Last updated on .From the section Championship

Josh Windass (left) has now scored in two consecutive appearances for the first time as a Wigan player

Wigan Athletic held on despite a late Queens Park Rangers comeback to earn victory over Steve McClaren's side.

Josh Windass pounced on Jamie Jones' cross, diverting the ball past Joe Lumley in the Rangers goal to put the home side 1-0 up.

Former QPR player Leon Clarke doubled Wigan's lead early in the second half, stabbing the ball in at the far post to score on his Latics debut.

Midfielder Bright Osayi-Samuel halved the deficit with 15 minutes remaining when his deflected shot wrong-footed Wigan goalkeeper Jamie Jones, but Paul Cook's side saw the game out.

The result meant Wigan rose to 19th, seven points above the relegations zone, while QPR are 14th, eight points off the play off places.

QPR, who had won their last four fixtures against Wigan, started the better of the two sides as shots from Nahki Wells and Luke Freeman forced Jones to a fine double save after four minutes.

And having fallen behind, they nearly equalised within moments when Wells went through on goal only to see his shot again kept out by the keeper.

Clarke came close to doubling the Latics' lead when he headed a Windass cross just wide from close range before Freeman replied just before half-time with a free-kick from the edge of the area which deflected narrowly over the bar off the wall.

Lumley did well to deny Wigan a second early in the second half, diving to his left to keep out a fierce shot from Michael Jacobs, and Clarke's goal then tightened their grip on the game.

Rangers' Massimo Luongo, starting his first game after being away on international duty with Australia, forced a good save from Jones on the hour mark as QPR tried to reduce the deficit.

But the hosts could have added a third as Anthony Pilkington was inches away from tapping in Chelsea loanee Reece James' flicked-on corner after 71 minutes.

Following Osayi-Samuel's goal, Toni Leistner nearly equalised for the Rs in the 80th minute when he volleyed against the crossbar.

Wigan manager Paul Cook:

"It's been a tough week for everyone, to lose a player with the character and stature of Will Grigg (moved to Sunderland for £4m) was hard to take.

"He's been an absolute hero for this club, and if you'd have told me at 9-10pm on deadline day we were going to lose him, I'd have said not a chance.

"But when you win football matches, everyone is suddenly happy again. We really needed the three points today, and I'm really delighted for the Wigan Athletic fans that we were able to deliver them."

QPR boss Steve McClaren:

"I feel hard done by, absolutely. The last 20 minutes was all us and it was a blatant penalty at the end. I've seen it again on the video and it's a blatant handball.

"Having said that, you can't concede two goals like we did and expect to win football matches away from home.

"The defence has been a key reason why we've been able to do what we've done this season, but in recent weeks we've lost the platform."