Birmingham City 3 v 2 Wigan Athletic
Saturday 27th October 2007
Wigan Athletic manager, Chris Hutchings, was boosted three times when making his team selection as Mario Melchiot resumed his duties at right back, whilst Antoine Sibiersji recovered from injury sufficiently enough to take his place up front. Luis Antonio Valencia was back on the right wing which meant that Michael Brown was dropped as acting right winger Paul Scharner was moved into his favoured central midfield role.
Former Latics boss, Steve Bruce didn't tinker too much with his Birmingham team that lost at Manchester City last week, although Daniel De Ridder started in place of Gary McSheffrey in an otherwise unchanged line up.
It was Birmingham who started the game in the ascendancy with Cameron Jerome in particular in sparkling form and missing with two half chances before the ten minute mark. However on the quarter hour mark the tide began to turn when Olivier Kapo brought down Jason Koumas just outside the penalty area, although the opportunity was missed, within minutes Valencia swung a great cross into the Birmingham area and Scharner missed a good chance to open the scoring, even though he should probably have left the ball for Koumas who was in a better position.
Valencia had an effort knocked over the bar by Liam Ridgewell in the 17th minute but Marcus Bent had more joy three minutes later when he opened the scoring for the visitors. He latched onto a long ball from the midfield, bamboozled a static hosts defence and powered a great shot past a bemused Maik Taylor.
However just three minutes later Scharner became the villian of the moment when he handled in the box following a Birmingham corner. Olivier Kapo stepped up and slammed the resultant penalty past Chris Kirkland to level the score much to the annoyance of an irate Chris Hutchings on the touchline.
That equaliser seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors and the home side began to get the upper hand again with former Latics transfer target Daniel De Ridder, who was far and away the 'man of the match' up to that stage, forcing a good save from Kirkland with just ten minutes of the first half left, although Latics countered almost immediately when Koumas forced a good blocking save from Taylor.
Valencia had certainly stiffened the right side of a faltering Latics team following his reintroduction to the team today, and he was unlucky to see a 'shot cum cross' intercepted by Rafael Schmitz with just a few minutes of the first period remaining. De Ridder and his team mates finished the half the stronger and Latics were relieved when referee, Steve Tanner, blew for the half time break.
The second half started in the same manner as the first, with the hosts starting brightly, with three minutes gone Wilson Palacios struck a speculative long range shot that went wide of the target, but it did serve as the hosts 'statement of intent' to the slate shirted visitors. Fortunately, Latics took notice of it and Scharner was unlucky not to do better with a headed attempt at goal from a Valencia cross that caught City on the break.
With ten minutes of the second half gone, Kirkland did very well to stop a pile driver from Fabrice Muamba and then after Scharner had blazed over the bar in the 57th minute Bent gleefully slammed home his second goal of the game. following a horrible mix up between Steve Kelly and Taylor in the hosts penalty area following a Melchiot cross into the box. Could Latics keep hold of the lead this time?
Ask a silly question!#
In the 63rd minute Jerome Campbell saw his shot blocked by Kevin Kilbane, but this proved only to be a brief respite for Latics. Just four minutes later the Latics defence was at 'sixes and sevens' and Liam Ridgewell scored his first goal for the club to bring the scores level again!
Paul Scharner was certainly having a 'handy' game, as in the 71st minute, he was in a great scoring position only to be penalised for using his hand to control the ball, having all ready been yellow carded he was fortunate to stay on the pitch.
With just fourteen minutes remaining Latics should have scored their third goal of the game, and Bent who was on a hat trick, saw his shot go just wide of the Birmingham post, whilst the home side then immediately went to the other end and Latics' towering Andreas Granqvist had to be at his best to deny Schmitz a goal scoring opportunity.
You could cut the tension at St Andrews with a knife. However, it disappeared for the home spectator with just ten minutes remaining when Kapo scored his second, and Birmingham's third goal of the game.
Hutchings' response was to replace an ineffective Sibierski with Nigerian hit man Julius Aghahowa, but it was too little too late as the City defence and midfield held firm to secure a vital victory. For Latics it was now a case of dreading the dreaded drop from now until the end of the season. The omens are not good as the men from the JJB Stadium have now won just two points from a possible TWENTY FOUR and are still boasting the Premiership's longest consecutive losing run.
The performance at least was better, but just how much more time will Chris Hutchings expect with which to turn things around?
More to the point, given a midweek rant, will the chairman give him it?
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Luis Antonio Valencia, Paul Scharner, Denny Landzaat, Jason Koumas, Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 84), Marcus Bent.
Subs not used, Michael Pollitt, Emmerson Boyce, Ryan Taylor, Josip Skoko.
Goal scorers, Marcus Bent 20 mins, 59 mins
Booked, Paul Scharner 16 mins
BIRMINGHAM CITY, Maik Taylor, Rafael Schmitz, Steven Kelly, Franck Quedrue, Wilson Palacios, (Sebastian Larsson 78), Liam Ridgewell, Olivier Kapo, Daniel De Ridder, Medhi Nafyi, Fabrice Muamba, (Gary O'Connor 62), Cameron Jerome.
