One down, forty-five to go..

Birmingham’s Championship campaign failed to get off to a winning start this afternoon, with last year’s play-off finalists Watford running out 1-0 winners thanks to Brummie-born Troy Deeney’s first half strike. Yet there are positives a plenty for boss Lee Clark to take from the opening fixture, after an encouraging performance from his side.

Remembering Chucho
Before the off, however, it was time to pay respects to Christian Benitez, who tragically lost his life earlier this week. The impeccably observed minutes silence made the tragedy hit home further, and watching the montage of Chucho’s finest moments in a Blues shirt it was hard to believe such a young person has been so cruelly taken way before his time. Rest In Peace Chucho.

A minutes silence for Chucho. Image: BCFC.com

Starting on the front foot
Last season we failed to get into first gear early on in games meaning before we knew it we were either 1-0 down or being outplayed, especially at home. But today saw a change; although Watford had most of the early possession we looked really up for it. We chased down every single ball, with Matt Green doing some superb running up front. We got right up in the faces of Watford and the crowd responded duly, making for a decent atmosphere at St. Andrew’s throughout the game: if the players look like they want it, the crowd will always respond.

The Visitors
There’s no denying Watford's class, and they will definitely be vying for a promotion place this season. They cut us apart at times, especially in the first half, and their early goal was cruel but a reward for their precision in the final third – something which we desperately need.

However, their time wasting and various other antics put a slight dampener on their otherwise great performance. They’re an enjoyable team to watch, but no one wants to see drama queens, time wasting or moaners – and unfortunately that’s what we saw from them today.

This all culminated in their bench getting very heated after a throw-in mishap, and players from both sides ended up squaring up to one another – not something you expect to see in the first game of the season! However the six minutes added time at the end of the game was justified, and I’m sure that won’t be the first time we see that this season in a Watford game.

Back to Blues
On the Blues front, as I said, there were many positives to take from the game. Darren Randolph looks like an astute and confident number one to replace Jack Butland, making some smart saves and controlling his area well.

Dan Burn and Paul Robinson also looked very impressive; with the former being awarded man of the match and the latter putting in some real crunching tackles. I was worried about Burn’s height and giving away fouls with his long legs; but he certainly knows how to use his height to his advantage and manages to time it well.

Both Andy Shinnie and Wade Elliott were also two players who impressed me today. Despite a wayward pass early on in the game, Elliott commanded the midfield well and picked out some brilliant passes, whilst Shinnie looked excellent going forward and a really strong player to boot.


The new number one. Image: Getty Images

Picking Faults
It’s hard to pick a fault any of the players today as for me they all played well and deserved something out of the game. I think you’d have to be quite the pessimist to complain too much after what we saw today.

Nevertheless, our finishing – or lack of it – must improve. Green and Lee Novak ran the front line well, but we didn’t look sharp in front of goal and that was one of our only downfalls in what was an otherwise positive performance.

As well as this, the formation isn't ideal. 3-5-2 looks to be favoured by Clark, but it means leaving out Chris Burke, and surely one of your best players cannot be sacrificed for the sake of a formation.

Which brings me onto the wing backs. Playing a team with the attacking threat of Watford meant both Shane Ferguson and Neal Eardley had to keep one eye on their man all the time, meaning they didn’t get forward as much as they could have and therefore our attacking play wasn’t as good as it could have been. 4-4-2 with Burke in the side, for me, is a more ideal formation when playing a team of Watford’s caliber. But then again, I’m not the manager, and I have faith in Clark that he's making the right decisions.

Clark now has his stamp on the team. Image: Getty Images

Shaping up for the season
All in all it was a very positive performance by Blues and a huge improvement from last season can be seen already. This is completely Clark’s team now; he has built a strong, youthful squad with a great team spirit – something which we seemed to lack a little last season, which bodes well for us enduring another season in what is an incredibly tough division.

The players showed today that they are a team of real fighters, who will work not just for the shirt and their place in the team, but for each other as well. If we can just get it right in the final third I can see us improving on our 12th place finish last season.

Pre Season Report

Today marked a positive end to pre-season for Birmingham City, with a much improved performance from previous games to take forward to next weekend when the 2013/14 Championship season kicks off.

And despite some lacklustre performances, overall pre-season for Blues has thrown up more positives than it has negatives.

