Source: Daily_Mail
Birmingham 1 Wigan 0: McFadden penalty piles on Latics woe
Forty points before the end of February virtually to guarantee Premier League safety and an FA Cup quarter-final at Portsmouth next Saturday ... City rivals Aston Villa may be stealing centre stage at Wembley today but Birmingham are surely in the running in best supporting category this awards season. [LNB]It was another of their sparse performances, though. Deserved the win may have been but it took James McFadden's controversial penalty in first-half added-time to give them their eighth single-goal victory of the season and extend to 10 matches an unbeaten home record dating back to September. [LNB] Deadly from 12 yards: James McFadden opens the scoring from the penalty spot[LNB]'An outstanding feat by the players and a squad that cost £10million to assemble,' said manager Alex McLeish. [LNB]'These are amazing figures. We have a strong backbone and althoughthere is a lack of goals from the strikers, their teamwork isexcellent.' [LNB]Wigan by contrast are left stewing in the Lancashire hotpot that therelegation zone is becoming, Portsmouth apart. They are now seven gameswithout a win and much as you wish their young manager Roberto Martinezwell, he needs quickly to instill some physical resilience. If not, thepassing football his team espouses will be on show in the Championship.[LNB] Pole-axed: Referee assistant Trevor Massey lays injured after being hit in the head by the corner flag[LNB]'There are certain aspects we need to be stronger and better in,'Martinez conceded. 'But to be successful we have to believe in what wedo. Just avoiding relegation is not what I want for Wigan Athletic.' [LNB]He was left fuming about the penalty, conceded when his captainMario Melchiot snapped out a leg and was judged to have brought downKeith Fahey. 'I don't think there was contact,' said Martinez.[LNB] Ball boys: Birmingham City's James McFadden (left) battles with Wigan Athletic's Hendry Thomas (right)[LNB] 'It was a tired tackle but that's a yellow card for the striker.'Wigan might have been out of the game by then, though. Scott Dannheaded against the bar and Chris Kirkland bravely saved at McFadden'sfeet. [LNB]The winning goal came with Wigan stretched again, though there wasno need for Melchiot to dive in with Fahey heading away from the dangerarea. [LNB]Contact looked tenuous but referee Anthony Taylor was in a goodposition to award the penalty, stroked home comfortably by McFadden.[LNB] CHARLES SALE: Ferguson must talk, even to the BBC next seasonFIRING LINE: Three is the not so magic number for Sunderland boss BruceBIRMINGHAM CITY FC
