Amr Zaki converted a penalty to give Wigan Athletic a narrow victory over Manchester City in their Barclays Premier League encounter at the JJB Stadium.
Referee Steve Bennett gave the spot-kick in the 34th minute after Javier Garrido was deemed to have brought down Wilson Palacios inside the box.
Antonio Valencia had earlier seen his spectacular 16th-minute opening goal cancelled out by Vincent Kompany's close-range finish from an Elano free-kick five minutes later.
The visitors had the first chance in the 11th minute when a cross from a short corner was put into the box by Robinho but Richard Dunne was unable to make clean contact with his header and Wigan cleared the danger.
Wigan's first opportunity also came from a short corner two minutes later when the ball found striker Amr Zaki on the right edge of the penalty area but his ambitious shot flew inches over the crossbar.
The Latics then took the lead with a spectacular strike from Antonio Valencia in the 16th minute.
City failed to clear the danger from a free-kick and Valencia controlled the ball 30-yards before lashing a shot past goalkeeper Hart into the far corner of the net.
spot-kick
The visitors almost equalised moments later after neat build-up play but Robinho's shot from the edge of the box went just past the post.
Hughes' side did though pull level in the 21st minute from a free-kick after Wright-Phillips had been fouled by Figueroa.
Elano whipped a low cross into the penalty area and Vincent Kompany was able to steer the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
Wigan were given a chance to restore their lead in the 34th minute when they were awarded a penalty by referee Steve Bennett after Javier Garrido was deemed to have fouled Wilson Palacios inside the box.
Zaki took the resulting spot-kick and confidently sent Kirkland the wrong way with a placed effort into the bottom right corner of the net.
half-chances
City were denied a penalty of their own just before the half-time break when Richard Dunne fell under pressure from Emile Heskey.
Wigan began the second period brightly and Titus Bramble went close with a header which drifted wide of the post from Valencia's cross five minutes after the interval.
Elano came close to an equaliser in the 61st minute with a long-range attempt which beat the dive of Chris Kirkland but flew past the post.
Wigan had a chance in the 67th minute when Hart flapped at a long throw-in from Figueroa but City scrambled the ball for a corner.
Wright-Phillips forced Kirkland to make his first real save of the half when he struck a near-post shot in the 73rd minute.
The Wigan defence struggled to deal with a long ball and Kirkland missed as he came off his line but with ball rolling towards goal Wigan cleared.
City continued to create a series of half-chances but the Wigan defence stood firm and frequently looked dangerous on the break.
City went close in injury-time when Kompany hit a shot straight at Kirkland from the edge of the penalty area after Wigan had cleared a Wright-Phillips free-kick.
Zaki had a chance in the final minute of injury time on the break but Hart tipped his shot over the bar.