Consecutive wins in our first two fixtures against Alfreton Town (3-1) and Shamrock Rovers (4-0) respectively, was followed by a behind-closed-doors match against MK Dons in Dublin where we suffered a 4-1 loss.

A 3-0 win back on English soil against Swindon, a 1-1 draw at the Kassam Stadium, home of Oxford United, and an unfortunate 4-2 loss against Shrewsbury concluded the away fixtures, before a 2-1 win against Hull City back at St. Andrew’s to round off the pre-season fixtures quite nicely.

But as anyone will tell you, pre-season isn’t about results, it is about the two Fs: formation and fitness, and in today’s 2-1 win against Premier League Hull we looked a much more polished team than a few days previously in the loss to Shrewsbury.

3-5-2 seems to be Lee Clark’s preferred formation and even though we looked somewhat unstable in games prior to today, the formation worked well against Hull: a side that were promoted using the same system last season.

The only real problem with this however is the defence getting caught out, with both Paul Robinson and Dan Burn not being blessed with pace – Burn getting caught out against Oxford last weekend frequently and subsequently giving away fouls. Thankfully today we looked much more solid, with the wing-backs tracking back as and when to give that much needed cover.


An overall positive pre-season. Image: BCFC.com

As for the fitness side, you could tell we were a couple of weeks ahead of Hull; we looked confident and composed both on and off the ball and chased them down into making several mistakes. We also passed the ball about impressively, which should give the team more confidence ahead of a tough opening fixture next Saturday.

In terms of the players themselves, it’s been all change since last season. A revolving door would have been useful (if we could afford it) with a host of players leaving the club as well as, thus far, eleven new faces arriving at St. Andrew’s in the form of either loans or free transfers.

Clark seems to have done some good business, however, on what can’t even be labeled as a shoe string budget. Andrew Shinnie has looked particularly impressive and is my stand out player of pre-season, but the likes of Matt Green, Neal Eardley and Scott Allan have all looked impressive too, and getting Shane Ferguson back on loan is a terrific move by Clark.

As for the state of the ownership of the club, I think anyone would be lying if they said it’s not affected what’s going on on the pitch: the Marlon King situation being a clear example of this, with both him and Peter Lovenkrands being forced to train and play with the reserves. Yet having being given squad numbers, I for one hope this means they will be involved in the team, especially King. No one is going to buy them, even on a free, so involving them in the team can only be a positive for us; we have to pay them the same wages, so we might as well be getting something in return.

Overall, as pre-seasons go it’s not been disastrous. It should be taken with a pinch of salt, as it’s not a great indication of how the real season will pan out; the constant chopping and changing of the players to make sure everyone gets enough minutes clearly brings about instability, however I expect the starting XI today to be more or less who starts against Watford.

Granted it could have been more inspiring on the whole, but today’s game was encouraging, and the real talking will be done next Saturday when the season begins, hopefully with more positives to talk about and most importantly a win.

Green scores in the 2-1 victory against Hull. Image: BCFC.com

End of Season Reflections

A week ago today saw the end of the Championship season and all the promotion and relegation decisions were made; Hull gained the last automatic promotion place, Leicester beat Nottingham Forest in the last minute to leapfrog both them and Bolton Wanderers, who could only draw at home to Blackpool, into the last play-off place. They joined Watford, Crystal Palace and Brighton, whilst at the other end of the table Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Huddersfield all fought off relegation, condemning Peterborough and Wolverhampton Wanderers to League One alongside already relegated Bristol City.

And amongst only three matches which didn’t have a deciding factor on the race for promotion or the battle to beat the drop, were Birmingham City.

It’s been an indifferent season for the Blues to say the least. Wins were few and far between at the beginning of the campaign, and a 5-0 home defeat to Barnsley made many question to managerial abilities of Lee Clark, who was going to have a hard job as it was succeeding the much loved Chris Hughton.

Lee Clark had a tough act to follow. Image: Getty Images

But with only four wins under his belt by the end of October, Clark definitely had a lot to prove. The team were lacklustre, the defending questionable and we seemed incapable of both starting and finishing a game of the front foot. The team from last season seemed to have disappeared; even player of the season Chris Burke had lost his touch.

Injuries didn’t help Clark, especially the loss of top goal scorer Marlon King. The youngsters were drafted in, and although they managed to step up to the demands of a tough league, things were looking bleak and Blues had a definite relegation battle on their hands going into the second half of the season.

