VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – BIRMINGHAM CITY vs WOLVES

February 8, 2010 by KevB8ll
Filed under: Blues News, Match reports, Matches, Reports By Bazza 

Here is Bazza’s report on our dramatic win yesterday.

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This turned out to be a very sport filled weekend for me; much more than usual that is. I didn’t go to St Andrews much as I wished to, as I valued both my life and everything that I hold dear in the manhood department! I had on Saturday been invited to the England-Wales game at Twickenham with a prolonged and copiously liquid lunch beforehand by a mate of mine who happens to be a Viler! Despite that, Jeremy is a top bloke and I am very grateful to him that he was able to see past my lifelong affliction of being a Blues supporter. I’m delighted to say that England defeated Wales in their encounter in the Six Nations opener and I returned home happy not just because of the alcohol that I had consumed.

Mrs Bazza has become wise to Blues games being on the telly and had pointed this fact out to me in midweek. Her piercing stare told me that me saying that it wasn’t my intention to be away most of Sunday in Birmingham was probably a good and wholly safe answer! In all seriousness, I needed to spend some time at home and I was feeling a little tired and emotional on Sunday morning. I took the dog out for her walk to clear the head and settled down to watch the game.

Blues had the luxury of naming an unchanged line up for the 12th successive Premier League game, but recalled Phillips to the bench following his groin injury.

Blues started brightly and Ronald Zubar’s timely tackle prevented Lee Bowyer from opening the scoring after a couple of minutes before James McFadden’s drive was headed behind. Blues forced a series of corners in the first twenty minutes and Wolves looked in trouble with each delivery into the box. Cameron Jerome’s goal bound header was fortuitously headed clear by Michael Mancienne standing right in the centre of the goal where a defender would probably not have been expected where the keeper would normally be. Wolves rode their luck as they tried to ride out the pressure. Sebastian Larsson hit a rasping volley two yards over after 14 minutes before Hahnemann managed to smother at Jerome’s feet after Benitez’s knockdown.

Wolves began to settle after being under the cosh for the opening quarter of the game and Dave Jones registered their first effort, when his free-kick dipped over goalkeeper Joe Hart’s bar with 23 minutes gone. Doyle was then brought down just outside the area by Hart, who was cautioned, but Jarvis’ free-kick was easily cleared.

Wolves were showing confidence as they got into the game and Zubar should have put them ahead on the half-hour mark from Matt Jarvis’ corner but the defender planted his header wide with the goal gaping. Blues fashioned further good chances as Jerome fired at Hahnemann from an acute angle when he would undoubtedly have preferred to roll the ball square to Lee Bowyer coming in at pace. However, the midfielder wasn’t there having been deliberately tripped by Mancienne who should have been given a yellow card. This was one of the many decisions that Mr Probert and his assistants failed to spot. Scott Dann volleyed inches wide and it was inevitable that the missed chances by Blues would come back to haunt them.

Wolves took the lead three minutes before the break when Jarvis’ cross was deflected against the foot of the near post by Roger Johnson. Doyle was on hand to tap in the rebound from three yards for his sixth goal of the season. The score was against the run of play but Blues had paid for their continued inability to take the chances they keep creating in games. Blues should have had a penalty when Zubar shoved Liam Ridgewell in the back in first-half injury time.

Graham Souness at half time said that the reason the penalty wasn’t given was because the referee bottled it. He was right but I would just put it down to the general ineptitude of the officials who had given goal kicks instead of corners, corners instead of goal kicks, throw-ins the wrong way on too many occasions for so-called top flight professional referees.

Wolves started the second period the brighter buoyed by their score just before the break. It was a far more even contest but Wolves had the edge at this stage now they had a lead to defend. Benitez limped off after a tackle by Hahnemann to be replaced by Phillips as Blues struggled to break Wolves down, but they began to see more of the ball as Wolves began to defend deep. Nevertheless, Foley tested Hart from 18 yards before Adlene Guedioura unleashed a fierce 25-yard effort, which flew inches over with 13 minutes remaining.

It was difficult to see where a goal was coming from with only ten minutes to go when Barry Ferguson tossed a ball to the far post, which Craig Gardner who had come on for the jaded looking Larsson headed down for Phillips to tuck in at the near post. St Andrews and my living room were in raptures as the momentum swung in Blues favour.

One sensed that Blues could go on and win the game now and so it was to prove as Super Kev grabbed the winner five minutes from time when Stephen Carr was allowed to run from deep to tee up Phillips, who found the corner with a neat volley following an exquisite touch off his chest with six defenders around him. This was a truly class finish from the little maestro and Chucho would do well to learn from him as this was a salient lesson in how it should be done.

Blues were not at their best for this one but still showed enough resilience to pull off the win. Wolves did look the better side for twenty minutes or so of the second half but then wilted. Blues despite being under par deserved their victory.

Kevin Phillips stole the man of the match accolade in only half an hour and must be a candidate to start next week. Fergusson was once again the pick of the midfield. The defence was solid and a little unfortunate in the manner of conceding the goal.

As for Wolves, Doyle was by far their best player and troubled Johnson all afternoon. Jarvis was quick and presented a threat on the left and his cross for the goal was excellent which led to the telling deflection. Zubar had a good match going forward and was their most effective defender although he was fortunate not to concede a penalty when he blatantly pushed Ridgewell in the back.

Ward was truly awful and I can see why the Wolves fans think he is Mick McCarthy’s love child. He was arguably at fault for both our goals. Mancienne, I don’t rate and never have. He has played over one hundred games at senior level for QPR and Wolves on loan from Chelsea. He is supposedly a central defender who has latterly been used as a defensive midfielder. I have watched him in both positions and frankly he isn’t good enough at this level which is why I doubt we will see him breaking into the Chelsea side any time soon.

Apart from Doyle, Jarvis and Stearman when fit, Wolves have too many Championship players and that is why they are struggling for survival. I nevertheless hope that they do for the sake of Midlands’ football.

Blues: Hart 7 Carr 7 Johnson. R 6 Dann 7 Ridgewell 7 Larsson 5 Bowyer 6 Ferguson 8 McFadden 6 Benitez 5 Jerome 6
Subs: Fahey 7 Gardener 7 Phillips 9

Wolves: Hahnemann 5 Zubar 7 Craddock 6 Berra 5 Ward 4 Mancienne 4 Foley 6 Henry 6 Jones 5 Jarvis 7 Doyle 8
Subs: Guedioura 7 Surman n/a Ebanks-Blake n/a
Referee: Lee Probert 5

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Comments

5 Comments on VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – BIRMINGHAM CITY vs WOLVES

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  3. JohnR on Mon, 8th Feb 2010 12:36

    4. Just one correction. It was Fahey whoc crossed the ball for Gardner to head back for Phillips to score for the first goal, not Barry Ferguson.

    It was the three subs who created and scored that goal.

  4. Bazzathebluenose on Mon, 8th Feb 2010 16:40

    5. Thank you John, you are quite correct. I’d been so sure that Barry Ferguson had supplied the cross I didn’t check it. Subsequently having read a number of other accounts it’s clear I was wrong. I was so busy jumping up and down at the time despite my hangover I couldn’t have cared less but being a perfectionist myself it’s only right to have the facts correctly presented. :-)

    KRO SOTV

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