Nahki Wells scored the only goal in the 81st minute as Huddersfield kept their playoff dream alive with a win at Wigan.
3,892 Huddersfield fans made the journey to Lancashire, in hope of a third successive away win.
Wigan hadn’t won a Sky Bet Championship game since they beat Huddersfield on their own patch five weeks ago, and have experienced a torrid run at home losing their past five games and failing to score in seven of the last nine at the DW.
Town made seven changes for their opening fixture of 2017, with Jack Payne, Phillip Billing and Jon Gorenc Stankovic among the faces coming into the side.
Wigan started the brighter of the two, winning two corners in the opening five minutes, Aaron Mooy the man to head clear on both occasions.
Phillip Billing received the first yellow card of the day quarter of an hour in, after a needless lunge on Nick Powell to prevent an attack.
In the 33rd minute, left midfielder Micheal Jacobs beat his man and delivered a cross into the area which was vitally headed out for a corner by Tareiq Holmes-Dennis.
On the stroke of half time, Aaron Mooy was booked by referee Jeremy Simpson after bringing down Will Grigg.
The second half was a livelier spectacle, Town attacking towards their travelling fans, in hope of breaking the deadlock.
On the hour mark, David Wagner made his first substitution of the afternoon, bringing Joe Lolley on after a four month foot injury, for Harry Bunn.
Yanic Wildschut came close for Wigan with a sprint at the Town defence before cutting back and firing wide of the left hand post.
The game was opening up and you felt if a goal was to arrive, it would most likely be the winner.
In the 80th minute the wait for the opener was over. Elias Kachunga skipped past three Wigan men before pulling the trigger twenty yards out from a central position. Jussi Jaaskelainen couldn’t keep hold of the German’s powerful strike and Nahki Wells was quickest to react, prodding the ball into the empty net to give Town a late lead.
Micheal Hefele was introduced to play with five minutes remaining, and Huddersfield held out for a fifth win in six and A winning start to 2017.
Player Ratings:
Huddersfield Town: Danny Ward 8, Martin Cranie 7, Mark Hudson 6, Jon Gorenc Stankovic 7, Tareiq Holmes-Dennis 7, Aaron Mooy 6, Phillip Billing 6, Elias Kachunga 7, Jack Payne 7, Harry Bunn 5, Nahki Wells 7.
Substitutes: Joe Lolley 7, Dean Whitehead 7, Micheal Hefele N/A.
Wigan Athletic: Jussi Jaaskelainen 6, Max Power 6, Dan Burn 7, Jake Buxton 6, Stephen Warnock 7, Shaun MacDonald 7, Jordi Gomez 6, Micheal Jacobs 7, Will Grigg 6, Nick Powell 6, Yanic Wildschut 6.
Substitutions: Ryan Colclough 6, Adam Le Fondre N/A, Craig Davies N/A
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