Subs not used, Richard Kingson, Neil Danns, Gary McSheffrey
Goal scorer, Olivier Kapo (pen) 23 mins, 81 mins, Liam Ridgewell 67 mins
Booked, Referee, Steve Tanner (Somerset)
Attendance, 27,661
Wigan Athletic manager, Chris Hutchings, was boosted three times when making his team selection as Mario Melchiot resumed his duties at right back, whilst Antoine Sibiersji recovered from injury sufficiently enough to take his place up front. Luis Antonio Valencia was back on the right wing which meant that Michael Brown was dropped as acting right winger Paul Scharner was moved into his favoured central midfield role.
Former Latics boss, Steve Bruce didn't tinker too much with his Birmingham team that lost at Manchester City last week, although Daniel De Ridder started in place of Gary McSheffrey in an otherwise unchanged line up.
It was Birmingham who started the game in the ascendancy with Cameron Jerome in particular in sparkling form and missing with two half chances before the ten minute mark. However on the quarter hour mark the tide began to turn when Olivier Kapo brought down Jason Koumas just outside the penalty area, although the opportunity was missed, within minutes Valencia swung a great cross into the Birmingham area and Scharner missed a good chance to open the scoring, even though he should probably have left the ball for Koumas who was in a better position.
Valencia had an effort knocked over the bar by Liam Ridgewell in the 17th minute but Marcus Bent had more joy three minutes later when he opened the scoring for the visitors. He latched onto a long ball from the midfield, bamboozled a static hosts defence and powered a great shot past a bemused Maik Taylor.
However just three minutes later Scharner became the villian of the moment when he handled in the box following a Birmingham corner. Olivier Kapo stepped up and slammed the resultant penalty past Chris Kirkland to level the score much to the annoyance of an irate Chris Hutchings on the touchline.
That equaliser seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors and the home side began to get the upper hand again with former Latics transfer target Daniel De Ridder, who was far and away the 'man of the match' up to that stage, forcing a good save from Kirkland with just ten minutes of the first half left, although Latics countered almost immediately when Koumas forced a good blocking save from Taylor.
Valencia had certainly stiffened the right side of a faltering Latics team following his reintroduction to the team today, and he was unlucky to see a 'shot cum cross' intercepted by Rafael Schmitz with just a few minutes of the first period remaining. De Ridder and his team mates finished the half the stronger and Latics were relieved when referee, Steve Tanner, blew for the half time break.
The second half started in the same manner as the first, with the hosts starting brightly, with three minutes gone Wilson Palacios struck a speculative long range shot that went wide of the target, but it did serve as the hosts 'statement of intent' to the slate shirted visitors. Fortunately, Latics took notice of it and Scharner was unlucky not to do better with a headed attempt at goal from a Valencia cross that caught City on the break.
With ten minutes of the second half gone, Kirkland did very well to stop a pile driver from Fabrice Muamba and then after Scharner had blazed over the bar in the 57th minute Bent gleefully slammed home his second goal of the game. following a horrible mix up between Steve Kelly and Taylor in the hosts penalty area following a Melchiot cross into the box. Could Latics keep hold of the lead this time?
Ask a silly question!#
In the 63rd minute Jerome Campbell saw his shot blocked by Kevin Kilbane, but this proved only to be a brief respite for Latics. Just four minutes later the Latics defence was at 'sixes and sevens' and Liam Ridgewell scored his first goal for the club to bring the scores level again!
Paul Scharner was certainly having a 'handy' game, as in the 71st minute, he was in a great scoring position only to be penalised for using his hand to control the ball, having all ready been yellow carded he was fortunate to stay on the pitch.
With just fourteen minutes remaining Latics should have scored their third goal of the game, and Bent who was on a hat trick, saw his shot go just wide of the Birmingham post, whilst the home side then immediately went to the other end and Latics' towering Andreas Granqvist had to be at his best to deny Schmitz a goal scoring opportunity.
You could cut the tension at St Andrews with a knife. However, it disappeared for the home spectator with just ten minutes remaining when Kapo scored his second, and Birmingham's third goal of the game.
Hutchings' response was to replace an ineffective Sibierski with Nigerian hit man Julius Aghahowa, but it was too little too late as the City defence and midfield held firm to secure a vital victory. For Latics it was now a case of dreading the dreaded drop from now until the end of the season. The omens are not good as the men from the JJB Stadium have now won just two points from a possible TWENTY FOUR and are still boasting the Premiership's longest consecutive losing run.
The performance at least was better, but just how much more time will Chris Hutchings expect with which to turn things around?
More to the point, given a midweek rant, will the chairman give him it?
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Luis Antonio Valencia, Paul Scharner, Denny Landzaat, Jason Koumas, Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 84), Marcus Bent.
Subs not used, Michael Pollitt, Emmerson Boyce, Ryan Taylor, Josip Skoko.
Goal scorers, Marcus Bent 20 mins, 59 mins
Booked, Paul Scharner 16 mins
BIRMINGHAM CITY, Maik Taylor, Rafael Schmitz, Steven Kelly, Franck Quedrue, Wilson Palacios, (Sebastian Larsson 78), Liam Ridgewell, Olivier Kapo, Daniel De Ridder, Medhi Nafyi, Fabrice Muamba, (Gary O'Connor 62), Cameron Jerome.
Subs not used, Richard Kingson, Neil Danns, Gary McSheffrey
Goal scorer, Olivier Kapo (pen) 23 mins, 81 mins, Liam Ridgewell 67 mins
Booked, Referee, Steve Tanner (Somerset)
Attendance, 27,661
Labels: Birmingham vrs Wigan
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