Blackburn moved up to eighth in the Premier League with a battling 3-1 win over Wigan, despite playing 75 minutes with only 10 men.

Roque Santa Cruz continued his impressive goal-scoring record against Wigan by adding a brace to the three he scored at the JJB Stadium in December, while Jason Roberts scored his goal in between.

Rovers' Christopher Samba was shown a straight red card in the 16th minute for a foul on Emile Heskey in the penalty area, while Wigan saw Wilson Palacios sent off in the 69th minute for a second bookable offence.

Blackburn looked threatening from the start and, with Chris Kirkland injuring his back during an awkward fall in just the third minute, seemed determined to try their luck from distance in order to keep the Wigan keeper on his toes.

David Bentley came close in the ninth minute when he fired a shot from 25 yards out across the front of the goal to test Kirkland's movement.

Kirkland managed to dive to his left and turn the ball behind for a corner but just two minutes later Bentley tried again from a more central position.

This time Kirkland could only manage to parry Bentley's ferocious shot straight up in the air and Santa Cruz was quickly on hand to head the ball into the back of the net.

Wigan did not have to wait long before they were handed a chance to equalise as Samba suffered a lapse in concentration shoving Heskey in the penalty area.

Last-defender Samba, comfortably beaten by Heskey, not only conceded a penalty for his troubles but also received a red card which left his side to play the remaining 75 minutes with only 10 men.

Marlon King stepped up and fired the ball low into the bottom right hand corner of the goal to break his goal scoring duck for Wigan.

Despite the one man disadvantage, Blackburn seemed anything but intimidated. Santa Cruz forced a fantastic save from Kirkland and Bentley rattled the right-hand post with a free kick from 25 yards.

Blackburn even managed to have the last word in the half when Roberts took advantage of some poor defending to gift the home side the lead.

Santa Cruz headed down into the path of Roberts, who, on the left hand edge of the box, calmly slotted the ball between the legs of Kirkland into the back of the net.

Wigan showed a little more promise in the early stages of the second half, but Blackburn quickly regained the momentum and added a third goal to their tally.

Bentley produced yet another beautiful cross from the left wing towards Santa Cruz, who made an angled run from the right to head the ball back across the goal and into the back of the net.

The visitors seemed to play better after also being reduced to 10 men when Palacios's rash challenge on David Dunn proved too much for referee Mike Dunn's tolerance and earned the Honduran a red card.

But still Wigan looked unlikely to score. Substitute Ryan Taylor, who created a couple of decent chances late in the day, saw his efforts comfortably dealt with by the unflappable Friedel.

Wigan are now just five points clear of Bolton Wanderers and the relegation zone, level on points with Reading, one spot below them in 15th, and only one point ahead of Sunderland in 16th.

Pippa Davis / Eurosport