Wigan 2-3 Birmingham: Blues score three in 11 minutes to complete rousing second-half comeback
Published 17:14 05/12/09 By MirrorFootball
A resurgent Birmingham produced a rousing second-half comeback to leave frustrated Wigan boss Roberto Martinez to contemplate yet another wretchedly inconsistent afternoon.
It is now six matches without defeat for Alex McLeish's side who find themselves riding high in the Barclays Premier League, and comfortably on course for their stated aim of survival.
Two free-kicks from Sebastian Larsson sandwiched a second of the season for Christian Benitez, all in the space of 11 maddening minutes for Martinez whose side had easily led 1-0 at the break via a stunning effort from Charles N'Zogbia.
Wigan's Austrian midfielder Paul Scharner, today sporting a peroxide blonde hairstyle, came within inches of giving the Latics the lead in the third minute.
Mohamed Diame's through ball was incisive and Scharner initially managed to sidestep his way round the approaching Joe Hart.
However, Scharner's touch was perhaps too heavy as Stephen Carr closed him down, resulting in a stretched toe poke from eight yards that finished narrowly wide.
That was the only early chance of an encounter that was relatively tame until the 14th minute when City's Roger Johnson reacted with fury to being caught in the face by a flailing arm from Hugo Rodallega.
Both players had jumped to head a bouncing goal-kick from Chris Kirkland, with Colombian Rodallega naturally using his left arm in a bid to gain leverage in the air.
However, he caught Johnson on the nose and, after the defender swiftly picked himself up, he ran over to Rodallega to confront the Wigan striker.
Fortunately for Rodallega, he was protected by referee Lee Probert, who ultimately dished out a yellow card despite the apparent accidental nature of the incident.
Johnson, clearly fired up, was lucky not to join Rodallega in the book eight minutes later for a scything tackle on Scharner that earned the 26-year-old a stern talking to from Probert.
Martinez was forced into his first change in the 24th minute, with injury-prone Kirkland sustaining a back problem that led to the introduction of Mike Pollitt.
The veteran was quickly into action, superbly pushing away a fierce 15-yard drive from Christian Benitez.
The home side soon countered, carving out a fine move initially created by skipper and former Blues defender Mario Melchiot, who was being booed with every touch of the ball by the City fans.
It was Melchiot who played the ball out wide to Maynor Figueroa, the Honduran then spraying a pass out to the right wing for Charles N'Zogbia to collect.
The Frenchman proceeded to tease his way into the penalty area before feeding a wide-open Rodallega for a first-time shot that last week's match winner could only sidefoot over the crossbar.
In the 33rd minute, though, Wigan broke the deadlock courtesy of a stunning strike from N'Zogbia - his second goal of the season.
Jason 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 penalty box, N'Zogbia attacked Liam Ridgewell before curling a fine left-footed shot beyond Joe Hart from 17 yards into the far corner.
Eight minutes later a James McFadden foul on Melchiot gave N'Zogbia the chance to go for goal with a free-kick from 22 years but, although it beat the wall, it was easy pickings for Hart.
With Wigan firmly in control, Diame then stroked a long-range left-footed drive a yard wide before Hart smothered a Scharner strike down by his right-hand post soon after.
With half-time approaching, on-loan goalkeeper Hart reacted sharply to a low Rodallega drive from 15 yards, tipping the ball around the post.
Rodallega came within a yard of pulling one back, only to curl a right-foot shot narrowly wide of Hart's left-hand post.
Jordi Gomez, a 76th-minute substitute for Emmerson Boyce, at least made the closing stages interesting by curling home a 22-yard free kick for his first goal for the club following a £1.7million move from Espanyol in the summer.
Yet despite three minutes of injury time there was to be no saving grace for Wigan and City go six games unbeaten.