Fortunately things slowly picked up. Blues ended January in winning ways which sparked a fantastic away record, winning against the teams around them such as Peterborough as well as chalking a 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, live on Sky, which won performance of the season at the end of season awards – and rightly so.

Players celebrate the fourth goal at Crystal Palace. Image: Getty Images

Three consecutive wins at the end of March left Blues mid-table and slowly creeping away from relegation, but points picked up in April – most notably a hard-fought win at Bristol City followed by a 1-0 home victory against Leeds – saw Blues safe, and ironically quite close to the play-offs, which had seemed a distant memory of the season before in December.

The end of the season could have been better. Three goals down at Ipswich Town in the penultimate match of the season wasn’t a place we deserved to be in after recent performances, but 3-1 seemed a fair result after the first half defensive display.

The final game of the season saw a 1-1 draw against Blackburn, and the end to a less than enthralling season for the Blues. It was a change in scenery having nothing to be too excited or nervous about at any point during the season; only last season we saw a play-off campaign and European Tour, and previous seasons saw promotions, relegations, a Carling Cup win, and a top half finish in the Premier League.

Although it was relieving not to be involved in last-game-of-the-season drama for once, I admit I missed it. Watching the final games on the Football League Show made me miss being involved in something big for the club, and although in the end we weren’t a million miles away from the play-offs we still weren’t convincing enough, not by a long way.

The home form needs to improve drastically, as going from one of the best in the league to one of the worst is a massive change in fortunes. Ironically we have never been very good away from home, but 2013 has seen Blues flourish in away fixtures something which, if replicated at St. Andrew’s, would stand us in good stead for play-off contention next season.

Things will change between now and then. Stephen Carr has already announced his retirement, whilst the option was not taken up to retain the services of Keith Fahey – after four and a half years at the club and one of the only remaining Wembley winners – with Morgaro Gomis, Pablo Ibanez and Steven Caldwell all leaving the club too.

A host of players have been offered new deals or had their options taken up, including Chris Burke, Wade Elliott and Paul Robinson, showing that Clark wants to keep the old guard to influence the crop of young players coming through, who will also have a major part to play next season after stepping up to the first team and doing so well. Keeping hold of players like Curtis Davies, who won both player and players' player of the season, will be Clark's task before the start of the 2013/14 season, as well as building a squad fit for a play-off campaign.

Even with the financial mess still impacting the club and the team massively, hopefully next season will be a better one for Blues, and with any luck come the last game of the season, it’ll be a little more interesting with a lot more to play for – at the right end of the league of course.

 

Lee Clark will look to build on a 12th place finish. Image: Bcfc.com

A Sorry State

The financial crisis of Birmingham City is more than common knowledge. It has this season escalated to a great big neon flashing sign that we can’t ignore, even when we try to concentrate on what’s actually happening on the pitch – which is also considerably bleak of late.

We know that “no one is for sale but everyone is available” and if we have to lose players like Jack Butland, Curtis Davies and Nathan Redmond to keep our club afloat then so be it. We will support the team – what players we have left – and we will continue to voice our grievances, and wait, with baited breath, in the hope that one morning we will wake up to news of our club being sold, or some other minor miracle.

But when the news that Marlon King would be available on a free transfer broke yesterday – which Blues have since denied – it seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Some immediately turned to the idea of a protest which seems to be gathering some pace and attention, but in my opinion that will have little effect on whether we sell our club or not, or whether anything changes regarding the running of Blues.

There's no question that Pannu and co. need to find a way to sell up, and if they are to be believed (said with no hint of irony), then a protest outside St. Andrew's won't speed this process up. They've already heard the chants, they've seen our messages, and they know how we feel.

The fact remains that both on the pitch performances and off the field proceedings are getting more and more difficult to stomach and it remains a waiting game. But that can only last so long; fans can only put up with so many kicks in the proverbials before they say enough is enough. This, it seems, is beginning to happen.

I'm a great believer in optimism, but I'm finding it hard to find anything to smile about when it comes to my football club anymore. The solidarity that has kept us marginally sane as a fan base over the years is wearing thin, but the one thing we still all agree on is that we, as a club, need saving. Our club is becoming more and more fragile by the day and I honestly can't see it getting any better before it has got a whole lot worse.

