WIGAN - Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce's Christmas of discontent continued against a Wigan side finally out of the relegation zone.
For the second successive season a Ryan Taylor free-kick proved to be the undoing of an inept Newcastle side again booed and jeered by their own die-hard fans come the final whistle.
Taylor grabbed the winner in spectacular fashion just after the hour to continue Wigan's revival under new boss Steve Bruce as the Latics have taken eight points from his five matches in charge.
But for Allardyce, who was rumoured to be close to being on his way out prior to a face-saving draw against Arsenal earlier this month followed by wins over Birmingham and Fulham, the dark days have returned.
By the Magpies standards this was another miserable affair coming hot on the heels of a desperate home draw against Derby on Sunday.
They failed to muster a single shot on or off target during the opening 45 minutes, and just one overall throughout the 90, and even then that was fortuitous.
That was despite the fact Allardyce opted to ring the changes in the wake of the debacle against Derby.
Joey Barton and David Rozehnal were axed, while Nicky Butt, Obafemi Martins and Claudio Cacapa were all relegated to the bench.
Allardyce's line-up at first appeared an attacking one as Damien Duff was handed his first start since April after recovering from a broken foot,
With Mark Viduka, Alan Smith and James Milner all starting, there was the threat of goals, in particular against another of the top-flight's strugglers and worst defences.
But Allardyce played Smith in a holding role in front of the back four, his fourth different position this season since his £6million summer move from Manchester United.
Smith, who was also surprisingly handed the captain's armband ahead of the returning Geremi, has previously played in attack, on the wing and in central midfield.
It effectively left Viduka on his own up front and the Australian, who grabbed both of Newcastle's goals against the Rams, found no space against the Latics rearguard.
That was underlined by a chorus of 'attack, attack, attack' from the frustrated massed ranks of the Magpies fans at the half-hour mark.
By that stage Newcastle had ventured into the Wigan area on just three occasions, failing to add to that tally by the close of the first half which was greeted by more boos.
Wigan were little better, but then their cause is a different one as they are merely scrapping for every point they can glean in a bid to haul themselves out of the bottom three.
They did at least have the one and only chance in the first half, with Paul Scharner unleashing a long-range effort that Shay Given safely gathered after it had taken a deflection off Geremi.
There was a greater degree of urgency at the start of the second half, but that was no surprise given the ineptitude of the first period.
But it at least brought Newcastle a chance in the 52nd minute - albeit their one and only of the game - courtesy of an error from Wigan skipper Mario Melchiot on his return from a three-match ban.
The mistake forced goalkeeper Chris Kirkland into a hasty clearance that ballooned into the air, and from 22 yards Viduka produced a spectacular overhead kick.
It was an effort that would have struck the top left-hand corner of the net but for the intervention of former Newcastle defender Titus Bramble who cleared off the line.
But it proved to be the spark that ignited Wigan because after a couple of bookings for James Milner and Emre, and a Taylor free-kick fired into the wall, the latter duly made amends soon after.
Following Smith's foul on Michael Brown outside the area, Taylor - a right back operating on the left wing - whipped a right-footed shot over the wall and into the top left-hand corner of Given's net.
Taylor's only other goal for Wigan was in February this year, again from a free-kick and the winner in a 1-0 victory over Newcastle.
For Allardyce, that said it all on another worrying afternoon.
