Bury 0 Wigan Athletic 2

Goals either side of half-time from Nick Powell and Chey Dunkley were enough to see off their plucky hosts, who were never out of the game.

Latics could have gone top but Shrewsbury’s win at home to AFC Wimbledon means it’s they who take up pole position, with Blackburn – who were without a game due to international call ups – slipping to third. Of course, Latics still have two games in hand to the Shrews and one to Rovers.

It’s fair to say that it was Bury who were on top in the opening stages. Despite not creating many clear-cut chances, they controlled the play and made Christian Walton and Wigan’s back four work hard to keep them out. But the promotion-chasing visitors showed their class when they raced up to the other end to take a slightly undeserved lead.

After giving away a silly free-kick deep into his own half and then getting booked for backchat while lining up in the wall, Powell darted down to the other end and was on the end of Michael Jacobs’ cross to open the scoring.

The goal brought the game to life somewhat and while the pitch prevented either side producing much quality, they did create a fair few chances each.

Powell nearly made it 2-0 when his header from a Max Power corner was saved before he was involved in a sequence of play that really should have ended with a goal.

As James Vaughan rushed through on goal, Connor Ripley darted 25 yards out of the Bury goal to challenge with the loose ball falling to Powell on the right.

The Latics frontman was a little too nonchalant though with the goal gaping, allowing the defenders to get back and close the gap and block Jacobs’ shot after he had been played in.

As Wigan thought they had taken control though, Bury poured forward again and Christian Walton had to be at his best to turn Danny Mayor’s low effort behind for a corner.

Harry Bunn then put an effort wide for the visitors before Latics broke again and Jay Fulton’s shot was well saved in a first half that really did finish with a flurry.

Latics came out in the second half determined to control the game and they nearly doubled their lead almost immediately.

Colclough’s dangerous ball into the box was spilled and picked up by Vaughan who got it out to Dan Burn. After a mini-scramble, the big defender’s effort was just turned behind for a corner.

Wigan continued to press and did get their second in the 51st minute when Dunkley powered home Power’s corner with a bullet header.

To their credit, Bury didn’t lie down and continued to push, coming close through Ryan Cooney and Mayor.

Wigan had the ball in the back of the net again when Bury old-boy Vaughan flicked on Nathan Byrne’s cross but the linesman’s flag was up for offside.

Bury: Ripley, Leigh, Dawson (Styles 63), Mayor (Maguire 72), Miller, O’Shea (Hanson 77), Cameron, Cooney, Danns, Bunn, Clarke

Subs: Murphy, Thompson, Dai, Ince

Wigan: Walton, Byrne, Elder, Power, Vaughan, Jacobs, Dunkley, Powell (Perkins 68), Colclough (Massey 84), Fulton (Roberts 62), Burn

Subs: Jones, Grigg, Cole, Bruce