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Cedric Kipre sealed Wigan's first away win since April with the Latics' third goal at St Andrew's

Wigan Athletic recorded their first away win of the season to climb off the bottom of the Championship.

Kerim Mrabti cancelled out Josh Windass's early Wigan opener to tie it up 1-1 at the break.

But after being involved in a mix-up for the first goal, Gary Gardner's 50th-minute own goal put the Latics 2-1 in front.

Cedric Kipre stretched that lead to 3-1 with 73 minutes gone, only for Jacques Maghoma to give Blues hope eight minutes later.

But, following Sunday's remarkable nine-goal thriller with Leeds United, when four goals were scored in the final 10 minutes, this time there was no astonishing late comeback.

Wigan climb to 22nd, above both Barnsley and new backmarkers Luton Town, while City's fifth defeat in six games leaves them just six points clear of safety.

Kerim Mrabti scored his side's second goal in three Birmingham City games over the festive period

In one of their worst performances of the season, the blame for Blues' fourth straight home home defeat - and sixth at St Andrew's this season - pointed to a tactical move which backfired for home boss Pep Clotet, who has won just once in seven games since being confirmed as head coach.

He opted to play Gardner as a makeshift centre-back, but the midfielder was partly at fault for Wigan's first two goals.

The first came following a mix-up with Jude Bellingham, who slid into Gardner and took the ball off him, allowing Joe Williams to cross from the left for Windass to tap home - his third goal of the season - and 50th of his career in all competitions.

Blues had to thank goalkeeper Connal Trueman for keeping them in the game with four saves before they levelled against the run of play when Mrabti turned neatly in the box from Kristian Pedersen's pass and beat Kipre before firing home left-footed from a tight angle for his first goal at St Andrew's.

But after going 254 minutes without an away goal, Wigan got another when, from Lee Evans' defence-splitting pass, Windass beat the offside trap and rounded Trueman before his effort cannoned in off Gardner's thigh.

Wigan enjoyed another kind ricochet for their third when Lukas Jutkiewicz's header from Windass's corner hit Kipre on the chest and went in.

And, although Maghoma got on the end of Jutkiewicz's knockdown from Bellingham's cross to pull one back, that was as far as any escape bid went as Wigan keeper Jamie Jones parried substitute Alvaro Gimenez's header.

Blues now face fellow strugglers Luton and then Middlesbrough in two of their next three Championship games, while Wigan's next Championship fixture is at home to Bristol City on 11 January.

Birmingham City head coach Pep Clotet:

"We're having a bad run and we need to put our hands up for it. But there are a lot of things that give me confidence.

"This club has been struggling much more in the recent past than it is now. I have full trust in the players, but it's about getting them back mentally and fighting again because they have the right attitude.

"I'm massively confident we can turn things around. We have experience in the squad of being in bad situations. We're also scoring more goals than we were a couple of months ago."

Wigan Athletic manager Paul Cook:

"I feel confident we can get out of trouble. We can certainly cause most teams problems and over a season the league table doesn't lie.

"We create chances, we have got pace, energy and legs. We are on 23 points and we've got to make sure we get a points tally other teams will find hard to beat.

"If you win football games you won't be in trouble. We've just got to keep going. We've lost so many games in the last minute and stoppage time, it's untrue."

Josh Windass tapped in at the far post for Wigan's opener at St Andrew's after a mix-up between teenager Jude Bellingham and makeshift defender Gary Gardner