Wigan 1 Huddersfield Town 0: Hosts find the bottle and the big moment when it matters

That was in the Rugby League Challenge Cup showpiece as the Giants went down to the Warriors.

This game was not a cup final as such, but felt like one in truth in terms of the Championship relegation fight. It went the way of the red rose county again and there was pain for those from the white rose.

As survival six-pointers often are, it was attritional and not a great watch.

Wigan certainly weren’t great. But when the game was truly in the melting point in the final quarter, they stuck together and summoned up the wherewithal to find the game’s big - only - moment and made it count and Town – under the command of interim boss Narcis Pelach for the first time - folded.

It came when James McClean’s corner was attacked at the back post by Jack Whatmough. He took advantage of meek defending and that was that as another wretched late moment arrived in a game in 2023 for Huddersfield Town, whose predicament is starting to look dire.

Whatmough’s goal was the first in the tenure of Shaun Maloney. It also represented the first time that Wigan had been in front in a game since December 10. It was the first time since November 12 that they pocketed three points.

Managerless Huddersfield’s wait for a first win since 2023 continues and unless they make an inspired managerial appointment to hit the ground running and work some magic and provide clarity and confidence, pulling away from the relegation zone looked a long-shot.

The one Town player who looked like doing something was Joseph Hungbo. He was a figure on his own.

An awful result was compounded by what looked to be a serious knee injury for Ollie Turton, while keeper Tomas Vaclik also came off with a muscle problem in the second half. It never rains but pours.

The first-half was tight and predictably tense, with the major development being a very unfortunate one early on from a Town perspective and for one man in particular in Turton.

The defender’s distress was clear to see after coming off second best in a challenge with Christ Tiehi, with his head in his hands and a stretcher called for.

It looked like a serious knee injury and while he was not stretchered off in the event, he had to be helped off by Town staff and looked visibly upset.

Matt Pearson switched to right back and defensively, the Terriers protected Tomas Vaclik well enough, with Wigan looking like a side struggling for rhythm and confidence in the final third, unsurprising given their win drought since November 12.

The best moment went to Huddersfield just after the 20-minute mark.

Hungbo wriggled clear in eye-catching fashion down the right before unleashing a low shot from a tight angle which forced Ben Amos into meaningful work to parry.

Amos gathered a half-decent free-kick from the loanee just before the break while a low snapshot from Anthony Knockaert, which flashed wide, was the best moment for Town’s marquee January arrival on his first Terriers’ start.

At the other end, Wigan offered little, with the nearest they came coming when Jack Whatmough saw his acrobatic effort sail wide after a dangerous left-wing cross from James McClean briefly caused consternation.

For Town, the interval team talk will have been about piecing together a bit more quality, given some decent amounts of possession and being sharper in their work.

Wigan were the ones who had to step it up more to get the three points they craved.

The second half carried on as the first did. Again, the quality count was not particularly high.

Town did piece together a good move involving the recalled Etienne Camara and Jonathan Hogg. But what happened afterwards rather summed up their afternoon.

The ball found Knockaert. With a chance to shoot in a position he likes, he delayed and the chance was gone.

Wigan hung in and built up pockets of pressure, but without doing that much with it. But given the fact that the game was live and still goalless, they had enough to keep them interested and patiently waited for that chance.

One opportunity, if not clear-cut, saw substitute Ashley Fletcher head over.

Then a big one came and that was that.

Wigan Athletic: Amos; Darikwa (Pearce 59), Whatmough, Hughes, Nyambe, Power, Tiehi; Sinani (Fletcher 59), Lang (Aasgaard 77), McClean; Keane (Naylor 86). Substitutes unused: J Jones, Wyke, Caulker.

Huddersfield Town; Vaclik (Bilokapic 61); Turton (Boyle 14), Lees, Pearson, Ruffles (Headley 86); Hungbo, Hogg, Camara, Rudoni, Knockaert (Mahoney 62); Waghorn (Rhodes 62). Substitutes unused: Koroma, Kasumu.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).