Birmingham City 0-1 Wigan Athletic: Charlie Wyke helps Latics to victory on return
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Wigan picked up their first win of the season after three draws
Charlie Wyke marked his return to action after suffering a cardiac arrest in November by creating Nathan Broadhead's winner for 10-man Wigan Athletic at Birmingham City.
It was a long-awaited and eagerly anticipated appearance for 29-year-old Wyke, who was in hospital for over a week after he collapsed during a training session.
The striker, who came off the bench, took just 11 minutes to make a match-winning impact for a side that played 80 minutes a man down, sliding a fine ball through for Broadhead to pounce on and finish in the bottom corner.
It was a hard-fought first Championship win for Wigan after Joe Bennett was harshly shown a straight red card in the 10th minute. Lukas Jutkiewicz tumbled to the ground despite the 32-year-old appearing to make minimal contact with the forward as he was poised to break clear on goal.
Two excellent save from Jamie Jones, first from Sam Cosgrove a minute before Broadhead scored his first Wigan goal and late on from Jobe Bellingham, proved instrumental in the Latics picking up their first three points in the second tier since winning promotion as League One champions last season.
Wigan's last Championship triumph saw them beat Hull City 8-0 while battling to avoid relegation to League One having been hit with a 12-point penalty for being placed into administration.
Bennett was jeered as he made his way off the pitch after referee Andy Davies showed the former Aston Villa defender a red card for his challenge on Jutkiewicz as the forward ran across him.
Juninho Bacuna fired the resulting free-kick just wide, and despite being a man down Wigan threatened soon after with Tom Naylor wastefully volleying a chance wide from 12 yards.
As a scrappy first half progressed, an effort at full stretch from Scott Hogan that was directed over the bar was the best Blues managed to produce before the break.
Jutkiewicz's header which was comfortably dealt with by Jones in the 55th minute was the first effort either side managed to get on goal.
Max Power tested John Ruddy at his near post at the other end minutes later, and while Birmingham were able to call on Troy Deeney from the bench it was Wigan's two substitutes, Wykes and Broadhead, who proved to have the biggest impact on the game.