By David Ornstein

Aliadiere's goal was only his second of the season

An excellent first-half strike from Jeremie Aliadiere was enough to hand Middlesbrough a thinly-deserved victory that sends Wigan into the bottom three.

Aliadiere collected Stewart Downing's chipped pass and beat Chris Kirkland at the goalkeeper's near post.

Tuncay Sanli and David Wheater both wasted clear chances in an opening 45 minutes thoroughly dominated by Boro.

But they were poor thereafter and Mark Schwarzer expertly saved Emile Heskey's header to deny Wigan a point.

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The win was Boro's first at the Riverside since they beat Arsenal there on 9 December but boss Gareth Southgate will wonder how his side were not out of sight by the interval.

They tore Wigan's defence to shreds in the opening stages and could conceivably have emerged with a five-goal lead.

The warning signs were there for Steve Bruce's men as early as the third minute when Downing exposed a gaping hole in the visitors' defence, collected Julio Arca's slide-rule pass and slotted inches wide, albeit from an off-side position.

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Southgate brought Tuncay back into his starting line-up following Saturday's FA Cup win at Mansfield and the Turk should have made an immediate impact.

Having spun the lumbering Titus Bramble, Tuncay then skipped past Paul Scharner but saw Kirkland nudge his goal-bound effort wide of the post.

Former Fenerbahce striker Tuncay would surely have made amends in the 10th minute but Scharner's last-ditch clearance from Downing's centre denied him a tap in.

Then, in similar fashion to his first chance, Tuncay exchanged passes with Aliadiere before bursting into the Wigan box and curling wide.

How Boro could have done with Afonso Alves, the Brazilian forward they are close to signing from Dutch side SC Heerenveen, who was watching from the directors' box.

Fortunately for the hosts, Aliadiere made up for his strike partner's profligacy in the 19th minute but Kirkland should not have been beaten at his near post, a point that will not have been lost on the on-looking England manager Fabio Capello.

Tuncay could have made it two soon after but failed to redirect Downing's scuffed shot with the goal gaping.

And to compound his misery he succumbed to a thigh injury and was replaced by Mido.

Wigan might have snatched an undeserved equaliser - Heskey heading Kevin Kilbane's corner into the ground and over - but Boro one again should have extended their advantage in first-half injury time as Wheater powered Downing's free-kick high.

Bruce replaced disappointing debutant Marlon King with Jason Koumas on 53 minutes and Wigan immediately took the ascendancy.

The former West Brom midfielder's half-volley was tipped over the bar by Schwarzer before Heskey's well-timed header from his free-kick was brilliantly repelled by the Boro keeper.

Amid Boro's scramble to hold on Downing, whose performance will have impressed Capello, limped off with a leg injury.

But the home side scraped through nevertheless.

"I think everyone was edgy for the following 45 minutes. What we had to do was dig deep - and we did.

"The back four were very resilient, and the goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made a terrific save to keep us in front."

"I have to pay a huge compliment to Middlesbrough - their front two caused us all sorts of problems.

"But we've shown enough fight since I've been here to make sure we've got an outstanding chance of staying up."

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Young, Huth, Wheater, Grounds, O'Neil, Arca, Rochemback, Downing (Cattermole 88), Aliadiere (Johnson 72), Sanli (Mido 34).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Riggott.

Goals: Aliadiere 19.

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Palacios, King (Koumas 53), Heskey, Bent (Sibierski 75).
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Taylor, Boyce.

Booked: Heskey.

Att: 22,963

Ref: Rob Styles (Hampshire).

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Middlesbrough's Jeremie Aliadiere 8.05 (on 90 minutes).