Wigan Athletic 0-1 Cardiff City

Wigan boss Malky Mackay was sacked as Cardiff manager in December 2013

Cardiff deepened Wigan's relegation worries with a 1-0 win at the DW Stadium as manager Malky Mackay lost to his former club.

Aron Gunnarsson scored the game's only goal after 20 minutes when he slotted in following Kenwyne Jones's assist.

The result is another setback for Mackay, who was sacked as Cardiff boss in December 2013.

Cardiff board members did not witness the win, boycotting the match in protest at alleged racism at Wigan.

Wigan owner Dave Whelan was fined £50,000 last year for making racist comments about Jewish and Chinese people and served a six-week ban from football.

Relations between Mackay and Cardiff's Malaysian owner Vincent Tan are strained, with Mackay under investigation by the Football Association regarding allegations he sent "sexist, racist and homophobic" text messages during his time in charge of the Welsh club.

The Wigan manager handed debuts to former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant and Cameroon defender Gaetan Bong, but the new faces could not arrest the Latics' slide.

Wigan have failed to record a home win in six months and remain nine points from safety in 23rd place.

Cardiff meanwhile are up to 13th and are now unbeaten in their last five matches.

Wigan Athletic manager Malky Mackay on Cardiff fans singing his name: "To get that response was something that will live with me. It was terrific. Overall, I'm obviously disappointed we lost the game but I'm very proud of my team.

"The head of the referees' association texted me yesterday to apologise on behalf of the linesman for the first goal at Bournemouth, that he got it wrong. Then there's two tonight that are wrong as well and it cost us."

Cardiff City manager Russell Slade: "It was a difficult surface for both teams to play the football they ideally want to play. It was who dealt with those conditions best and whose decision-making was the best out there, and there wasn't much in it."