West Ham 0 Wigan 2 (Barclays Premiership) WHILE he may not have been aware of it at the time, his side's limp performance against Premier League minnows Wigan signalled the beginning of the end for manager Alan Pardew.

Speaking after the game Pards said: "As I said to the players, our status and their status as Premier League players is now under threat and they need to stand up and be counted."

But it proved to be his own status as manager that was most at risk following new owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's first game in the Upton Park stands.

"I wouldn't think Mr Gudmondsson's very pleased. We wanted to put on a performance where we cheered the home fans and got the right result and its the complete opposite, " said Pardew, after a David Cotterill strike and Jonathan Spector own goal fired Wigan to victory.

Hammers' goalkeeper Robert Green was called into action less than a minute into the game, as he pushed onto the post from a Paul Scharner flick.

West Ham's best chance came five minutes into the second half as Carlos Tevez dribbled his way around three players before his fizzing shot against the far post.

Wigan collected the rebound and within seconds Cotterill had tucked the ball into the top corner at the other end. Minutes later it was 2-0 as Leighton Baines' 30-yard half-volley flew in off Spector.

Pardew said: "That minute perhaps changed the game. We missed and they went right up the other end and scored."