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FULL-TIME: It's all over at the JJB Stadium and Wigan have picked up a crucial, and comfortable, 2-0 at home to Birmingham, with Ryan Taylor scoring in each half with two contrasting goals. Thanks for all your contributions during today's game.

90 - Substitution: Maynor Figueroa comes on for his Wigan debut - might not even touch the ball mind - as he replaces Skoko.

88 - Substitution: Marlon King gets a run-out for the last couple of minutes as former Birmingham striker Heskey is given a warm round of applause as he leaves the field.

86 - Skoko getting closer: After smashing one over minutes ago, Skoko is much closer as he hits a dipping volley from 25 yards which just misses Maik Taylor's left-hand post - the Latics finishing strongly.

84 - Substitution: Wigan make a change and perhaps it is more so Ryan Taylor can receive a standing ovation for his contribution to today's game. Antoine Sibierski it is who has come on, while Villa have just scored a fourth goal against Bolton.

Bald prediction: Gordon has stepped up to the plate with a dare to shave his head if Wigan lose from this point - to be honest, I think Wigan are more likely to score and, for all we know, Gordon may already have a shaved head!

Happy Andy: Andy is an exiled Wiganer in Grand Cayman - it's alright for some - and he is taking particular pleasure in today's action as Bolton are also losing. He also feels Bruce has brought the best out of Valencia.

80 - Skoko skies it: Great play by Valencia on the right as he picks out Skoko on the edge of the box, but the Australian thumps his shot high into the crowd.

Palacios goal coming? Daniel is hoping that Palacios can score a third goal for Wigan, I agree with him that he deserves it for his performance today, he has completely controlled the centre of midfield, you could well see a bigger club signing him if he continues this form - no offence to Wigan there.

77 - Yellow card: Radhi Jaidi has his name taken near the left corner flag for pulling back Heskey. It was great determination from Heskey to win the ball back, although Wigan are unable to make anything of the free-kick.

Every cloud has a silver lining: Even though Birmingham have struggled this afternoon, there is a lift to the gloom as arch rivals Villa are doing them a favour by leading 3-0 at home to Bolton.

It's all gone quiet: With just over 15 minutes to go, I've not had much in the way of second-half comment to mark.buckingham@bskyb.com. Surely there must be one or two happy Wigan fans out there, or are you already down the pub celebrating with your National winnings?

71 - Substitution: It's a third and final change for Birmingham as Stuart Parnaby comes on for Martin Taylor. Looks like a minor injury for Taylor on his first game since his red card against Arsenal. He has done okay and has tried to keep the ship steady since Johnson was sent off.

67 - Substitution: Birmingham make a second change as Cameron Jerome comes on for Forssell. At least Jerome will give them a bit of pace up front and may help to stretch a Wigan defence which has looked pretty comfortable.

66 - Yellow card: David Murphy is booked for a handball, although in controlling a long pass it appeared to his shoulder/chest, rather than a blatant handball - bit harsh there Mr Dean.

63 - Substitution: Birmingham have brought on Nafti for McSheffrey, not sure what difference it will make.

News from the National: The game has gone a bit flat at the JJB, so news from Aintree where Comply Or Die has won the Grand National, with Kings John Castle second and Snowy Morning third. Hope someone has won?

59 - Could have been three: A long ball has Birmingham in trouble again, Maik Taylor comes out into no-man's land, Bent lifts his shot over the keeper but it doesn't have any pace and Martin Taylor clears.

58 - Any way back? Are there any overly optimistic Birmingham fans out there? Don't forget Arsenal were 2-0 down with 10 men last week, but is it a matter of not ruining the goal difference too much now?

55 - GOAL! Taylor has done it again to make it 2-0 to Wigan and it's fully deserved. Scharner turns a cross back across goal, Heskey's close-range shot is parried out by Maik Taylor to Ryan Taylor, whose shot is saved again but bounces back off Ryan Taylor and dribbles into the net.

53 - Same as the first half: The second half has started in a similar fashion to the first - pretty scrappy stuff, end-to-end, but no real chances since Heskey flashed a shot wide.

Granty's hoping: An email in from Granty reckons McLeish and the Blues will show what Bruce is missing in the second half - it looks unlikely so far, but then Birmingham did get a 2-2 draw against Arsenal when playing with 10 men for even longer, but on that day they had the quality of McFadden to fall back on.

46 - Early chance for Wigan: Heskey latches on to Skoko's pass in behind the defence and gets the better of Martin Taylor before smashing a left-footed volley wide of the target - perhaps should have tested Maik Taylor from the edge of the area.

