FOOTBALL Live

Saturday April 5, 2008 Finished JJB Stadium

Wigan Athletic 2 - Logo 0

Wigan Athletic

  • Taylor 14’, 55’

Birmingham City

  1. Wigan crush Birmingham hopes

    Wigan crush Birmingham hopes

    Wigan took a massive step towards Premier League survival with a 2-0 victory against fellow strugglers Birmingham City at the JJB Stadium. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Wigan Athletic
    • Birmingham City
    • 90' It's all over. Mike Dean brings the game to an end - a great victory for Wigan in their bid to stay up.
    • 90' We're into injury time. Three extra minutes to come.
    • 88' Final change of the match, Figueroa on for Skoko for Wigan.
    • 86' Another change for Wigan: King on for Heskey up front.
    • 86' Kilbane swings it in left-footed, it's headed to the edge of the box, where Skoko volleys a shot just wide.
    • 85' Valencia has a long-range effort deflected wide for a corner to Wigan.
    • 84' Wigan take their goalscorer Ryan Taylor off. Sibierski comes on.
    • 83' Larsson launches the ball into the box but Wigan are awarded a free kick for a push.
    • 83' Birmingham win a free kick wide on the right.
    • 82' Zarate loses the ball as he looks to make something happen in the Wigan half.
    • 79' Skoko fires over the bar from the edge of the area! Another good chance for Wigan to add to their tally.
    • 77' Ryan Taylor crosses from the set piece, but Larsson clears for Birmingham.
    • 76' Heskey wins a free kick on the Biirmingham by-line on the right.
    • 74' Zarate is caught offside for Birmingham. A frustrating afternoon for the Argentine youngster.
    • 73' Birmingham are forced into another change. Martin Taylor is injured, so has been taken off for Parnaby. Not a great return to the first team for Martin Taylor.
    • 71' Jerome jinks on the edge of the box, makes room for a shot, but drags his effort slowly into touch. Awful shot.
    • 69' Alex McLeish make another change: Jerome on for Forsell in attack.
    • 67' David Murphy is booked for a handball. That looked like it hit his shoulder.
    • 63' Nafti on for McSheffrey.
    • 62' Forsell nods a long throw towards goal but it bounces just wide!
    • 60' Birmingham are about to bring on Nafti in midfield.
    • 59' heskey beats Maik Taylor to a loose ball in the box but he overruns it. Goal kick to Birmingham.
    • 57' Marcus Bent lobs Maik Taylor after he latched on to a long ball, but it lacks the power to go in. Taylor gets back to collect.
    • 54' The penalty area scramble came after Bent's header from a Valencia cross was parried by Maik Taylor in the six-yard box, and Ryan Taylor was there to force the ball over the line.
    • 53' GOAL TO WIGAN! IT'S RYAN TAYLOR AGAIN WITH A CLOSE-RANGE FINISH AFTER A GOALMOUTH SCRAMBLE!
    • 50' Sunderland lead 2-0 at Fulham now - it looks like Fulham are going down now.
    • 49' Zarate crosses from the right wing but Melchiot does well to win the loose ball and run the ball clear.
    • 49' But Ryan Taylor's delivery is cleared.
    • 48' Zarate tries to launch a counter-attack but is penalised for a handball. Free kick to Wigan midway into the Blues half.
    • 47' Well a free kick should have been given but it wasn't - it's drop ball after Bent received treatment for a head injury.
    • 47' Martin Taylor fouls Bent in an aerial challenge 40 yards from goal.
    • 47' Wigan start the second half as they finished the first then.
    • 46' Heskey outpaces Martin Taylor in a chase on to a long ball and crashes a shot just wide!
    • 46' Wigan get us under way in the second half. No changes for either sides.
    • 45' That's it - Mike Dean brings the first half to a close. It's been all Wigan apart from that late Zarate effort, and with Birmingham down to ten men you'd have to think that Steve Bruce's side will go on to claim a crucial three points in the relegation dog-fight.
    • 44' Zarate with a great run at goal. He bends the ball for Kirkland's left-hand post, but it whistles just wide! Great effort by the Argentinian. Best chance for Birmingham by far.
    • 44' News of another big goal in the relegation battle - Sunderland lead 1-0 at Fulham!
    • 43' MARCUS BENT SHOOTS NARROWLY WIDE! Melchiot did so well down the right wing again, crossed to Bent in the six-yard box, but the striker fires just wide.
    • 42' Martin Taylor with a late tackle on Bent wide on the right. Some comedians in the stand call for another red card.
    • 41' The only good news for Birmingham so far this afternoon is that their local rivals Aston Villa are doing them a favour by beating Bolton 1-0 at the moment.