New Season, New Start, New Blues

With the opening fixture to a new season less than a week away, and a cup tie against Barnet to play first, Blues can look back on a promising pre-season campaign ahead of another promotion push after last season’s unsuccessful attempt.

It was all change at the top, as Chris Hughton departed and in stepped ex-Huddersfield manager Lee Clark, yet the surprising, albeit most promising, situation was the lack of departures from the club; with Ben Foster and Jordon Mutch the only two walking out the exit door thus far – although, I shall try not to tempt fate, as the transfer window is still open.

As for the review of pre-season, let’s start with;

The Manager
It was the polar opposite of the reaction to Alex McLeish leaving the club of summer 2010, with praise galore surrounding the departure of Chris Hughton, who left for Premier League club Norwich taking his backroom staff and, eventually, goalkeeping coach Dave Watson with him; which was another sad loss to the club after he’d done so well with the goalkeepers in previous years. After Hughton’s departure the board, namely Peter Pannu, appointed Lee Clark, meaning we the fans got the man that the majority wanted – for the second year in a row. Since the appointment of Clark, the attacking mentality of the team certainly has not changed if pre-season results are anything to go by, and the players brought in show a statement of intent for the new season ahead.

The Players
Comparing the squad to last seasons, the only player we have lost is Jordon Mutch, as Ben Foster spent the season on loan at West Bromwich Albion. With that in mind, we have bolstered our squad considerably, bringing in David Lucas as a goalkeeping replacement, Darren Ambrose and Hayden Mullins to shore up the midfield, as well as Peter Lovenkrands up front who has already impressed in pre-season friendlies. The addition of Ravel Morrison on loan from West Ham, and most recently Ben Gordon from Chelsea provides Clark with a wealth of options as well as some youngsters to choose from when making his team selections.

The Results
As well as the promising signings off the field, the results on the field in pre-season have been equally as pleasing. A 0-0 draw against Mönchengladbac in the only game of Blues’ pre-season tour to Austria was built upon on the squad’s return to England with a 2-1 victory against Shrewsbury Town, quickly followed by a 1-0 loss at the hands of Cheltenham Town. Yet back to back victories against Bury and Plymouth Argyle were both high scoring – winning 5-1 and 5-0 respectively, showing that Blues have not lost their eye for goal. The visit of Royal Antwerp to St. Andrew’s saw a disappointing but not particularly disheartening 3-1 loss in the last of Blues warm up games. The presence of former Rangers team mates Peter Lovenkrands and Chris Burke on the score sheet throughout their friendly games is a trend that they will hope to repeat throughout the season.

The Expectations
Ever since the arrest of Carson Yeung and the unfolding money troubles, many a Bluenose has reduced their expectations of the club, even a heavy optimist like myself. And with last year's close, but ultimately failed, promotion attempt, I believe that the expectations of this season should be lowered again; a top half finish, no less, but we must aim for promotion - not expect it.

Image: BCFC.com

So with a new manager, a new shirt sponsor, and new players, it’s time for a new season. I for one can’t wait to watch this new look Blues in their first proper competitive match tomorrow night, and although a win or a loss won’t have that great an impact on the Championship season, it should give us a relatively clear idea of who Clark sees as his strongest starting eleven.

Last year we had a European tour, the season before we won the Carling cup and in 2009 we finished in the top ten of the Premier League and had a magnificent unbeaten run. No pressure 2012/13.

Half Time: Blackpool 1-0 Blues

Just like it’s hard to be negative after witnessing some of our brilliant performances this season, it’s hard to be positive when you’ve seen something so lacklustre in one of our most important games so far this season.

But I’m going to try and be positive.

You can’t escape the fact that we were poor last night, but take nothing away from Blackpool who deserved their victory and could of – should of rather – scored two or three more. And that’s one of the positives we can take into the second leg; Blackpool only have a slender one goal lead, which manager Ian Holloway has commented upon stating that he hopes they don’t rue the day they missed their chances.

So Blues can count themselves lucky it was only one. In truth, we never really got started. Jordon Mutch had a terrible game, Guirane N’Daw stood stock still in the middle of the park for most of the game, only moving to put in half-hearted tackles, and Peter Ramage is the only player to come out the game with some credit, especially for his terrific block early in the second half to deny Blackpool their second goal of the game, which looked to be going in until Ramage flung himself in front of the ball.

