Injury-time goal gives Wigan 1-0 win over Spurs

Maynor Figueroa scored his first goal for Wigan in injury time Sunday to give his team a 1-0 Premier League win over injury-hit Tottenham.

With Spurs defender Michael Dawson off injured and goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes laboring with what appeared to be a muscle problem, Figueroa _ a Honduras defender who is on loan from Deportivo Olimpia _ headed in a corner by Ryan Taylor at the near post.

The result kept Tottenham in the relegation zone and winless in five league matches, while Wigan consolidated its hold on seventh place and maintained its status as the Premier League's most in-form team _ with 18 points from the last seven games.

Champion Manchester United had the chance to close to within a point of second-place Chelsea when it hosted the Blues in Sunday's other match.

Jermain Defoe had a quiet second debut for Tottenham, which beat a second-string Wigan side 3-1 in the FA Cup earlier this month. The England striker started alongside Roman Pavlyuchenko and finished it next to Darren Bent, but was unable to forge an effective partnership with either as Wigan dominated possession and chances.

Tottenham had an opening in the first minute when Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland fumbled a header by Ledley King and just managed to clear the loose ball before the attacking Dawson could get to it.

But Wigan edged its way into contention as the first half progressed and controlled the second, with Spurs creating few chances despite the presence of Defoe _ who rejoined the club this week for 15 million pounds (US$22 million; euro16.2 million), a year after leaving.

Wigan striker Amr Zaki headed just wide from a first-half free kick by Taylor and Gomes saved efforts by Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey, before an injury sustained while clearing the ball limited his movement for much of the second half and meant he had to throw the ball instead of kick it.

With Bent and Aaron Lennon on as tactical substitutions and Jermaine Jenas having replaced the injured Dawson, Tottenham could not replace Gomes _ who was laboring so badly that he could not even take goal kicks.

Wigan, though, was unable to test his mobility until the very end.

Zaki headed wide and then over the bar in the last five minutes of regular time before Figueroa scored late on.