Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic got back to winning ways with a convincing victory over Colchester United at a wet and miserable Layer Road.

All credit to the ground staff who managed to ensure that the game went ahead albeit on a playing surface that you'd probably find at Sunday League pub team level, such was the state of the pitch after a week of rain in the far flung reaches of Essex.

Wigan had been forced into a number of changes from the side that had drawn against Walsall the previous week with Ashcroft, Kilford, Bradshaw and Kevin Nicholls all absent due to injury and Darren Sheridan starting his three match ban after his dismissal at Stoke City.

Returning to action however were Stefan Bidstrup and Kevin Sharp, both recovered from injury and Simon Haworth who had completed his three match suspension for his red card at Millwall.

Neil Roberts was drafted back into the starting line up, taking his place in attack alongside Simon Haworth and Andy Liddell was placed in an unorthodox role on the right side of midfield.

Colchester almost drew first blood within the first minute. The home side had forced a corner from a move involving former Wigan midfielder Gavin Johnson and Irishman Joey Dunne.

The resulting kick was cleared only as far as defender Aaron Skelton but his effort went straight at Derek Stillie in the Wigan goal.

Latics couldn't have asked for a better start to the game, taking the lead with little over two minutes on the clock.

Big Dane STEFAN BIDSTRUP, playing his first game since limping off the field at the end of the Wrexham game at the JJB on New Year's Day with a hamstring injury, raced onto a through ball from little Brian McLaughlin and unleashed a fierce drive into the top corner of goal.

Colchester enjoyed a great deal of possession but couldn't find a way through the solid Wigan defence and it was the visiting side that always looked like adding to their tally.

Simon Haworth, who at times was out on his own in attack, had a couple of opportunities to increase Wigan's advantages.

Both came from right wing crosses from Andy Liddell, the first Haworth didn't quite get hold of properly and his second effort went sailing over the bar after he had collected Liddell's cross with his back to goal on the edge of the area and hit the ball ball on the turn.

HALF TIME: Colchester 0 Wigan 1

Wigan stood firm in the second half with the home side pushing for the equaliser.

Striker Barry Conlon, on loan from York City, wasted their best chance early in the half when he shot straight at Stillie after forcing his way through on goal.

Wigan had a penalty appeal dismissed by the referee just before the hour mark when former Millwall defender Scott Fitzgerald appeared to handle a cross from Scott Green in the area but Leicester referee Barry Conlon was having none of it and waved play on.

Stefan Bidstrup nearly doubled his tally for the day but his chip from the edge of the penalty area was tipped over the bar by Colchester keeper Andy Woodman.

Wigan eventually got their second in the 77th minute and effectively killed off any faint hope that the home side had of getting back into the game.

Haworth found Liddell in the area with a cross from the right flank. His initial shot was blocked by the keeper but landed back at the feet of ANDY LIDDELL who hit it first time and found the back of the net for his 10th goal of the season.

There was no coming back for Colchester from then on and the result moves Wigan back into second spot after Walsall suffered their first home defeat of the season in the league at the hands of struggling Bury.