McFadden penalty secures win for Birmingham

Feb 27, 2010 - 6:46 PM By MARK HENDRY STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Wigan manager Roberto Martinez blamed a penalty decision by rookie Premier League referee Anthony Taylor for his team's 1-0 defeat at Birmingham.

There had been little between the sides in a low quality first half when in stoppage time Birmingham's Keith Fahey fell under minimal challenge from Wigan defender Mario Melchiot.

Referee Taylor, in only his second match in the top flight, decided Melchiot had committed a foul and pointed to the spot.

James McFadden stepped up to beat Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland with the penalty, leaving Martinez to curse his side's luck.

"It was not a penalty. I did not think so at the time it was awarded and I do not think so now having seen the replays.

"There was no contact and I can only say it was a soft decision. But we have to accept it and move on.

"Our first-half performance was not good enough, it was as simple as that. We needed to be much better than that.

"In the second half we were a different team and forced many corners and looked dangerous.

"We need to start games like we finished here today because the first half was poor quality and if we play like that we will stay in trouble.

"At the moment, without feeling sorry for ourselves, we are being punished heavily by bad decisions."

Birmingham had the better of the first 45 minutes with Liam Ridgewell striking the Wigan bar with a header from Sebastian Larsson's free kick and Kirkland making a wonder save to prevent Titus Bramble conceding an own goal.

Martinez sent on Jason Scotland and Victor Moses at the start of the second half in place of Paul Scharner and Charles N'Zogbia and their arrival coincided with Wigan's improvement.

Scotland, still looking for his first Premier League goal, fired wide from a good position and Hugo Rodallega wasted two glorious chances to level.

Rodallega headed wide from eight yards from James McCarthy's cross and in the last minute should have done better from even closer after good work down the left by new signing Moses.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish admitted he was pleased his team were again showing the sort of consistency which made them the surprise side of the first half of the season.

McLeish said: "We have stuttered a bit since the turn of the year but it is a measure of our progress and development that people are expecting us not to lose home or away.

"But we are still developing and it will be some time before we are the complete team.

"We will play better than this but if you had said to me we would have 40 points by this stage of the season, the end of February, I would have bitten your hand off.

"As for the penalty, I could not tell from where I was but the referee was adamant."