Ellington's double puts Wigan top of the table

West Ham United 1 - Wigan Athletic 3

There was excited talk beforehand of West Ham, if they won this game yesterday, going top of the Championship. Well, a team beginning with W did just that but as the Hammers exited to a chorus of boos after an abject display, Wigan claimed their position as leaders of the nascent league table. And the booing would have been louder if everyone had bothered to stay for the final whistle.

There was excited talk beforehand of West Ham, if they won this game yesterday, going top of the Championship. Well, a team beginning with W did just that but as the Hammers exited to a chorus of boos after an abject display, Wigan claimed their position as leaders of the nascent league table. And the booing would have been louder if everyone had bothered to stay for the final whistle.

Not that Paul Jewell, the visiting manager, was concerned with that, nor was he getting carried away by their position. As he explained afterwards: "There are 43 games to go but we've got some good, hard-working players and this result might make some people sit up and take notice. This was an outstanding performance from start to finish."

West Ham could have done with taking notice of Nathan Ellington, who scored twice, and the first two goals were simplicity itself. They should have been easily avoided by West Ham but Wigan were smart enough to take full advantage of some dozy defending. With five minutes gone Gary Teale slipped a short pass to David Wright and his first-time cross was met with a precise and powerful header by Ellington, evading the goalkeeper Stephen Bywater's dive.

The home side did not appear to know what to do having fallen behind and Alan Pardew was not about to hide from this poor display. The West Ham manager, who was without the fighting qualities of Steve Lomas and Michael Carrick, who is still seeking a transfer, said: "The team didn't look tight all day. We lost too many battles all over the place and we were struggling in the first half. Wigan outplayed us and deserved their victory."

Better finishing by Wigan would have seen them extend their lead earlier than they did. Just before the half-hour mark Teale slashed his volley wide and, shortly after, Jason Roberts should have got on the scoresheet but he poked his shot over the crossbar.

The way Wigan were controlling the game, a second goal was inevitable, especially with West Ham so bereft of imagination in every department, and sure enough it arrived. From an innocuous position near the halfway line, Wright's pass to Roberts saw him beat Andy Melville to the ball and from there he calmly rounded Bywater and found the empty net.

Sergei Rebrov, set to play for Ukraine against England on Wednesday, contributed little from the right-hand side and did not re-emerge after half-time but if he had scored with his last touch, a volley from 10 yards, he would have given the Hammers hope. Instead any chance of a revival disappeared 13 minutes after the interval when Teale crossed and, once more, Ellington rose highest to head home.

Bobby Zamora's goal 20 minutes from full-time, poking home his blocked back-heeled shot, barely raised spirits on or off the pitch as Pardew surveyed the wreckage while Jewell enjoyed the view from the top of the table.

Goals: Ellington (5) 0-1; Roberts (45) 0-2; Ellington (58) 0-3; Zamora (70) 1-3.

West Ham United (4-4-2): Bywater; Brevett (Cohen, 83), Repka, Melville, Ferdinand; Etherington, Mullins, Reo-Coker, Rebrov (Chadwick, 45); Sheringham, Harewood (Zamora, 45). Substitutes not used: Walker (gk), Nowland.

Wigan Athletic (4-4-2): Filan; Baines, Jackson, Breckin, Wright; McCulloch (Eaden, 84), Frandsen, Bullard, Teale; Ellington, Roberts (Graham, 89). Substitutes not used: Salisbury (gk), Thome, Mahon.

Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).

Man of the match: Teale.

Attendance: 22,643.