Premier league round-up: McCarthy brace lifts Wigan as goals pour in

FORMER Hamilton midfielder James McCarthy scored twice as Wigan ended their eight-game winless run with a 3-2 home win over Blackburn to climb out of the bottom three on a goal crazy day in the Barclays Premier League.

Blackburn deservedly took the lead through Jason Roberts only for McCarthy to draw Wigan level ten minutes before half-time.

In the second half Hugo Rodallega and McCarthy put the Latics two goals ahead before Christopher Samba pulled one back. Ben Watson and David Dunn then netted a penalty apiece as Wigan held on for a priceless three points.

Carlos Tevez celebrated his 27th birthday by keeping Manchester City on course for a Champions League spot with a first-half hat-trick in the 3-0 home win over West Brom.

Louis Saha scored four and Jermaine Beckford was also on target as Everton came from behind to beat Blackpool 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller. Blackpool had come from 2-1 down to lead 3-2 through a Charlie Adam goal with just over an hour gone of a frenetic clash at Goodison Park. But Saha's third levelled the scores and he completed the scoring after a superb Beckford volley.

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon had an afternoon to forget as he endured a torrid time from Stoke's set-pieces at a blustery Britannia Stadium. A second-half double from Robert Huth helped the hosts come from behind to claim a 3-2 win over Sunderland. Asamoah Gyan put the Black Cats 2-1 up early in the second half. But Huth claimed an equaliser seven minutes from time after John Carew had cancelled out Kieran Richardson's second-minute opener just after the half-hour, and the German then slid home the stoppage-time winner.

Clint Dempsey rescued a point for Fulham, after they had twice trailed to Aston Villa in a ding-dong 2-2 draw at Villa Park.

Substitute Niko Kranjcar struck a spectacular 25-yard strike to give Tottenham a 2-1 win over Bolton at White Hart Lane. Rafael van der Vaart scored one penalty and then missed another after being forced to retake it. Daniel Sturridge hit a second-half equaliser but Spurs were not to be denied.