Brum 0 v City 0

 Match details

Sunday 01 November 2009, 4:00PM

St Andrews Att: 41,000
Barclays Premier League

Referee:
M Dean
Teams

Birmingham City:

Taylor, Carr, R Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden (Fahey 61), Benitez, Jerome (Phillips 88).

Unused subs:
Parnaby, Carsley, McSheffrey, Doyle, Vignal.

Bookings:
Ferguson, Dann, McFadden, Ferguson (second yellow - sent off 95)

 City:

Given, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Bridge, de Jong (Ireland 60), Barry, Wright-Phillips, Bellamy, Tevez, Santa Cruz (Petrov 67).

Unused subs:
Taylor, Richards, Sylvinho, Weiss, Johnson.

Bookings:
Bridge, Santa Cruz.

Its fitting that the postal strike has taken up the headlines of late as City were guilty of failure to delivery on numerous occasions in an industrious and lively affair at Birmingham.

The goalless affair at St Andrews made it 4 draws in a row for Mark Hughes' toothless team. For the first time this season they failed to find the net as a game and organised Birmingham side scrapped their way to the finish.

There was a penalty, a raft of top notch saves, a red card and a swallowed tongue, but no goals as City for the 4th week running failed to take advantage of results elsewhere going for them.

First Half

From the offset the game was reminiscent of a derby, with both teams trying to force their will on the other. After a brief foray forward by City, Birmingham controlled the early part of the game.

Firstly McFadden robbed the sleeping Barry and then saw his shot saved by Given.
Next the lively Benitez hit the post after a vicious long range shot was tipped onto the post by the impressive Irishman.

Jerome then fed Benitez, but Given was quick to thwart the Ecuadorian, before he was called into action again to keep the scores level.

Slowly City began to take take control with possession football and some nice interlinking play between the forwards.

Both Tevez and SWP were on form as they stretched the Birmingham defence time and time again only for a team mate fail to provide the finishing cross or touch.

An increasingly frustrated Tevez began to take pot shots at goal and Santa Cruz, Bellamy and SWP all had good chances to put City ahead, but the Birmingham defence stood strong.

A spate of yellow cards ensued as Birmingham tried to knock City out of their stride and they finished the half as they had started it, in the ascendancy, leaving Hughes to do some work at the interval.

Second Half

The second half started where the first left off with a high energy display from both teams. Firstly, Lescott cut out an attempted through ball from Bowyer and Tevez was high and wide again with a 25-yard effort.

Both Benitez and Santa Cruz were caught offside on numerous occasions and Wayne Bridge was yellow-carded after stupidly kicking the ball away after a marauding left wing raid was stopped.

Then cam the controversy as McLeish's side were awarded a dubious penalty after De Jong had touched the ball with his raised hand in a 50 50 challenge with Larsson.

James McFadden stepped up to take the spotkick, but the fiery Scot bottled it and telegraphed his shot towards Shay Given's left hand side after 56 minutes. He Irish man was again his side's saviour as he continued his good work from the first half.

McFadden's frustration was further confounded when he was booked for chopping down De Jong and was duly subbed.

City were struggling to get a foothold in the game and Hughes made his first substitution just after the hour when he brought on Stephen Ireland for the already yellow carded De Jong.

Santa Cruz earned a booking for pulling back Brum sub Fahey, before being replaced by Martin Petrov.

Tevez had his best shot of the game saved by Taylor as City searched for a late winner and just when that was looking likely play was stopped as Johnson needed treatment after blocking a shot from Bridge.

The Brum player seemed to swallow his tongue and the game was delayed for 5 minutes before being resumed. The Blues penalty shout was conveniently ignored during the drama after Tevez had been fouled in the box during the incident.

Ferguson was sent off in injury-time for a second bookable offence when he idiotically knocked the ball out of Zabaleta's hands at a throw-in.


In short

In the end a top class bunch of grafters fought well in the first half and although couldn't keep it up for the full ninety minutes City couldn't find the quality to see them off. Given kept us in it and was easily Man of the Match.

Tevez, Lescott, Bridge, SWP, Zabaletta all did ok but Super Given was world class and saved us the points in th end.

Barry was asleep for most of the game and his worst 2 games have been against Midlands clubs when he's got loads of stick.

No surprise De Jong has been given the arm band in the absence of Toure. As he doesn't get fazed as easily.

Bellamy wasn't great and both Santa Cruz and Kompany need games to get up to Premier League speed.