Franco Di Santo helped himself to just his third and fourth Premier League goals with a brace today to guide Wigan Athletic to a 2-0 home win over Queens Park Rangers.
The Argentine striker produced two wonderful finishes, both aided by deflections, in either half to give Roberto Martinez his first three-point result of the season whilst inflicting a second defeat in three matches on Neil Warnock's QPR side who beat Everton at Goodison Park last week.
The opening goal came in the 41st minute when Hugo Rodallega laid a pass into the path of Di Santo who took a touch at the top of the area which bobbled up and he powered home into the top right corner with some help from the R's defence.
Wigan were two goals clear after 66 minutes when Di Santo stole a ball which was destined for Rodallega, skipped away from goal, before turning and unleashing from range with a touch off R's defender Bruno Perone which assisted the ball past Paddy Kenny and this time into the top left corner.
It was QPR who started the brighter of the two sides though with Shaun Derry forcing a top save from Ali Al Habsi with a long range rocket in the 10th minute before captain Adel Taarabt hit the upright with a curling shot which had the Latics' Omani goalkeeper scrambling.
Di Santo showed his intent in the 26th minute, forcing Kenny to parry over with an outside of the right boot attempt but after the first goal, it was the visitors who were closest when Taarabt's thunderous free-kick two minutes into the second half took a wicked deflection but Al Habsi managed to change direction and divert the effort onto the upright.
Following the second goal, however, it was purely academic as Wigan went about their business with three points in the bag to notch up their first win over QPR since 2003 back in League One.
It gives them an unbeaten start to the 2011/12 campaign with five points from three outings whilst the West Londoners suffered a second defeat with the Toffees win wedged in between this and the opening day hammering at home from Bolton.
Wigan Athletic: 2 (Franco Di Santo 41'/66') QPR: 0 DW Stadium, Wigan - 17,225
Yellow cards:WIG - Adrian Lopez 33', Gary Caldwell 77' QPR - nil
