Wigan 1-1 Birmingham

Birmingham continued their recent surge away from the relegation zone with a hard-earned point at Wigan.

Substitute David Dunn scored from close range after Andreas Johansson had headed Wigan in front.

Birmingham had started well and John Filan made good saves from Chris Sutton and Emile Heskey while Jiri Jarosik scuffed a great chance to score.

Wigan played a full part in the match and Maik Taylor made a brilliant save to deny the excellent Jason Roberts.

Birmingham have now drawn two and won the other of their last three games and, with Portsmouth held at home by Blackburn, Steve Bruce's team remain fourth bottom.

Bruce selected an attacking line-up, with Sutton and Muzzy Izzet coming in from the team that defeated Bolton, and his side started confidently.

Filan was soon called in action, making an excellent save with seven minutes gone after Sutton shot low across the Wigan keeper.

From the subsequent corner Leighton Baines cleared an Olivier Tebily header on the goal line, though referee Howard Webb mistakenly awarded a goal kick.

Wigan took a while to pose any attacking threat, but when they eventually did so it was at pace and required a brilliant challenge from Martin Taylor to prevent Roberts converting a low Baines' cross.

Roberts was a real handful for the Birmingham defence, troubling them with his direct, powerful running.

Maik Taylor was at his absolute best to save from the Latics striker after Roberts had cut in from the left and smashed a shot across goal.

And it was a lay-off from Roberts that almost led to a spectacular opener from Jimmy Bullard, but the midfielder's long-range strike flew narrowly over the Birmingham crossbar.

The visitors did threaten again before the break, a superb build up culminating in a well-struck Sutton shot that took a deflection and narrowly missed Filan's goal.

Johannson struck early in the second half after Bullard's free-kick was headed back into the danger zone and Johannson rose highest to head past Filan.

Heskey almost responded straight away, Filan pulling off an excellent save after the striker had made a determined near-post run that culminated in a header goalwards.

Jarosik was guilty of his poor miss after 57 minutes. The ball somehow ran through a congested penalty area to the unmarked Jarosik but the Birmingham player badly miskicked.

Scharner was in the thick of the action again after 74 minutes, clearing a Tebily header close to his goal line.

But Birmingham's sheer persistence eventually paid dividends when substitute Dunn beat Reto Ziegler to Heskey's low cross, stabbing the ball home.

Filan did manage to scoop the ball out of the net but it had already crossed the line.