WIGAN secured their first Premiership win at the JJB Stadium since Boxing Day in dramatic style against Aston Villa.

Jimmy Bullard put the Latics ahead with a superb drive only for Juan Pablo Angel to equalise. Henri Camara's quick-fire brace then gave Paul Jewell's men a commanding lead, and Liam Ridgewell's late goal proved to be only a consolation.

In doing the `double' over Villa Wigan are back in with a shot of a UEFA Cup place as they trail sixth-placed Blackburn by three points.

The first half had `end of season' written all over it, and it was a case of small mercies that Bullard was on hand to raise spirits.

Out of the ordinary came something extra special in the 25th minute because what had preceded that numbed the senses.

It was down to a man who has not missed a Premiership game this season - and started all bar one - to inject life into matters.

Captain Jason Roberts chased down a floated ball into the area from the right wing from Gary Teale, hooking it back into the danger area.

From there Gary Cahill, a Villa hero from Sunday's derby triumph, cleared with an overhead kick, only for the ball to fall to Bullard two yards outside the area.

Bullard proceeded to connect with a sweet right-foot volley into the top left-hand corner that gave goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen no chance.

Crashed

It should then have been 2-0 just after the half hour as Damien Francis - starting his first game since the end of January - Teale, Camara and Roberts combined to set up Reto Ziegler.

But from 15 yards, the left winger on loan from Tottenham crashed a left-foot drive over the bar when Sorensen should ideally have been tested.

As for Villa, remarkably failing to spark despite the confidence they should have gained from beating the Blues, mustered just one chance in the opening 45 minutes.

That came in the 17th minute, sparked by James Milner delivering a low ball into the area from the right wing

With his back to goal, captain Gareth Barry turned inside Pascal Chimbonda and fired in a half volley past Stephane Henchoz - in for his first game since the Carling Cup final on February 26.

However, goalkeeper John Filan turned the ball aside, and was aided by Teale who hacked clear with Milan Baros poised to pounce.

What was then put in the players' half-time cup of tea is anybody's guess as the game exploded with four goals in 15 minutes, with the match played with the kind of passion as if it were a season-opener.

Piercing

Wigan were on top when Angel slid in onto a low, piercing ball from half-time substitute Gabriel Agbonlahor for his third goal of the season - and first since Boxing Day - in 33 appearances.

Then Wigan - and Camara in particular - lit up the game with a brace inside four minutes.

His first in the 56th - with Villa level for just three minutes - was exquisite as he seemingly had nowhere to go from just inside the area after receiving a ball from Ziegler.

But he first turned Cahill inside out, and with three players in front of him, managed to squeeze in a shot that beat Sorensen low inside his right-hand post.

On the hour, Camara and Chimbonda exchanged passes inside the area, with the latter's ball into the six-yard box hacked away by Cahill.

But it was clearly not the luckless youngster's night as he merely found Camara who drove home his 11th goal this term.

After Angel had planted a downward header narrowly wide, Villa were handed a lifeline with Ridgewell scoring his first since the end of December.

A right-wing cross from Barry skimmed off the head of Francis, and with Ridgewell in behind the Wigan defence and at point-blank range, he slipped the ball home underneath Filan.

Ridgewell and Angel had the chances to equalise again in a rousing finale, while Bullard should have eased nerves very late on.

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