46 - And we're back: There have been no changes at half-time, with Alex McLeish sticking with what he's got for now. Wigan get us going again - are they going to stretch their lead? Or do you think Blues will get back into it? Let me know at mark.buckingham@bskyb.com

45 - HALF-TIME: Wigan lead at the break at the JJB and look in a strong position to claim all three points. Ryan Taylor's sweetly-struck shot put Wigan ahead on 15 minutes before Birmingham captain Damien Johnson was sent off for lunging in on Kevin Kilbane, who later hit the post. Zarate came close to an equaliser just before half-time, but it has been largely dominated by Wigan, with Palacios and Valencia particularly impressive.

45 - Zarate goes close: The little Argentinian does wonderfully well as he picks the ball up in midfield and goes by a couple of challenges before clipping a cute shot towards goal from 20 yards. It is a superb fingertip save by Kirkland to keep it out, yet a corner is not given - it was a mere touch by Kirkland, but it was a vital one.

Maltese madness: Paul has emailed in from Malta and is expecting Valencia to make it 2-0 for Wigan, while Edward thinks Nadover has more chance of winning the Grand National than Birmingham do of winning this game!

44 - Close shave: Melchiot does well down the right-hand side and he pulls the ball back for Marcus Bent to shoot and his effort fizzes wide at about 200mph - just wonder if he should have let the ball roll on again to Taylor, who was lurking unmarked.

Talking to for Taylor: Martin Taylor is spoken to by Mike Dean following a foul on Valencia - there wasn't much in it to be honest as he just got down by the pace of Valencia, the problem was he was dragged out from the centre to the touchline, Birmingham are going to have to be careful they are not pulled over the pitch.

41 - Tactical changes: Following the sending-off, McLeish has not made a sub, but has stuck Zarate on the right wing, with Larsson in the middle. He will probably wait until half-time before making any serious changes, but it is difficult to see how Birmingham are going to get anything out of this game, they were struggling even before Johnson was sent off.

39 - Post is rattling: Wigan are turning the screw and Birmingham breathe a sigh of relief as Kilbane hits the post. A long throw-in is only partially cleared and Kilbane thunders in with a fizzing low drive which bounces back off the upright. I think the post is still trembling now!

36 - RED CARD! Birmingham midfielder Damien Johnson is sent off for the fifth time in his St Andrews career following a nasty challenge on Kilbane. Deservedly shown a red card and, when you see it later, I think it was far worse than Taylor's one on Eduardo a few weeks ago. Johnson can have no complaints with that one - is it game over for Birmingham now? Let me know at mark.buckingham@bskyb.com

Pining for Palacios: Dayle thinks Palacios should have stayed at Birmingham, while Edwards says the Honduran, along with Bruce, are the best things to come out of Birmingham and, with Scharner at the back, he is not expecting the visitors to score.

How fast is Valencia? The Ecuadorian winger is sent steaming down the right flank by Melchiot's ball and he readily outpaces his marker Murphy. He puts in a low cross which is cleared - Valencia is the most dangerous player on the pitch right now, while Palacios does have that touch of class about him.

32 - McSheffrey misses: It's Birmingham's turn to have a go from a free-kick, although McSheffrey was about 30 yards out there. Got it over the wall easily enough, but it was never troubling Kirkland as it drifted over the bar. Set-pieces look Birmingham's best source of a chance at the moment.

31 - Taylor telegraphs it: Ryan that is, with a 25-yard free-kick as he made it look a bit obvious he was going to whip it over the wall and Maik Taylor was easily across to claim a simple catch.

Mix and match from Palacios: The midfielder shows great skill just outside the box to skip away from a couple of men, but there is a distinct lack of pace on his shot. I have been impressed with him so far. Do you think he has been a key signing for Wigan? Let me know at mark.buckingham@bskyb.com

Better Blues: Paul is predicting Birmingham to come back and win 2-1 as he thinks the visitors have a bit more to offer going forward - they've not shown it yet and the problem has been getting the ball into the feet of Zarate and Forssell as they're not going to win many high balls today, particularly against Scharner.

26 - First shot for Blues: Gary McSheffrey cuts in from the left flank on to his right foot and hits a low shot from about 25 yards which Kirkland saves well. Could have taken a nasty bobble in front of the keeper, so hats off for keeping hold of it. First time Birmingham have forced Kirkland into a save of any note.

23 - Heskey has a dig: Kilbane embarks on a Maradona-esque run - no seriously - only to be stopped at the edge of the box. The ball breaks for Heskey 20 yards from goal, but his low shot is comfortably saved by Maik Taylor low down to his left.

Going for goals: Tom has emailed in and, with some confidence, says this match is going to finish 2-2, with Zarate equalising, Bent putting Wigan back in front and then Johnson scoring for Blues. The match has certainly livened up since Wigan's goal, but Birmingham yet to show much as an attacking force.

