Report by John Patrick Heeley

Many Wigan Athletic fans are probably now wishing that the game hadn't passed the noon pitch inspection as Latics' unbeaten record went as they were comprehensively beaten by Brentford who had never previously won at Wigan.

New Wigan Athletic manager Steve Bruce spent the first 45 minutes of the game sat up in the Directors area of the West Stand and witnessed an impressive, attacking display by his new side but as so often before Latics failed to find the back of the net despite numerous opportunities to do so.

However, whatever Brentford manager Ray Lewington put in his player's half time tea seemed to do the trick because with only 5 minutes of the second half gone the visitors took the lead and 11 minutes later they were 3-0 up.

Bruce then left his position high up in the stand and joined Colin Greenall on the touchline as Wigan had a hug mountain to climb but his presence did little to spur his side into action.

The first half saw Brentford soak up Wigan's attacks on goal well but the visitors showed little in the way of troubling play-off hopefuls Wigan and it was the homeside who had the best chance of the first half with Lee McCulloch striking the woodwork with a fierce shot from 10 yards with just over half an hour gone.

Brentford came for the second half with a totally different attitude to the game and hit Wigan from the start and on 50 minutes they took the lead. A PAUL GIBBS' free kick took a deflection off the wall and beat a helpless Roy Carroll in the Wigan wall.

Wigan went in seach of an equaliser but it was Brentford who got the next goal three minute later. Roy Carroll could only parry LLOYD OWUSU'S shot on goal and the big striker made no mistake with the rebound from 5 yards out.

Wigan found themselves two down, something that had never happened to them before at the JJB Stadium in fact only Stoke City had every scored more than one goal against Wigan on their travels since their move from Springfield Park.

Unfortunately The Bees weren't finished at that and on 61 minutes Owusu broke down the middle and squared the ball to his strike partner SCOTT PARTRIDGE who raced forward, cut inside and hit a low shot under Roy Carroll from 15 yards out.

Many Wigan fans left the ground having had enough of the game and were to miss their team pull on back and give Latics a brief glimmer of hope.

With 22 minutes remaining Wigan piled on the pressure following a good move down the from Man of the Match Paul Dalglish, his pass across the penalty area eventually ending up at the feet of subsitute SIMON HAWORTH who tapped it in from five yards out.

Latics then picked up the tempo in search of another but it wasn't to be despite some excellent work by Dalglish and their afternoon was summed up when Lee Ashcroft stuck his shot over the bar and into Row P from yards out and with only Brentford keeper Olafur Gottskalksson to beat.