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Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Wigan Athletic vs Birmingham City. Premier League.

Broadwood StadiumAttendance18,797.

Wigan Athletic 2

  • C N'Zogbia (33rd minute)
  • J Gomez (89th minute)

Birmingham City 3

  • S Larsson (61st minute, 72nd minute)
  • C Benitez (66th minute)

Blues extend winning streak

Image: Larsson: Two goals

Birmingham won their third consecutive Premier League game after a 3-2 triumph away at Wigan.

Larsson grabs double as Wigan crumble in second-half

In-form Birmingham produced a stunning second-half display to defeat Wigan 3-2 at the DW Stadium and win their third consecutive Premier League game. Wigan took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Charles N'Zogbia received the ball from Jason Scotland before cutting inside and curling a left-footed shot into the top corner. The visitors equalised 15 minutes after half-time when Sebastian Larsson's free-kick evaded everyone, including substitute goalkeeper Mike Pollitt, and nestled in the far corner. Christian Benitez then fired Birmingham into the lead when he latched on to Lee Bowyer's through ball and just managed to slip his finish beyond Pollitt. Larsson then struck again from a free-kick as his fantastic effort beat Pollitt from the edge of the area before a super strike from Jordi Gomez gave the Latics a consolation. City's fightback will undoubtedly have been sparked by strong words from McLeish at half-time as they were surprisingly lethargic during the first 45 minutes.

Spark

The only spark was provided when Roger Johnson reacted angrily to being caught by a flailing arm from Hugo Rodallega in the 14th minute. Rodallega was only cautioned by Probert, who then had to issue Johnson with a stern talking to minutes later as he felled Paul Scharner. Benitez managed one fierce shot on 24 minutes but Pollitt, who had replaced the injured Chris Kirkland a minute earlier as the Latics' number one sustained a back problem, showed fine reactions in beating away the shot. Wigan then dominated a half they had started brightly when Scharner ran onto an incisive through ball from Mohamed Diame, only to send a stretching effort wide after rounding Joe Hart. Former Blues defender Mario Melchiot, Diame and N'Zogbia later combined just before the half hour to tee up Rodallega. But last week's match-winner against Sunderland could only sidefoot his first-time shot from 15 yards over the bar. Wigan's disappointment was short-lived, however, as N'Zogbia then produced a brilliant strike in the 33rd minute.
Fine goal
Scotland did all the early donkey work, keeping in play a punted pass before holding the ball up and playing it back to the awaiting N'Zogbia just outside the area. Approaching the right-hand corner of the area, N'Zogbia attacked Liam Ridgewell before curling a fine left-foot shot beyond Hart from 17 yards into the far corner. Wigan could have headed into the break with a two-goal cushion, only for Diame to stroke one long-range effort narrowly wide and Hart to deny Scharner and Rodallega with instinctive saves low down to his right. After the break it was all change, with Pollitt showing brilliant reactions again in the 49th minute in tipping aside a downward header from Benitez. Scotland and N'Zogbia could perhaps have put Wigan out of sight before Larsson's free-kick floated beyond everyone and into the net in the 62nd minute. Five minutes later Benitez's run onto a through ball from Bowyer concluded with a flicked effort that trickled over the line after catching Pollitt's outstretched right foot. The game was put beyond doubt another six minutes as Larsson curled a more direct free-kick beyond Pollitt from 20 yards. Jordi Gomez, a 76th-minute substitute for Emmerson Boyce, at least made the closing stages interesting by smashing home a 22-yard free-kick in the 89th minute. That was his first goal for the club following a £1.7million move from Espanyol in the summer, but ultimately there was no late reprieve for Wigan.
Wigan Athletic Team Statistics Birmingham City
2 Goals 3
1 1st Half Goals 0
5 Shots on Target 7
9 Shots off Target 1
3 Blocked Shots 4
2 Corners 2
14 Fouls 11
1 Offsides 4
2 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
71 Passing Success 61.3
25 Tackles 28
68 Tackles Success 71.4
57 Possession 43
51 Territorial Advantage 49

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