Wigan put themselves just a point below Bolton with a vital win against their relegation rivals.
Bolton were very poor in the first half, giving their opponents every chance to get a foothold in the game, and Wigan focused on keeping possession of the ball as much as possible. They didn't particularly create a host of chances, but dominating possession was always likely to pay off over the course of the half, and sure enough in the 43rd minute Gary Caldwell headed in from a corner to put the away fans into delirium.
There was a large away crowd for this one who made a lot of noise in support of their club throughout, some went too far though as a couple of scuffles with stewards and flares being set off and thrown led to 5-10 idiots being removed from the ground by the police.
The Bolton fans meanwhile were largely quiet during the first half, apart from as the half time whistle went as there was a chorus of boos from them, clearly unhappy with a lifeless performance in such a vital fixture.
Bolton improved in the second half as the pacey Miyaichi was introduced, and after an initial spell of continued Wigan dominance, Bolton came to life as Mark Davies fired in a stunning equaliser, the ball bounced up towards him and he smashed a powerful half volley from around 25 yards out that flew high into the net in the 67th minute.
Momentum was with the home side after this as they repeatedly pushed forward, gaining a succession of corners and half chances, and it was looking likely that the constant pressure could lead to another goal for them to turn the game on it's head.
So it was a surprise twist in the 76th minute, when Hugo Rodallega suddenly received the ball on the left wing on a quick break and darted towards the Bolton box. Bogdan blocked Rodallega's shot but the power on it meant he could only parry it, and the ball went straight to McArthur to tap in the winner from close range.
It was a real sucker punch for Bolton after ten minutes of them being on top following their equaliser, but perhaps on the balance of play of the rest of the match it wasn't an undeserved winner for a Wigan side who mainly bossed this match.
The Bolton fans tried to gee up their side for another spell of attacking late on, but in truth that Wigan goal really took the stuffing out of them. Their one big chance late on fell to Miyaichi, who charged through on goal on the left side of the penalty area, but his effort didn't have enough power on it, and Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi was able to save it, to ensure his team gained three points over his former club.
There were more boos at full time for Bolton, and with their next Premier League fixtures being away at Chelsea and Man City, getting points in the following two home fixtures suddenly looks all the more crucial - both are relegation battles against teams currently 1 point above them - Blackburn and QPR.
Wigan meanwhile have the opportunity to be able to overtake Bolton over the next few games, with two home games which they might feel they could be able to gain a couple of points from - at home to Aston Villa and Swansea, and that's followed by games away at Norwich and at home to West Brom.
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