A second-half brace from Luis Antonio Valencia handed Wigan the win it needed to confirm its Barclays Premier League status as Aston Villa failed to keep the pressure on Everton in the battle for the UEFA Cup.
The Latics went into today's match knowing results elsewhere could see them safe regardless of the score at Villa Park but Valencia's double, the first deflecting heavily off Wilfred Bouma, meant survival was assured under their own steam through a 2-0 victory.
Villa, only Wigan's second away scalp of the season after Derby, had much the better of the first 45 minutes but its lack of precision in the final third could cost it dearly in the race for fifth place.
It was also a disappointing result for Villa stalwart Olof Mellberg, who was passed fit after a bout of illness to make his final appearance at the ground before his summer move to Juventus.
The hosts nearly had a stroke of fortune in the third minute when an attempted Wigan clearance ricocheted wickedly and played in Ashley Young.
But Paul Scharner was alert enough to put in a vital tackle and send the ball back to a grateful Chris Kirkland.
Gabriel Agbonlahor then battled bravely with Titus Bramble to win possession for Villa in a promising position but John Carew strayed offside before receiving Gareth Barry's pass.
Barry's future had been the subject of much debate this week, with Villa boss Martin O'Neill criticising Liverpool's public pursuit of the England man, but the Holte End were soon loudly roaring their support for the midfielder.
Agbonlahor was set free by a long Scott Carson kick in the 11th minute, and when he went jinking down the left flank, it took a combination of Emmerson Boyce and Wilson Palacios to stop him.
Palacios then turned aggressor, teasing a foul out of Mellberg on Villa's right-hand side, but the burly Swede soon made amends with a fine sliding block after 15 minutes.
The unlikely figure of Zat Knight had a good chance when he met Young's curling free-kick at the far post, but he could not hit the target.
Barry's concentration started to waver somewhat as he first launched a volleyed effort high and wide, and then rolled the ball straight to Scharner when he had options on both sides.
Villa was pressing but could not find the end result, with Agbonlahor guilty of scuffing his left-footed shot minutes later.
Wigan's strategy, meanwhile, consisted largely of looking for the willing Emile Heskey with high balls, but he and strike partner Marcus Bent found little room for manoeuvre in the home defence.
A set-piece nearly provided the breakthrough.
After 33 minutes, Jason Koumas whipped in the game's first corner, and after Bouma failed to clear, Bent fired wide from close-range.
Villa was stung into action and Agbonlahor saw his close-range header tipped onto the crossbar by Chris Kirkland in the aftermath of another messy corner.
After a scrappy start to the second period, Barry sought to reassert himself on the game.
He first played in the lively Agbonlahor with a perfectly-weighted pass down the right before taking the return pass and forcing Kirkland to palm the ball over the crossbar when his lofted cross sailed dangerously towards the top corner.
But it was the away side, against the odds, which took the lead.
Having received a smart pass from Koumas and with the angle tight, Valencia