Aliadiere shellshocks Wigan

A Jeremie Aliadiere goal was enough to see off Premiership strugglers Wigan as Middlesbrough defeated Steve Bruce's side 1-0 at the Riverside to help Gareth Southgate's side push themselves a little way out of the relegation area.

It was a very dull encounter at the Riverside as both teams fought a relegation six pointer.

The scoreline barely reflected the disparity between the two sides as Boro tore into their Riverside visitors and deserved far more than Aliadiere's solitary 18th-minute strike.

Wigan could barely contain Gareth Southgate's side and, despite fielding new signing Marlon King alongside Marcus Bent and Emile Heskey in an attacking line-up, offered little up front.

Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Schwarzer – Young, Huth, Wheater, Grounds – O’Neil, Arca, Rochemback, Downing (Cattermole, 88) – Aliadiere (Johnson, 72), Tuncay (Mido, 34)

Unused Substitutes: Turnbull, Riggott

Wigan (3-4-3): Kirkland – Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner – Kilbane, Brown, Palacios Valencia – King (Koumas, 52), Heskey, Bent (Sibierski, 74)

Unused Substitutes: Pollitt, Taylor, Boyce



Goals

1-0 (Middlesbrough) Aliadiere, 19