If someone had offered a 2-2 draw at Bolton before the game started I’d have said yes please and looked to the next game. If someone had said how about 5 points from the first three games I would have just as readily accepted. It seems strange therefore to be sitting writing this report disappointed but as things panned out this afternoon this was a poor result. To be 2-0 up with twenty minutes left, in control of the game against ten men and then draw can hardly be considered a happy outcome. Most people reading this will have seen the game as I did on SKY so I won’t describe in minute detail the bright start we made the excellent well worked goal we scored to take the lead through Johnson in the fourth minute and an opportunist strike from Gardner from Jerome’s cushioned header early in the second half only for all that hard work to be undone by a penalty and a glorious free kick from ex-Blue, Robbie Blake with ten minutes left. It was a galling end to the game that Blues should have won at a canter as we were playing against ten men whose game plan was simply to launch the ball into the box as often as possible, challenge for it, win it if possible and contest the knock downs. That direct physical approach when you are in Bolton’s position is all well and good but it can be negated to a large extent by keeping hold of the ball, moving it around, making the depleted side run round after it and make your extra man count. We failed in this strategy miserably having played so well to carve out a commanding position. We were the architects of our own downfall and although Kevin Friend, the referee made one or two debatable decisions leading up to Bolton’s fight back the blame for grasping a near defeat from the jaws of victory cannot and should not be laid at his door. I will attempt to explain why, in my opinion, that is:

The sending off of Jääskeläinen

In the 36th minute Johnson challenges Jääskeläinen for the ball and there is a coming together that was probably construed as a push on the keeper and both players fall in a heap. As they get up Johnson appears to offer his apology to be greeted by a slap across the face by the Finn. No argument about the sending off for violent conduct. Now a number of punters and fans have argued that a penalty kick should also be given; Mr Friend has not blown his whistle and the game is therefore still active and he appears to wave play on just before the slap when of course he does stop the game. The game was eventually restarted with a free kick to Bolton presumably for the original offence by Johnson as ‘no advantage had resulted.’ Technically this is correct according to the Laws of the game but I would like to add a corollary here; it can be argued that the ‘advantage’ has already resulted because the ball is in the safe custody of the goalkeeper and the next phase of play is therefore in train. If this argument is accepted then a penalty kick should have been awarded. However, I think the referee got the decision right but it is a debatable point and I would welcome the views of fellow fans one way or the other. I did not think Johnson should have been booked however, on the grounds that the challenge was not dangerous or reckless in my view and at best was a free kick alone for which play was waved on.

Birmingham’s second goal

There was a question of offside against Jerome from the cross from McFadden. Bolton’s defensive line was running obliquely across the penalty area and Jerome is played onside by the full back on the far side before he cushions a header down for the oncoming Gardner for an easy tap in. The officials got this one right.

Bolton’s penalty

Mr Friend has a clear view of the incident when Kevin Davies and Roger Johnson jump for the ball. Davies is an excellent old fashioned English centre-forward and has a reputation for putting himself about. He has schooled himself in the art of winning free kicks by being physical, backing into defenders and being an out and out pest. He has the unenviable reputation of giving away more free kicks in the Premier League that any other player but he wins his fair share as well and this was the case here. The referee saw Johnson’s forearm placed across the back of Davies’ shoulders so getting extra leverage to complete his defensive header. Davies is propelled forwards and from Mr Friend’s angle it is a penalty, hence the award. Football pundits and we fans feel that these sorts of challenges are so commonplace that the label ‘soft’ is given to such awards. What the referee hasn’t seen is Davies backing into the centre-half and at the last second he jumps backwards towards Johnson making the clash more than it is. This happens all the time and frankly they were both at it but Johnson is well above Davies already and his arm has to be somewhere. As he descends, the backing in can make this challenge look like a push from behind and from where Mr Friend is he has to incline in favour of the attacker. It was a harsh decision but a case can be made for its correctness; clever play by the centre-forward although some would call it gamesmanship. It was a good spot kick but Davies is lucky the shot did not strike the bar.

Bolton’s free kick

Ten minutes from time Bolton are awarded a direct free kick 22 yards from goal in a perfect position for someone with the skills of Robbie Blake. I have sided with the officials up until now, but this award, I think Mr Friend got wrong. This time Bolton’s Cahill is involved. He pushes Barry Fergusson in the back going after the ball following an initial tussle with Dann and Johnson. I have now had several looks at this incident on MotD and on the SKY late night programme and my recollection of the initial incident is different to the reality which shows just how difficult it is for officials who only get one look at things. Blues can count themselves unlucky in getting a free kick against them in such a dangerous position on this occasion because I cannot honestly see why it is a free kick to the home side. If anything the award should have been given the opposite way which may explain Fergusson’s anguished reaction. The referee has called it the way he’s seen it aided by the fact that Cahill falls to the ground for whatever reason. Regardless of the call and whether it was right or wrong, Robbie Blake’s free kick was superb and no goalkeeper is getting to it. This is the sort of skill that cannot be legislated for.

What went wrong?

It can be argued that these crucial decisions went against us and cost us two points but that is not the case. We lost our advantage because we tried to sit back on our 2-0 lead, soak up the pressure, hopefully catch Bolton on the break as they played a higher line in the second half and see the game out by wearing them out and frustrating them. Things started to go wrong when we lost both McFadden and later Larsson to injury and with it much of our controlling width. Jerome did some very good things during the game including an excellent flick on for our opener and the cushioned header for Gardner’s goal rather than going for goal himself. He had the chance to snatch the win right at the end when his goal bound shot across the substitute keeper was blocked by Bogdan’s flailing foot. The keeper knew little about it. However, what he didn’t do was hold the ball up and link the play nearly effectively enough. His positioning was poor when offered the chance to run into grass behind the defenders as they pushed up in the second half he should have been spinning off down the channels rather than allowing Zat Knight clear view of him by remaining in the big centre-backs vicinity. This is an area of his game he must improve on. He is big, strong and pacy and has the tools to do this sort of job if asked. I find it strange that Zigic did not replace Jerome when it was obvious the ball was not sticking up front. The Serb has shown an assured touch on the ground, can link up play and would have presented a physical and aerial threat late on against tired defenders. The introduction of Derbyshire was forced by the injury to Larsson and he could still have played slightly behind Zigic as Jerome so the shape could have been preserved.

The International break now beckons and there is much to ponder before the visit of Liverpool to St Andrews in two weeks. We would do well to take a leaf out the book of our neighbours in B6 who despite being completely outplayed and battered by Everton this afternoon managed to close their game out with only a one goal advantage against a full complement. Nevertheless we’ve made a good start but it could have been better.

KRO SOTV