Wigan´s relegation worries worsen as they pay the penalty

Wigan’s hopes of avoiding the drop from the English Premier League took a hit on Saturday as they lost 1-0 to Birmingham City.

Scottish international James McFadden’s penalty in time-added on in the first-half was enough to ensure the hosts did the double over their opponents for the first time.

Defeat left Wigan fifth from bottom – a point above third from bottom Hull – and with just one win since November in the Premier League.

Victory for Birmingham ended a run of two successive defeats and put them on the 40 points that manager Alex McLeish said was his target to ensure they did not go down.

Former Birmingham defender Mario Melchiot was at fault for the penalty as he handled in the area giving referee Anthony Taylor no option but to penalise the Dutchman.

McFadden coolly slotted home the penalty past Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal, who five minutes earlier had made a fine save from the Scot.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez made changes at half-time bringing on two strikers in the shape of his former Swansea star Jason Scotland and transfer window signing Victor Moses for Austrian defender Paul Scharner and Charles N’Zogbia.

The hosts should have gone 2-0 up two minutes into the second-half but Scott Dann sent his close range header from Sebastian Larsson’s freekick wide of the goal.

McFadden’s last contribution to proceedings was to have another shot smothered by Kirkland before he was replaced by veteran former England international Kevin Phillips.

However, the two sides failed to muster much of note to worry either ‘keeper and the match fizzled out as a spectacle.