Online Assistant

A flurry of four goals in six first-half minutes helped Manchester City on their way to a 5-1 win at home to Birmingham City.

City strengthened their hold on fourth place thanks to two goals from Carlos Tevez, two from Emmanuel Adebayor and one from Nedum Onuoha, while Cameron Jerome replied for Birmingham in a frantic spell at the end of the first period.

There had been no score at Eastlands - or in any of the day's three other Premier League - before Phil Dowd awarded a disputed penalty for a challenge on Adebayor by Scott Dann in the 37th minute.

Tevez planted the ball into the bottom right corner, and got the final touch a couple of minutes later when Onuoha's downward header deviated microscopically off the Argentine's boot on its way into the net.

Tevez let Onuoha lead the celebrations, but it is likely the goal will be awarded to the striker.

Birmingham hit back instantly, as James McFadden jinked past Kolo Toure and chipped a cross to the unmarked - and possibly offside - Cameron Jerome at the back post, where the striker buried a free header.

Just when it looked like game on, City restored their two-goal advantage when Gareth Barry released Craig Bellamy down the left and the Welshman squared for an unmarked Adebayor to tap in from a yard out.

Four goals, and all before 43 minutes had been played.

Until the penalty award, it had been a drab encounter, enlivened only by a rousing tribute paid to former City keeper Bert Trautmann before kick-off.

Midfielder Patrick Vieira suffered an injury in the warm-up and had to be replaced in the starting line-up by Nigel De Jong.

The Dutchman was left out because he has been booked nine times this season - another yellow card would have incurred a two-match ban, ruling him out of next weekend's derby against Manchester United.

Birmingham had their own selection problems, with goalkeeper Joe Hart barred from playing against the side from whom he is on loan - Maik Taylor deputised.

Exciting as it was, the four-goal spell largely killed the game as a spectacle as City were happy to sit on their lead.

Onuoha was unlucky not to win another penalty on 50 minutes when Lee Bowyer climbed all over him, before Fahey missed a couple of presentable chances to reduce the arrears for Birmingham.

Onuoha finally got on the scoresheet in the 74th minute, when the Birmingham defence parted in front of him and he placed a low left-footed shot into the right corner of the net.

And Adebayor grabbed his second when he spun past Scott Dann to sprint on to a long through ball and the Togolese striker rolled the ball calmly past Taylor.

Carlos Tevez hit a quick-fire hat-trick as Manchester City went fifth in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over 10-man Wigan Athletic at Eastlands.

The Argentina striker hit three goals in 12 second-half minutes after Latics defender Gary Caldwell was sent off for a dangerous tackle on the Argentine on 56 minutes.

Tevez’s first was a 72nd-minute tap-in after stand-in Latics keeper Vladimir Stoijkovic flapped pathetically at Patrick Vieira’s lofted pass, while the second came when he stole in at the far post to rifle Javier Garrido‘s low cross home.

The former Manchester United hit-man completed the rout on 84 minutes after he evaded a weak challenge from Paul Scharner and clipped a cool finish inside the left-hand post, bagging a second hat-trick in a City shirt after his three against Blackburn Rovers.

City are now fifth, two points behind Tottenham and two clear of Liverpool, with a game in hand on the Reds.

Until conceding, Roberto Martinez’s side had plenty of opportunities to take the lead against a nondescript City, with Hugo Rodallega missing two gilt-edged chances either side of Caldwell’s straight red card.

Wigan started with more attacking intent and worked hard to close down their more illustrious hosts, Rodallega particularly bright as he repeatedly got the better of Pablo Zabaleta.

The two best early chances fell to Marcelo Moreno, who first lashed an effort over - taking it early when he had time and space to take Rodallega’s perfect pass - before then cutting the ball back to Scharner when he should have tested Shay Given: the Austrian midfielder fired over.

Given then made a save from Scharner after Moreno’s free-kick was blocked into his path, as the City fans stay quiet as only Tevez, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Adam Johnson showed any chutzpah going forward.

Johnson, swapping wings with Wright-Phillips and employing some direct running to test Wigan’s full-backs, put in a great ball for Emmanuel Adebayor but his finish was blocked by Titus Bramble.

Tevez forced an excellent stop from Stoijkovic, who batted away the Argentine’s volley after a low cross from Wright-Phillips, while at the end of the first half Tevez and Adebayor were denied simple finishes at the far post when Mario Melchiot somehow back-headed Johnson’s delivery to safety.

Part of City’s problem was a lack of dominance in central midfield - Gareth Barry was dropped to the bench after their 2-0 defeat at home to Everton, with Vieira offering little defensively or going forward.

Another issue was a lack of sharpness for Adebayor, returning from a four-match ban, while Craig Bellamy - one of City’s stand-out players this season - was benched amid rumours of another bust-up with boss Roberto Mancini, although he did come on at half-time.

City had a good chance early in the half, with Stoijkovic spared after spilling Tevez’s shot directly to Adebayor as the striker was offside.

They had a penalty appeal waved away when the ball struck Caldwell's arm as he slid in on Bellamy and, from the counter, the visitors should have taken the lead but Rodallega sprinted through and somehow put wide of the left-hand post.

Within 60 seconds they were down to 10 men as Caldwell launched into a high, two-footed scissors tackle on Tevez just outside the penalty area.

Caldwell argued that he took the ball, and that Tevez led with a mini-stamp, but it was a reckless challenge right in front of referee Stuart Attwell.

Wigan had two super chances to go ahead soon after, with Moreno taking a brilliant first-touch and smashing a vicious half-volley wide, while Rodallega put Charles N’Zogbia’s cross wide of the far post.

City eventually made their numerical advantage tell, thanks to a howler from Stoijkovic, in for the injured Chris Kirkland.

Vieira played a waist-high ball into the Latics box and the former Sporting Lisbon shot-stopper flapped in an attempt to evade Adebayor, somehow letting the ball past as Tevez helped himself to an easy finish.

Wigan complained that Adebayor’s foot was high but it was weak from the Serb and two minutes later he almost gifted them a second, bizarrely checking his run out to claim a straightforward ball, with Adebayor denied by Scharner’s excellent tackle.

It was 2-0 soon enough when Garrido drilled an inviting low ball that took a touch off Vincent Kompany and arrived at the feet of Tevez for another simple finish at the far post.

Tevez dedicated each goal to his newborn daughter and waved his shinpad for a third time at the crowd with 16 minutes left after he easily skipped clear of Scharner and, before Bramble could block, placed the ball into the left-hand side of goal to take his season tally to 19 in the league.

The defeat leaves Wigan four points and one place above fourth-bottom West Ham.

In their run-in City face three top-four sides - local rivals Manchester United and North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham - and also Aston Villa, who are themselves chasing the fourth Champions League qualification slot.