Latics were unable to prevent Leeds from reigniting their promotion challenge after suffering a 2-0 defeat at Elland Road which leaves them in trouble in Coca-Cola League One.

Argentine Luciano Becchio, who had been recalled to the starting line up, eased the jitters of the home side scoring twice in the space of eight second-half minutes to earn second-placed Leeds only their second win in nine league matches.

After a goalless opening half, Latics found themselves on the back foot from the restart as keeper Dean Brill had to dive to turn Robert Snodgrass' free kick round the post for a corner.

The deadlock was broken in the 54th minute when Brill could only parry a low cross from Jermaine Beckford driven in from the left as Becchio was left with a simple tap-in.

Worse was to follow when the ever-dangerous Snodgrass weaved his way to the by-line and crossed to the far post where Becchio nodded home his 10th goal of the season from a couple of yards.

It would have been 3-0 not long after had Dean Furman not come to Latics' rescue clearing Shane Lowry's header off the goalline.

Latics came close to halving the deficit when Pawel Abbott released Chris Taylor who cut in from the left only to see keeper Casper Ankergren pull off a super stop low to his left to turn the goalbound shot round the post for a corner.

Manager Dave Penney sent on Joe Colbeck,  Kelvin Lomax and Tom Eaves as he rejigged his side, but to no avail as Leeds marched on to victory while the defeat leaves Latics still rooted in the lower reaches of the table.