Steve Bruce's side can consider themselves very unlucky not to have come away from this game with nothing after dominating the game in large parts only to see all their hard work undone by two mistakes in defence allowed Everton to steal all three points from under their noses.

However Titus Bramble will be one player who will want to forget this game after his howler gifted Andy Johnson his fifth league goal of the season.

The former Newcastle United defender completely fluffed his attempted back pass to keeper Chris Kirkland with Johnson bearing down on him.

The Everton frontman was more than happy to take possession and slip the ball under Chris Kirkand to give his side the lead against the run of play.

If that wasn't bad enough Wigan found themselves further behind when a unilateral lack of concentration allowed Joleon Lescott to go unmarked at the far post and blast home from close range after Phil Jagielka had flicked on the ball from a corner.

Things had been going well for Latics up to then with a number of chances created by the home side.

Wilson Palacios, making his home debut, showed just why Steve Bruce was so determined to sign him when he battled his way through the Toffees defence with only a couple of minutes on the clock but his aim proved to be slightly off the mark.

The visitors reply came moments later but Kirkland did enough to put Mikel Arteta off his balance, the Spaniard's burst forward fizzling out with the ball running out for a goal kick.

Emile Heskey sneaked in at the near post to connect with a Palacios cross into the box but couldn't direct his header towards Howard's net on 7 minutes and Michael Brown also missed the target after collecting a cleared flag kick 20 yards out 6 minutes later.

Everton had a couple of chances themselves just beyond the quarter of an hour mark with Lee Carsley blazing over the bar from 12 yards out after Kevin Kilbane had cleared an Arteta free kick and seconds later Kirkland was called into action with a superb save from Arteta.

The woodwork can be blamed for denying Marcus Bent his 8th goal of the season on 21 minutes. The former Everton striker, who made 55 league appearances for the Merseyside club, blasted a header against the underside of bar from a Valencia corner with Howard desperately flapping at it.

Valencia then saw his own effort blocked by Jagielka as Wigan continued to push forward looking for that all important opening goal

Johnson was almost allowed in on the half hour mark following a Marcus Bent mistake but Bramble was on hand with a well timed tackle at the expense of a corner.

Brown saw an effort sail narrowly wide and just as everything was looking rosy in the Wigan camp disaster struck with ANDY JOHNSON racing on to Titus Bramble's hashed back pass before sticking the ball between Chris Kirkland's legs to put his side in the lead.

Three minutes later and Wigan were two down and undeservedly staring down the barrel of their first defeat of 2008 with JOLEON LESCOTT ghosting in at the far post virtually unnoticed by the Wigan defence to blast home from close range after Phil Jagielka had flicked the ball across goal following an Arteta corner.

Latics pressed forward as the half time interval drew closer but despite the efforts of Heskey, who fired over the bar, and Mario Melchiot, whose low drive across goal was well gathered by Howard, they made their way back to the dressing room with a two-goal deficit.

However Wigan did get their foot back on the ladder seven minutes after the restart when summer signing PHIL JAGIELKA saw the ball ricochet off his body and land in the back of his own net, the former Sheffield United defender completely helpless to prevent it after Everton failed to deal with substitute Jason Koumas' free kick.

The hour mark saw Palacios again endear himself to the home crowd when he stole the ball from Lescott and race forward but his run was cut short by the recovering Everton defender.

Bramble was then left thanking his lucky stars when another miskick almost let David Moye's side in but fortunately Wigan managed to clear.

Minutes later Wigan born Leon Osman shot wide of the far post and Titus Bramble did well to deny Johnson who also saw Paul Scharner head the ball over his own bar as he cleared from another of his efforts as the game drew to its conclusion.

Wigan could have climbed four places to thirteenth had they managed to win this game but instead the result sees Everton overtake their neighbours and move into fourth place, albeit possibly on a temporary basis with Liverpool taking on Aston Villa at Anfield tomorrow night.

Report by John Heeley www.cockneylatic.co.uk