Two goals in three minutes late in the first half gave Everton a victory they scarcely deserved to lift them into the top four of the Barclays Premier League.

Andy Johnson's sixth goal of the season was swiftly followed by a seventh this campaign from Joleon Lescott that again proved to be the winner after his decisive strike against Manchester City last week.

Wigan managed to pull one back early in the second half courtesy of an own goal from Phil Jagielka, only to fall short in their bid to salvage a point that would have been merited.

The result lifts David Moyes' side above their Merseyside rivals Liverpool - who face Aston Villa at Anfield tomorrow - into a Champions League place.

Wigan, who could have clambered to 13th with a win, remain a place above the bottom three, a fact that will serve as incredulous to boss Steve Bruce.

If ever there was a half of football that summed up how fortuitous life can be at the top of the league, and how cruel life can be at the bottom, then the opening 45 minutes at Wigan was it.

It is fair to say the Latics played some of their best football of their season, spawned by an injection of confidence provided since the arrival of Bruce.

Before the 39th minute, Bruce was arguably preparing himself to head into the break wondering how his side had not found the net, but at least firmly in the game at 0-0.

Come Lee Probert's whistle to signal the interval, it would have been a totally perplexed Bruce trudging into the dressing room on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline.

Wigan had sprayed the ball around at times, working openings and finding the channels, forcing Everton to primarily rely on the counter.

With home debutant Wilson Palacios patrolling the left wing, and with Antonio Valencia on the right, the Latics were able to offer considerable width that stretched the Toffees.

Chances were frequent, sparked by Honduras midfielder Palacios curling a right-foot shot inches wide after just 60 seconds.

Palacios, nicknamed 'El Magico', provided a left-wing ball into the near post for Emile Heskey that again fell agonisingly the wrong side of the post in the eighth minute.

After Chris Kirkland had saved a drive from Mikel Arteta, Wigan should then have taken the lead with two chances inside three minutes.

But first Tim Howard tipped onto the bar a powerful header from Marcus Bent after he had risen unchallenged to a Valencia corner.

Soon after a loose ball ran into Valencia's path for a first-time goal-bound drive that was bravely blocked by Tim Cahill as he threw his body in the way.

At that stage, at the half-hour mark, Wigan were on top, but just 13 minutes later they were stunned and staring at a 2-0 deficit.

Johnson had previously hooked one half-chance over the bar, while another opportunity he had fired through the six-yard box prior to finally getting his name on the scoresheet in the 39th minute.

Winning the ball off Palacios inside the Everton half, Arteta sprayed a pass down the right wing for Johnson to chase.

Although Titus Bramble managed to get their first, he horrendously sliced his attempted back pass, allowing Johnson to run on and nutmeg the advancing Kirkland.

Three minutes later Everton doubled their lead as Wigan failed to clear their lines from a corner, culminating in Lescott tapping home a Jagielka pass at the far post.

Quite what Bruce made of the situation is anybody's guess, but it is clear he gave those who had started just over five minutes to address the matter at the start of the second half.

It resulted in the 52nd-minute arrivals of Antoine Sibierski for Heskey, and with Denny Landzaat replaced by Jason Koumas who made an instant impact.

With his first touch of the ball seconds after his arrival, the midfielder delivered a piercing free-kick into the heart of the area.

The ball skimmed off the head of Bramble who had beaten Howard to the punch, dropping onto Jagielka and ricocheting off the centre-back and over the line, so halving the deficit.

With the Latics' confidence restored, Everton then weathered a storm for more than 10 minutes as Wigan tried in vain to grab the equaliser.

Instead, the visitors almost restored their two-goal cushion in the 67th minute when a Leon Osman half-volley from 15 yards shaved the left-hand post.

With a last throw of the dice, Bruce threw on another striker in Julius Aghahowa for Michael Brown eight minutes from time, but the equaliser never materialised.

Teams:

Wigan Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown (Aghahowa 82), Palacios, Landzaat (Koumas 52), Heskey (Sibierski 52), Bent.

Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Boyce.

Booked: Palacios.

Goals: Jagielka 53 og.

Everton Howard, Hibbert, Lescott, Jagielka, Nuno Valente, Arteta, Carsley, Neville (Vaughan 74), Osman, Cahill, Johnson.

Subs Not Used: Wessels, Stubbs, Fernandes, Anichebe.

Booked: Arteta, Hibbert.

Goals: Johnson 39, Lescott 42.

Att: 18,820

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).