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Wigan secure Taylor-made victory |
Wigan secure Taylor-made victory | 6.04.2008 | |
RYAN Taylor scored twice as Wigan Athletic climbed away from the Barclays Premier League relegation battle with a comfortable 2-0 win against Birmingham City at JJB Stadium.Wigan manager Steve Bruce enjoyed the result, in particular, as he was Birmingham`s manager for six years before he quit last November after falling out with the club`s hierarchy.
Bruce took over Wigan when they were firmly anchored in the bottom three of the table, but the club`s future looks much brighter after this success.
They are eight points clear of the relegation zone with five games to play, while Birmingham, Birmingham, who played with 10 men for more than 50 minutes after captain Damien Johnson was shown a straight red card for a crunching challenge on Kevin Kilbane, remain fourth bottom after a poor performance.
The visitors were second best from the first minute to the last, and they can count themselves fortunate not to have been on the receiving end of a much heavier defeat.
Wigan`s problems this season have stemmed from a lack of goals, yet they found themselves ahead in the 15th minute when Taylor buried the ball beyond Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor after a powerful run by Antonio Valencia.
Ecuador winger Valencia pounced on an error by Martin Taylor, making his first league appearance in six weeks, after receiving a three-match suspension for a highly controversial challenge on Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva.
Birmingham failed to recover, and any glimmer of hope they had of hauling themselves back into the game disappeared in the 37th minute when Johnson was sent off by referee Mike Dean for a studs-up challenge on Republic of Ireland international Kilbane.
Birmingham were fortunate not to fall 2-0 behind before half-time when Kilbane let fly from distance, his effort rebounding off a post to safety.
But Wigan, who included three former Birmingham players in the shape of Mario Melchiot, Wilson Palacios and England striker Emile Heskey, sealed the three points in the 55th minute, after more good work from the impressive Valencia.
The Ecuadorean`s cross into the danger area was only half-cleared, and Taylor, who had scored only once previously this season, found himself celebrating for the second time. Agence France-Presse |
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