Ian Maxwell found space on the left wing, delivered a cross that found the winger at the back post and McGinn controlled it on his chest before drilling a lowshot into the net from an acute angle.
But it was Sunderland's Djibril Cisse who managed to create a breakaway opening of his own, racing away from Wigan's back-line after 38 minutes but flashing his lowshot past Kirkland and the post from a tight angle.