Wigan 1 Manchester Utd 0:Wigan secured a sensational win over Manchester United to breathe fresh life into the Premier League title race and lift themselves out of the relegation zone for the first time since October.

Shaun Maloney curled home a superb winner four minutes after the break in yet another game marred by controversial decisions.

Victor Moses had a goal disallowed, United were denied a penalty as an eight-match winning run came to an end and even the corner from which the hosts grabbed their first victory in 15 attempts against tonight’s opponents was questionable.

Wigan began in their usual methodical manner, with Moses nicking the ball away from Patrice Evra, only for Ashley Young to race back and snuff out the danger.

Michael Carrick tripped Maloney in a dangerous area but Wigan wasted the free-kick, as they did when Jean Beausejour was upended by fellow South American Antonio Valencia. Beausejour did find space on the left flank moments later but Carrick raced back to ensure his pass did not find Franco di Santo.

Moses had a penalty appeal turned down for handball against Phil Jones, with TV replays showing a spot-kick would have been incredibly harsh against the United defender.

James McCarthy then had a shot tipped over by David de Gea as the hosts maintained their offensive.

De Gea did not do too well attempting to punch the corner away, although he was helped out by Beausejour, whose first-time volley was so far off target it went out for a throw-in.

United had been non-existent in attack but Javier Hernandez would have had a clear sight of goal if Gary Caldwell had not nicked the ball away as he tried to turn inside the box.

Ferguson’s presence in the technical area was a sure sign the United boss was not happy with his side’s performance.

The Scot would have felt better about things if Ryan Giggs’s attempt to slide a cross to Wayne Rooney in front of the Wigan goal found the target, but Maynor Figueroa intercepted.

Jonny Evans was shown a yellow card for flattening Di Santo as he tried to spin onto Figueroa’s pass out of defence.

Hernandez failed to read Rooney’s through ball as the visitors launched a counter, having been asked to drop into a deeper position to plug the gaps appearing in midfield.

Wigan were celebrating the opener on the half hour after Moses’s shot was deflected wide for a corner by Rio Ferdinand.

Moses rose to power Maloney’s corner home from the edge of the six-yard box, only for referee Phil Dowd to rule the goal out

after initially giving it – on the intervention of assistant Dave Richardson.

It was not immediately clear what Wigan had done wrong, but it seemed the foul was given against Caldwell on De Gea, even though the Scot had moved before the ball landed on Moses’s head.

Roberto Martinez could not believe it and was left fuming for the second successive at decisions that could have a negative impact on his team’s Premier League status.

A couple of Wigan mistakes close to their own penalty area almost proved calamitous as Giggs tried to find Hernandez with a delicate flick, only for Caldwell to intervene.

Ferguson reacted to his side’s tepid display by replacing Young with Tom Cleverley at half-time.

Moses showed his strength to shrug Ferdinand off the ball, but then knocked it too close to the United defender, who tapped it away.

Former Wigan man Valencia chopped down Maloney, but after finding space from the free-kick, the Scot’s cross was blocked.

Wigan were pressing once more and after Beausejour had earned his side a corner, the Chile man returned a pass to Maloney, who darted round Rooney before sending a sensational shot into the top corner.

The goal, the first Wigan had scored in six attempts against United during Martinez’s reign, threatened to cause tremors at both ends of the table, although Rooney tried to find a quick leveller only for his shot to sail wide.

Di Santo was off target at the other end, then Ferdinand was across quickly to prevent the Argentinian forward releasing Emmerson Boyce.

Danny Welbeck replaced Hernandez just before the hour mark, then, more surprisingly, Rooney made way for Nani, who was making his first appearance in over a month after an ankle injury.

Mohamed Diame replaced Di Santo and shortly afterwards the visitors had a penalty claim turned down when Figueroa blocked Jones’s cross with his arm, but it was not given.

Moses wasted an excellent chance to grab a second by going for goal himself rather than pull a cross back to the unmarked Maloney.

Wigan were under severe pressure, though, their players throwing themselves into challenges and blocks in order to keep their lead in tact.

Nani lashed a shot over as Jones limped on, knowing his side’s three substitutes had already been used.

Moses brought an excellent save out of De Gea on a rare Wigan counter, then had a shot deflected wide after good work from substitute Conor Sammon.

Ali Al Habsi denied Welbeck, who had been set up by Cleverley seven minutes from time, then Jones was booked following a clash of heads with Figueroa.