BLACKBURN Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen finally scored his first goal for the club to confirm a vital win at home to Wigan Athletic in the Premier League this afternoon.

Rovers moved up to 15th - six points clear of the relegation zone - after Benni McCarthy's 45th-minute goal was followed by Nelsen's header on the hour mark.

Luis Antonio Valencia hit the bar for Wigan in the first few minutes, while Chris Kirkland saved from McCarthy at the other end.

El-Hadji Diouf then saw his header cleared off the line by Lee Cattermole, who minutes later fired over the bar for Wigan.

But McCarthy rose above Kirkland to nod home Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner and put Rovers in front in the 45th minute.

Kiwi central defender Nelsen, without a goal in four-and-a-half years at the club, then glanced in McCarthy's free kick to make it 2-0 in the 60th minute.

Soon afterwards Paul Robinson made a fine double save from Emmerson Boyce and Valencia, with substitute David Dunn clearing off the line from Paul Scharner's header in the ensuing melee.

Rovers: Paul Robinson, Andre Ooijer, Ryan Nelsen, Gael Givet, Stephen Warnock, El-Hadji Diouf, Vince Grella (Keith Andrews 78), Tugay (David Dunn 63), Stephen Warnock, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Benni McCarthy (Carlos Villanueva 81), Chris Samba. Subs not used: Mark Bunn, Martin Olsson, Zurab Khizanishvili, Aaron Doran.

Wigan: Chris Kirkland, Emmerson Boyce, Titus Bramble, Paul Scharner, Maynor Figueroa (Olivier Kapo 78), Luis Antonio Valencia, Lee Cattermole, Ben Watson (Daniel de Ridder 78), Charles N'Zogbia, Mido (Amr Zaki 46), Hugo Rodallega. Subs not used: Mike Pollitt, Erik Edman, Jason Koumas, Michael Brown.

Referee: Peter Walton (Northants).

Attendance: 25,019.