19 - Scramble in the box: Valencia shows great feet on the box and his cross-shot is palmed out by Maik Taylor, with Birmingham clearing, but the ball comes back to Valencia again and this time his shot is charged out for a corner. Wigan stepping up the pace now.

18 - Wasteful Wigan: The Latics were given a free-kick 25 yards from goal, but opted for a quick one and Heskey failed to make the most of it as he was crowded out in the box. Surely they would have been better having a crack? And don't forget to keep emailing in at mark.buckingham@bskyb.com

How will Blues respond? Wigan have not conceded a goal in their last four home matches and now have the advantage. Birmingham have been forcing a few free-kicks - can they make one count as the sun comes out with Kirkland now donning a cap.

15 - GOAL! Wigan take the lead and it is a Taylor who makes the headlines as Ryan Taylor puts the home side in front. Great run from Valencia down the right-hand side, showing great pace and he rolls the ball across the penalty area where Taylor is steaming in and he fires a low shot inside the post and beyond Maik Taylor. What a way to make up for missing a penalty last week!

Ideal timing for Taylor: Elliot thinks this is the perfect game for Taylor to make his return as, despite the importance of the game, there will be little attention on it. So far, Taylor has been steady enough, it's probably playing as the perfect game for his type of defender - lots of long balls, aerial challenges to win and tackles to make.

12 - Forssell flicks over: McSheffrey angles in a good free-kick which Mikael Forssell glances towards goal, but it is over Chris Kirkland's bar. Neither keeper tested yet and I'm not sure they are going to be that busy this afternoon.

10 - Bent blazes over: Wigan keep the ball alive well and Melchiot astutely pulls the ball back for Marcus Bent at the near post, but he smashes his shot high into the stands. Was the pitch to blame or was it just poor technique? We'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but if he does it again...

How much does Bruce know? Karl thinks Steve Bruce may have the measure of his former club as he knows most of the Birmingham players, but he is still backing the visitors to triumph. Any Wigan fans think they will make it five games unbeaten at home?

8 - Zarate kid: The young Argentinian takes possession after Kilbane dithers, but is unable to get in a cross. Zarate has scored three in two games, so how important is it that Birmingham keep him?

6 - Scrappy stuff: Not much in the way of quality so far, I'm afraid, with plenty of long balls being played by both teams. Is the direct route going to be the best source of goal as Birmingham go in search of a first away win in the league in nine games?

Lookalike: Is it me or does Antonio Valencia look like the limo driver in the first Die Hard film? Anyone else got any lookalikes of players involved in today's game?

Taylor has to be in: Ashley Hooper has mailed in to say McLeish had no choice but to pick Taylor with Ridgewell and Queudrue out, and he also thinks Damien Johnson is going to score the winner in a 2-1 win for Blues. Is he going to be right?

1 - Pitching in: The pitch at the JJB has a bit more grass on it than usual, but doesn't look like it will be conducive to free-flowing football. Do you think the pitch has affected Wigan's style of play at home this season? Let me know at mark.buckingham@bskyb.com

0 - Kick-off: Birmingham get us underway in their red strip today. Incidentally, Mike Dean is the referee at the JJB and he was in charge at St Andrews when Taylor was sent off against Arsenal.

What do you think? I want to hear from you this afternoon with your views on the match. Is McLeish right to recall Taylor for such a big game on his first match back? And is revenge in the air for Bruce following his departure from Birmingham last November? Email me at mark.buckingham@bskyb.com and we can get some debate going over the next couple of hours.

Wigan team: Kirkland; Melchiot, Boyce, Scharner, Kilbane; Valencia, Skoko, Palacios, Taylor; Bent, Heskey. Subs: Pollitt, Sibierski, King, Figueroa, Hagen.

Team news: Wigan also make just one change to their team as Wilson Palacios, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Birmingham, returns to the team after suspension. He comes back into midfield as Paul Scharner reverts to centre-half, meaning Erik Hagen drops to the bench.

Birmingham news: Maik Taylor; Kelly, Martin Taylor, Jaidi, Murphy; Larsson, Muamba, Johnson, McSheffrey; Zarate, Forssell. Subs: Doyle, O'Connor, Jerome, Nafti, Parnaby

Team news: The big team news for Birmingham this afternoon is that Martin Taylor is back in the side for the first time since he was sent off for that tackle on Eduardo at the end of February. Taylor replaces the suspended Franck Queudrue in the only change from the Birmingham team which beat Man City 3-1 last week.

Welcome to skysports.com's minute-by-minute commentary on Wigan's crucial Premier League game against Birmingham City as Steve Bruce comes up against his former club for the first time.