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Wigan's Callum McManaman strikes early to leave Birmingham in mire
Wigan's Callum McManaman strikes early to leave Birmingham in mire
(about 2 hours later)
Wigan Athletic booked their place in the Championship play-offs to move another step closer to a fifth Wembley appearance in just over 12 months and leave Birmingham City requiring a desperate last-day escape act to avoid relegation.
Lee Clark is looking for a favour from his old Sunderland team-mate Kevin Phillips as Birmingham City seek to avoid relegation to the third tier for the first time in 20 years.
Callum McManaman scored the early goal that took Wigan into fifth place and a likely play-off semi-final with Queens Park Rangers as Uwe Rösler's side won for only the second time in five games.
Even after this fifth successive defeat, courtesy of Callum McManaman's early strike which booked Wigan Athletic's play-off place, Birmingham can stay up if they avoid defeat away to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and Doncaster Rovers lose at Leicester City.
After appearances in the Community Shield, two FA Cup semi-finals and that memorable triumph over Manchester City last May, Wigan will seek to complete a memorable year as Birmingham's misery deepens.
The Birmingham City manager is hoping that Leicester's veteran striker Phillips, who is due to make his final appearance for the Championship title winners, will do his team a good turn. Other escape routes are also available.
Birmingham manager Lee Clark's side need to avoid defeat away to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and hope on favours from elsewhere if they are to avoid a second demotion in three years. It is now six months since Birmingham side won at St Andrew's and a return to the third tier for the first time since 1994/ 95 beckons.
"I've had lots of calls of support in the last couple of days and one was from an old friend of mine Nigel Pearson [Leicester manager]," Clark said. "It's not up to Leicester City to look after Birmingham City, it's up to Birmingham City to look after ourselves. But I'm sure Kevin Phillips [Clark's former Sunderland team-mate] will be looking to go out with a bang as well."
Few teams can claim to have enjoyed – or should that be endured – such roller-coaster rides as Birmingham or Wigan over the past three years.
At least playing away could be a boon for Birmingham who have failed to win at St Andrew's in 18 games. "Definitely, because our away form is very good," Clark said.
Both have experienced the high of causing a major cup final shock in winning at Wembley, only to suffer the low of relegation from the Premier League in the same season.
Survival looks a daunting task for Clark, who has overseen the continued exodus of Premier League players as Carson Yeung's reign as chairman has collapsed amidst his incarceration for money-laundering.
Wigan are at least threatening to bounce back from their demotion, and the ensuing loss of Roberto Martínez to Everton, with another major FA Cup run, only losing their recent semi-final to Arsenal on a penalty shoot-out, and improving league form. Birmingham, by contrast, have turned into a nightmare of a club. All supporters' fears over Carson Yeung have been realised.
Few teams can claim to have enjoyed – or should that be endured – such rollercoaster rides as Birmingham or Wigan over the past three years. Both have experienced the high of causing a major cup final shock in winning at Wembley, only to suffer the low of relegation from the Premier League in the same season.
With their owner imprisoned over money-laundering, the future of the club is uncertain at best, in jeopardy at worst. On the eve of this game, David Gold, the former co-owner, had gone on record to protect the previous regime's decision to sell to a business tycoon who had promised "£20million, no £40million" in transfer funds upon taking over only for all his promises to disintegrate.
Now Wigan, most likely to face Queens Park Rangers in the play-off semi-finals, are closing in on a fifth Wembley appearance in just over a year, after two FA Cup semi-finals, that memorable final triumph over Manchester City and a Community Shield.
So another relegation is the last thing Birmingham can countenance. But after their fourth successive defeat on Saturday, at home to Leeds United, they fell into the relegation zone for the first time this season; entering the final week of the campaign, it appears the very worst time.
They opened Birmingham up easily in the third minute. When Scott Allan conceded possession, Jordi Gómez brushed off Emyr Huws to saunter from halfway towards the penalty area where he passed out left. McManaman attacked Paul Caddis, cut inside and swerved a shot low into the far bottom corner.
Lee Clark has become so desperate that he called up Scott Allan, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, for a first start since August, despite having attempted to return the player in January.
Wigan bravely survived Birmingham's second-half aerial assault. "We head into the play-offs with very good momentum," Uwe Rösler, the Wigan manager, said.
And Hayden Mullins was recalled from a loan spell at Notts County, in an attempt to patch up his defence, with Tom Thorpe's ankle injury necessitating his return to Manchester United.
But Wigan opened Birmingham up so easily for the opening goal in the third minute. With Allan conceding possession, Jordi Gómez brushed off his man almost contemptuously to coast into the opposing half and saunter with the ball towards the penalty area.
Even when he played it wide left, there was no apparent danger, but McManaman attacked Paul Caddis, cut inside and swerved a shot low into the far bottom corner.
What the game lacked in quality, the occasion made up for in tension. Birmingham could not be accused of any lack of effort, although belief was evidently in short supply, and the St Andrew's crowd did not help as their angst was tangible, if understandable.
Emyr Huws provided a moment of hope when, wide on the right of the penalty area, he cut back onto his left foot and curled a delightful shot that Scott Carson, the former England goalkeeper, dived to tip aside for a corner.
If this was always going to be a big 90 minutes for Birmingham, it became a massive 45 minutes as they came out for the second half. So who better for Clark to call upon than Nikola Zigic, the 6'8" Serb, to partner Federico Macheda up front.
Charlton's 3-1 win against Watford at the Valley last night means the Addicks are now safe from relegation.
It makes Birmingham's survival bid that much harder
