IT’S been a miserable weekend on the sporting front for Bradfordians in Wigan Athletic.

Bradford City’s insipid Roses loss to Wigan Athletic followed Bulls’ Challenge Cup elimination across Warriors and the trip home was a fruitless one.

After outclassing Port Vale three days earlier on a difficult surface, they plumbed the depths on another hazardous pitch.

Lowly Wigan had the game plan and the mastery and City could have few complaints at the outcome as they failed to cash in on Bolton Wanderers’ draw at Rotherham United and Stockport County’s loss at Lincoln City.

Huddersfield Town's Joe Taylor, who scored his sixth goal in eight matches to settle the game in Wigan Athletic's favour against Bradford City.

placeholder image — Huddersfield Town's Joe Taylor, who scored his sixth goal in eight matches to settle the game in Wigan Athletic's favour against Bradford City.

The song of choice at Vale from City followers was ‘We’re off to Tottenham, you're off to York’. Here, Latics supporters had their own moment of mirth, with a chorus of ‘Can we play you every week’ late on.

It came not long after Huddersfield Town loanee Joe Taylor, in outstanding form since heading west, settled the issue in eye-catching fashion on 78 minutes following a mistake from Wigan-born Jenson Metcalfe.

He had a hard day against his hometown club. He was by no means alone.

City deservedly trailed at the break following a 20th-minute strike from ex-Barnsley loanee Caylan Vickers.

Graham Alexander, clearly non-plussed, made a treble change at the break. It could not sufficiently inspire City.

Wigan made four changes and went ‘like-for-like’ with City in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Vickers and Callum Wright supporting the resurgent Taylor.

Roared on by a big 4,600 travelling contingent, City - unchanged from midweek - started nicely enough, with Ethan Wheatley taking the confidence from his strong showing at Vale Park and firing at Latics keeper Sam Tickle with an early sighter from a narrow angle in the game’s first salvo.

But evidence of the opening to the game soon confirmed that Wigan definitely would not be the pushovers that Port Vale were.

Callum Wright showed neat close control to work a good position for himself on the left with his goalbound shot blocked by ex-Latics man Curtis Tilt before Vickers fired wide after more endeavour from the hosts.

Vickers fared better not long after.

He nipped in front of dozing City and was quickest to react to Callum Murray’s cut-back from the left and finish was a beauty, with his arrowing drive flying into the top corner.

The strike winded the visitors and it took them a fair while to find their feet again against proficient looking hosts, who refused to let Bradford dictate and were up for the challenge with their game plan being a sound one. Those in blue and white jerseys won a fair few first-half battles in truth, with their central midfield duo of Jason Kerr and Owen Moxon leading the way.

After holding court in the Potteries, City’s 10s in Antoni Sarcevic and Bobby Pointon were kept in check by the hosts.

Well-drilled and eager Wigan - punched on the nose by Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night - did their homework and also wise to the twin dangers of Josh Neufville and Tyreik Wright out wide with the visitors struggling to create anything substantive in the first 45 minutes.

It was a far cry from events down the M6 in Staffordshire three days earlier. The interval questions belonged to Alexander.

The City boss did not mess around in fairness, making a triple change, with Swan and Humphrys operating behind Mullin with Sarcevic, Pointon and Wheatley making way.

The start of the second half was not pretty inspiring, but finally City pieced together their first moment of real quality to get their big following going.

It was instigated by Neufville and ex-Latics forward Humphrys.

Humphrys raking crossfield pass found Neufville. His driving run and cross ended with a juicy cross which found Humphrys, whose brilliant volleyed cross flashed agonisingly across goal.

At the other end, Taylor - shortlisted for the EFL League One player-of-the-month award - tested Sam Walker from a tight angle, before his opposite number Tickle made an important claim at the feet of Swan.

City’s intensity was better on the restart. But Wigan stuck to their game plan and were determined to hold onto their precious gain.

The scoreline was still finely poised and City required just one moment in an increasingly scrappy contest, even if a brief kerfuffle in the best Roses traditions did provide some animation 15 minutes from time.

Metcalfe spurned one chance against his hometown side, firing wildly over following a short free-kick routine.

It got worse for Metcalfe, with Taylor picking his pocket before racing away and finishing superbly with the outside of his foot - for his sixth goal in eight games for the Lancastrians.

Wigan Athletic: Tickle; Kerr, Aimson, Chapman (Robinson 90); Raphael, Weir, Moxon (Saydee 85), Murray; Vickers (Smith 59), C Wright; Taylor (Hungbo 91). Substitutes unused: Savin, McManaman, Bettoni.

Bradford City: Walker; Pennington (Ashby 75), Tilt, Touray; Neufville, Metcalfe, Power, T Wright; Sarcevic (Swan HT), Pointon (Humphrys HT) Wheatley (Mullin HT). Substitutes unused: Hilton, J Wright, Evans.

Referee: A Humphries (Northants)

Attendance: 16,710 (4,602 Bradford City fans).