Hardworking Latics held City to a goalless draw to earn a vital point to stay 14th in the Barclays Premier League.

Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios will be disappointed he missed Wigan's best chance of the game with ten minutes remaining. He was played into space by Heskey and Wilson's shot was parried by Joe Hart but his second effort flew over the bar from twelve yards.

But it was strong defensive performance by Latics which saw Paul Scharner and Mario Melchiot looking solid at the back. Boss Steve Bruce was forced to make one change before the match with the injured Kevin Kilbane missing due to a problem with his foot. He was replaced by Jason Koumas. City were without the injured Micah Richards and the suspended Marton Petrov.

Wigan almost took an immediate lead just a couple of minutes after kick off when Marlon King struck from just outside the box, but his shot was directed straight at City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Emile Heskey headed wide of the target just before the end of the first half after connecting to a Koumas cross.

King had a second bite of the cherry to get on the score sheet just after the hour mark and his effort had beaten Hart, but not City skipper Richard Dunne who cleared off the line.

Substitute Antonie Sibierski replaced King in the second half and his presence certainly had an impact against his former club. The Frenchman scuffed his shot wide after being set up by a Heskey cross with fifteen minutes remaining.

Sibierski was also close when he nearly got on the end of Koumas free-kick but the ball just eluded him at the back post.

For City, they played new signing Benjani up front on his own and he inevitably was the main threat to Latics. The Zimbabwean was released and went one-on-one with Chris Kirkland before the Latics shot stopper blocked the shot although replays showed he was offside anyway.

City started brightly in the second half and Benjani turned past Scharner and fired straight at Kirkland. The former Portsmouth man also teed up by Darius Vassell but steered the ball wide of the goal from six yards.

The home side also threatened through midfielder Stephen Ireland whose shot went narrowly wide in the first half, whilst Michael Johnson saw his efforts from distance go wide of the target too.

Both sides had their chances, although Latics probably edged it with their disciplined organisation at the back and it's a point deserved.

LATICS: Kirkland; Melchiot (c), Boyce, Scharner, Edman; Valencia, Brown, Koumas, Palacios; King (Sibierski 66), Heskey.

UNUSED SUBS: Pollitt, Bent, Bramble, Olembe.

BOOKING: Brown.

MANCHESTER CITY: Hart; Onuoha, Dunne (c), Corluka, Ball; Johnson, Ireland (Castillo 63), Elano (Caciedo 49), Fernandes; Benjani, Vassell.

UNUSED SUBS: Isaksson, Hamann, Garrido.

REFEREE: Steve Bennett