    • 40' Kilbane handles in the Birmingham box. Free kick to the visitors.
    • 39' KILBANE HITS THE POST FOR WIGAN! A long throw broke to Kilbane on the edge of the box. He crashed the ball low towards goal but it smacks the upright and bounces clear!
    • 37' The focus was on Martin Taylor after his first start since that tackle on Eduardo, but it's Johnson who has made the horror tackle today. Definitely a red card - good decision by Mike Dean. It was only one footed, but there was intent.
    • 37' RED CARD! Damien Johnson is sent off for a horrible lunge on Kilbane!
    • 36' It beats everyone, Bent chases to collect on the other flank but his cross is intercepted and cleared.
    • 36' Valencia is fouled wide on the right. Ryan Taylor will cross once again.
    • 33' McSheffrey does shoot, but high and wide.
    • 32' Birmingham win a free kick 30 yards out wide on the right. Will McSheffrey shoot from here?
    • 31' Ryan Taylor gets it over the wall and on target, but it lacks the power to beat Maik Taylor, who catches.
    • 29' Bent sees another shot blocked and now Wigan get another free kick on the edge of the box. Ryan Taylor will shoot from this.
    • 28' McSheffrey tries to get on the end of a through ball by Larsson but Kirkland gets to it first.
    • 27' Ryan Taylor crosses deep but Maik Taylor collects.
    • 26' Wigan with another free kick in a decent area wide on the left.
    • 23' A few ex Birmingham men in the Wigan line-up today of course - Heskey and Melchiot as well as manager Steve Bruce. A point to prove perhaps.
    • 22' Wigan are all over Birmingham at the moment.
    • 19' Kilbane makes a barnstorming run into the Birmingham box which Jaidi ends with a last-ditch tackle. The ball falls to Heskey, who shoots straight at Taylor.
    • 22' Birmingham clear their lines.
    • 21' Bent with another chance inside the Birmingham box, but his shot is blocked and goes for a corner.
    • 20' The ball's worked to Valencia on the other side of the pitch. The Ecuadorian shoots but it's well saved by Taylor.
    • 19' Lots of free kicks being awarded - now Wigan have one wide on the left.
    • 18' Wigan win a free kick on the edge of the box, which is taken quickly and wasted as Heskey loses the ball.
    • 17' McSheffrey crosses into the box but Kirkland collects comfortably.
    • 17' Zarate is fouled by Palacios wide on the right. Free kick to Birmingham in a dangerous area.
    • 15' And Taylor will love that after having a torrid afternoon at Portsmouth last week.
    • 14' GOAL WIGAN! It's Ryan Taylor with a sweet left-footed drive into the bottom corner after a great run and cross from Valencia on the right wing!
    • 13' Valencia has a cross from the right cleared for a throw deep in Birmingham's half.
    • 13' Heskey is caught offside from a long ball forward.
    • 12' Melchiot does brilliantly wide on the right to get to the by-line and cut back for Marcus Bent in the box, but the on-loan striker blazes over the cross bar.
    • 11' Ryan Taylor takes it - it's a woeful free kick but it bobbles to Bent, who sees a shot blocked clear.
    • 11' Now Wigan win a free kick in a crossable position.
    • 9' McSheffrey's corner is cleared by Skoko.
    • 9' McSheffrey pumps it into the box and Heskey heads behind for a corner to the away side.
    • 8' Birmingham win a free kick about 45 yards from goal on the right.
    • 6' Zarate makes a lively break down the right wing, tries to cross into the box but sees the ball cleared by Kilbane.
    • 5' A scrappy opening to this game with neither keeper called into any real action as yet.
    • 3' Wigan launch a long ball forward to Heskey, but the ball runs through to Taylor.
    • 1' The pitch here is looking shabby again. Wigan make the first attack of the match but a cross from the right is easily collected by Maik Taylor in goal for Birmingham.
    • 1' Birmingham, wearing red today, get us going at the JJB.
    • 0' Team news: Wigan recall Palacios from his suspension last week, with Hagen dropping out after making his debut last week. Birmingham pretty much stick with the side that beat Man City last week last week, with in form Zarate looking to get amongst the goals again up front. The only change sees Martin Taylor make his first start since his hooror tackle on Eduardo. He comes in for the suspended Queudrue.
    • 0' Welcome to LIVE coverage of Wigan v Birmingham from the Premier League, where both sides will be looking for the three points to drag themselves further away from the bottom three.

