’ number nine cut a low ball towards McGoldrick with the advancing Carson looking beaten, but Ivan Ramis got in ahead of him to slide the ball behind.
Wigan started to come back into it again and on 32 Boyce saw a shot from inside the area deflect wide off Berra. Four minutes later, the Latics were forced into a substitution, the injured McManaman making way for James McClean.
Mings had his name added to referee Andy Woolmer’s book in the 39th minute for a trip as Maloney broke through the centre midway inside the Town half. Skipper Luke Chambers was had got back as cover and the yellow card was the right decision.
The freekick deflected wide off the wall and from the resultant corner on the right Delort headed well beyond the far post.
Neither side threatened again before the referee brought the half to a close with the Blues deserving their lead.
After the home side had dominated the first 10 minutes, the Blues got on top and created two very decent chances in addition to Hyam’s well-worked goal.
The Latics came more into the game again towards the break but without creating a significant chance, while Town continued to look a threat.
There was a scare for Wigan five minutes after the break when keeper Carson was forced to rush off his line to clear James Perch’s backpass as McGoldrick chased it down. Moments later at the other end, Forshaw saw a strike deflect over.
Skuse made way for Kevin Bru on the hour mark, the Mauritius international hitting an early effort over the bar after Bishop had nodded a Mings cross back into the area following a corner.
And on 63 the Blues increased their lead with former Latic Sammon netting his first goal since his loan move from Derby.
McGoldrick picked up a loose ball midway inside the Wigan half and brought it forward before playing it into the path of Sammon. The Dubliner took it in on goal and got the luck of the bounce as he took it past - or rather through - Carson before tapping home from a couple of feet and celebrating in front of the small band of Town supporters behind the goal.
It might have been 3-0 on 66 when Murphy was found in space on the left but the striker’s touch let him down and the ball bounced to Carson. Two minutes later, McGoldrick found himself space on the right of the area but shot wide.
Ambrose came on for his third debut for the Blues in the 71st minute with Bishop, who had been suffering with cramp, making way.
Wigan began to put the Blues under a bit of pressure, winning a number of corners as the game moved into its final 15 minutes. Following one flagkick on the right, McClean returned to the far post and Gerken did well to block from Ramis.
McGoldrick forced Carson to save down to his right with a 25-yard strike, then with eight minutes to go the home side pulled a goal back.
McClean, who scored twice against the Blues at Portman Road last season, was found in space by a deep corner from the right and the Irishman smashed a shot which Waghorn diverted into the net from close range.
Forshaw nodded into Gerken’s arms as the home side went looking for an equaliser with the Blues defending increasingly desperately.
On 88 Wigan came within a whisker of getting back on terms when sub Oriol Riera hit the post after latching on to a half-cleared cross from the right. Soon after, Tommy Smith replaced McGoldrick as the Blues looked to shore things up at the back.
As the match moved into four minutes of additional time Town were still very much under the cosh, Boyce volleying wide from one of several corners.
But they held on to claim a deserved first win at the DW Stadium to make it nine points out of nine in the last 10 days.
There were some nervy moments in the closing stages with Town sitting very deep, but they had been worth their two-goal lead and might have been even further ahead had they taken their other first-half opportunities.
The win takes the Blues up to seventh in the table with Rotherham visiting Portman Road on Saturday.
Wigan: Carson, Ramis, Maloney (Riera 64), McManaman (McClean 36), Boyce (c), Cowie, Perch, Forshaw, Kiernan, Kvist, Delort (Waghorn 72). Unused: Al Habsi, Barnett, Taylor, Tavernier.
Town: Gerken, Parr, Chambers (c), Berra, Mings, Skuse (Bru 60), Hyam, Bishop (Ambrose 71), McGoldrick (Smith 90), Sammon, Murphy. Unused: Bialkowski, Henshall, Anderson, Bajner. Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire).