Wigan Athletic chief pinpoints reason for 'gutting' Birmingham City defeat

Latics flew out of the traps against the big-spending Blues, with Jonny Smith forcing a couple of great saves from Ryan Allsop inside the opening 15 minutes.

However, Birmingham went ahead from their first attack as Alfie May scored from close range on 18 minutes.

And Latics were well and truly up against it when May doubled the lead on the half-hour.

Michael Olakigbe fired against a post seconds later, but it was game over on the hour mark when Willum Willumsson finished off a fine Birmingham move to register number three.

"I'm gutted to get beat as always," said the Latics boss. "It is a bit of a strange feeling, because I think in the first half, I actually loved how we played, I thought we were very good.

"But we go in 2-0 down, and maybe when I come to reflect on this, it'll be in both boxes where we've lost the game.

"They have a brilliant striker in Alfie May, who has a brilliant instinct to score.

"I'd definitely say he was the difference between both sides - certainly in the first half.

"We can always look at how we defend the box better, but we can also look at how more clinical we can be at the other end when we're in attacking areas.

"I had a decision to make, as I always do when we face teams at the top end of the table, of whether to give up possession and try to defend for most of the game, or go toe-to-toe.

"We decided to go toe-to-toe, and if we are a really big team in this league, we don't go in 2-0 down.

"If we have any sort of ambitions, we have to make more of periods in games - especially big games - when we're so dominant.

"I know we went in at the break 2-0 down, but I was incredibly proud of how well we'd played. I thought we were the better side...we had 11 shots, they had two, and we go in 2-0 down.

"I think that's the clearest stat, in terms of the difference between the two teams. They were more clinical than we were, and that's why I'm sitting here, talking to you, all disappointed."

Latics could have scored a couple of goals in the opening 10 minutes before Birmingham got into their stride.

First, Dale Taylor made a nuisance of himself with the ball falling to Smith, whose deflected shot was going in before Allsop readjusted and saved with his feet.

It required another fine save - this time with his hands - from Allsop at full stretch to deny Smith as Latics turned the screw.

However, Birmingham managed to get some possession, and two goals in the space of 12 minutes saw them gain control of the game.

Wigan's misery was exacerbated when Olakigbe hit the post within seconds of the restart, with Allsop this time beaten.

Willumsson made it three on the hour mark after a lovely passing move down the right.

And not even the introduction off the bench of new-boy Joseph Hungbo could inject much cheer into another frustration afternoon for Latics.