  • Summary

    • 79' Skoko fires over the bar from the edge of the area! Another good chance for Wigan to add to their tally.
    • 62' Forsell nods a long throw towards goal but it bounces just wide!
    • 53' GOAL TO WIGAN! IT'S RYAN TAYLOR AGAIN WITH A CLOSE-RANGE FINISH AFTER A GOALMOUTH SCRAMBLE!
    • 46' Heskey outpaces Martin Taylor in a chase on to a long ball and crashes a shot just wide!
    • 44' Zarate with a great run at goal. He bends the ball for Kirkland's left-hand post, but it whistles just wide! Great effort by the Argentinian. Best chance for Birmingham by far.
    • 43' MARCUS BENT SHOOTS NARROWLY WIDE! Melchiot did so well down the right wing again, crossed to Bent in the six-yard box, but the striker fires just wide.
    • 39' KILBANE HITS THE POST FOR WIGAN! A long throw broke to Kilbane on the edge of the box. He crashed the ball low towards goal but it smacks the upright and bounces clear!
    • 37' RED CARD! Damien Johnson is sent off for a horrible lunge on Kilbane!
    • 31' Ryan Taylor gets it over the wall and on target, but it lacks the power to beat Maik Taylor, who catches.
    • 19' Kilbane makes a barnstorming run into the Birmingham box which Jaidi ends with a last-ditch tackle. The ball falls to Heskey, who shoots straight at Taylor.
    • 20' The ball's worked to Valencia on the other side of the pitch. The Ecuadorian shoots but it's well saved by Taylor.
    • 18' Wigan win a free kick on the edge of the box, which is taken quickly and wasted as Heskey loses the ball.
    • 14' GOAL WIGAN! It's Ryan Taylor with a sweet left-footed drive into the bottom corner after a great run and cross from Valencia on the right wing!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Wigan Athletic

    Manager: Steve Bruce

    Captain: Mario Melchiot

    On the Field

    • Kirkland
    • Melchiot
    • Boyce
    • Scharner
    • Kilbane
    • Valencia
    • Palacios
    • Skoko Substitution Out (88′)
    • Taylor Goals×2 Substitution Out (84′)
    • Heskey Substitution Out (86′)
    • Bent

    Subs

    • Sibierski Substitution In (84′)
    • King Substitution In (86′)
    • Hagen
    • Pollitt
    • Figueroa Substitution In (88′)

    Injured

    • Edman

    Suspended

    • Brown
    • Koumas

  • Birmingham City

    Manager: Alex McLeish

    Captain: Damien Johnson

    On the Field

    • Taylor
    • Kelly
    • Taylor Substitution Out (71′)
    • Jaidi
    • Murphy Yellow Card
    • Larsson
    • Muamba
    • Johnson Red Card
    • McSheffrey Substitution Out (63′)
    • Forssell Substitution Out (69′)
    • Zarate

    Subs

    • Nafti Substitution In (63′)
    • Parnaby Substitution In (71′)
    • Doyle
    • O'Connor
    • Jerome Substitution In (69′)

    Injured

    • McFadden

    Suspended

    • Ridgewell