Blackburn 2 - 1 Wigan

Blackburn gave themselves breathing space above the Premier League drop zone in a match where defensive errors accounted for all three goals.

Wigan keeper Vladimir Stojkovic made his debut, but had a torrid time and was at fault for Rovers' first goal.

Morten-Gamst Pedersen pounced on one of his many errors before a Gary Caldwell second-half header made it 1-1.

Pedersen then headed against the crossbar before his own corner was headed home by Nikola Kalinic.

With Chris Kirkland suffering from a collarbone injury, Stojkovic came in but all too often arrived for balls he had no hope of reaching while staying on his line when he should have come to collect.

606: DEBATE Kalinic is starting to show why we paid £6.5m now. Hopefully he can keep it going and replace Benni when he eventually leaves. Well done Rovers. MancunianRover

Wigan's defence was over-run in the opening exchanges.

David Hoilett, one of three changes from the team that last represented Blackburn in the league, looped a cross from the left which Steven Nzonzi chased, pulling Stojkovic wide of the goalmouth.

When the ball broke to Kalinic, the Croatian's stabbed effort from close range rebounded off an upright and was cleared.

Not long afterwards Wigan were grateful to see Kalinic dubiously flagged offside and the goal that always appeared imminent for the home side duly followed.

Brett Emerton took a free-kick from distance, and chose to lob his delivery to the edge of Stojkovic's penalty area.

The goalkeeper, at his sixth club in four years, tried to rise above several bodies to clear the ball but succeeded only in palming it directly into the path of Pedersen.

And the in-form Norwegian, enjoying his recent switch to centre midfield, instinctively fired his shot on the half-volley from way outside the area and found the top left-hand corner.

Paul Scharner and Steven Nzonzi battle for possession

Hoilett was a consistent menace and when Emerton's intelligent reverse pass found him lurking on the edge of the area the Canadian teenager fired a shot just wide of the near upright.

Through the entire first half, Wigan disappointed.

The French midfield pairing of Charles N'Zogbia and Mohamed Diame looked bereft of inspiration and when Hugo Rodallega finally carved out a chance for the visitors, curling a free-kick tantalisingly across goal, Paul Scharner was unable to deliver the final touch.

Wigan were much more fluent in the second half and picked up their equaliser when Caldwell beat his marker Pascal Chimbonda to James McCarthy's corner, and from such close range Paul Robinson had no chance.

Quite why Chimbonda was unable to put in any sort of meaningful challenge remained a mystery, however.

Although Wigan now enjoyed a period of dominance, Pedersen almost restored Blackburn's lead when rising above two defenders to head Emerton's centre onto the crossbar.

That moment finally brought Blackburn, who had been through a flat period early in the second half, to life.

A series of attacks culminated in a corner from Pedersen which caught the Wigan defence completely flat-footed, and an unchallenged Kalinic stooped low to direct his header past the keeper.

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Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce:
"We put enormous pressure on Wigan with the quality of our football, pressing them in their own box and it looked like it was going to be a case of dominating the play without scoring.

"Then all of a sudden Morten came up with an outstanding goal. You would have to go a long way to see a better goal than that in the Premier League this season."

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez:
"In the first half we didn't get going, we had to work hard off the ball, but we weren't ourselves and couldn't get two or three passes together and found it difficult.

"The second half was different. We were much more fluent, dominated in spells and looked comfortable. We got the goal, but lapses in concentration meant we lost a football game we needed to get something out of."