Our midfield was missing. Completely. Chris Burke never really got on the ball, so the lone striker Marlon King didn’t get the service he had been hoping for – yet whenever he did, he failed to stay onside, and the one time he beat the trap he managed to hit the post when it seemed easier to score. Tom Ince, man of the match and deservedly so, ran us ragged all game; and his deflected goal, although extremely cruel, was nothing more than he, and the rest of his team, deserved throughout the ninety minutes.

The overriding positive I suppose is that we cannot play any worse than we did last night in the second leg. Surely it is impossible and the fact that Blackpool only have a one nil lead – despite having the ball in the back of the net another three or four times – is a huge advantage for Blues and shows just how important being at home in the second leg may prove.

We all know what can happen when St. Andrew’s is packed and everyone get behind the team. If 2,000 fans can create that kind of noise last night, what can St. Andrew’s create on Wednesday? Let’s make another memorable atmosphere and another memorable night. Think the late victory over Villa in the Carling Cup; think Nacional in the Europa League; think the second leg against West Ham last season, where we needed one goal to get back on level terms.

It’s only half time…

We're So Happy Following The Blues

A fantastic end to the season with a victory over Championship Champions Reading on Saturday was made even better by results elsewhere going our way, meaning Birmingham City finished fourth in the league and have the major advantage of playing at home in the second leg. Goals from Adam Rooney and Wade Elliott sealed a well-deserved three points that just saw Blues finish above Blackpool, their opponents for the two-legged play-off semi-final, in what has been an incredible season that isn’t over just yet.

A strong crowd of over 25,000 turned out to see the Blues march on to victory, helped by a following of 4,000 Reading fans who bought just as many inflatables to celebrate their return to the Premier League after a four year absence. But it was Blues who were the ones celebrating when man of the match Nathan Redmond put on a delightful performance and helped to set up the first goal, sliding the ball into Rooney’s path who scored after just five minutes of being on the pitch, after replacing Nikola Zigic who limped off with an injury. A well-earned lead for the side who stayed on top for most of the first half.

The away side almost got themselves back into it in the second half when Pablo Ibanez climbed over Alex Pearce and a penalty was awarded. But confident Colin Doyle smartly saved Ian Harte’s penalty; not the first time this season the Ireland born shot-stopper has stepped up to the mark and saved Blues.

Blues were then awarded with their own penalty just ten minutes later for a blatant hand ball. After some discussion Wade Elliott grabbed the ball and took the spot kick, sealing victory for Blues with just fifteen minutes left to play. Another penalty was than awarded but this time Elliott couldn’t get the better of Adam Federici, just before the full time whistle was blown.

As Reading players and fans celebrated what has been a mammoth season for them, Blues were also in the party mood after news came through of a 2-2 draw at The Den, meaning they had finished 4th in the league.

With off the field issues and a cloud of financial uncertainty over the club since last summer, the team has done remarkably well to pull off a fantastic season all round. From the group stages of the Europa League, to a marvelous FA Cup run – most notably drawing at Stamford Bridge – as well as a steady league run where they peaked at just the right time to finish in the play-off places, Chris Hughton deserves all the plaudits he gets for getting everyone to pull together in the right direction.

On a shoe string budget – and that’s seriously shoe string; the only money spend was on transfer deadline day for Ibanez and Elliott – Hughton and his staff have managed to exceeded expectations and put together a team oozing with attacking finesse and astute defending. In fact, it was our goal difference which helped us mathematically seal the play-offs against Brighton last week: when was the last time our goal difference helped us do anything positive?

It has been a thoroughly enjoyable season for all; I can’t think of a season where there’s been next to nothing to moan or complain about, and that’s solely due to the wonderful football we are watching and the committed players who are doing everything to try and get this club back in the Premier League. I have no idea where the club will be this time next month but you can bet all the money you have that they will fight for promotion, like they have been doing all season, to the very last. Starting with an away trip to Bloomfield Road on Friday, where earlier on in the season Blues managed a 2-2 draw with a late Nikola Zigic goal earning his side a deserved point.

The play-offs are the cruelest way to lose but the best way to get promoted; so let’s take a chance and see if we can have another memorable date at Wembley.

Success On The South Coast

Saturday saw Chris Hughton’s team surpass expectations set at the start of the season when they finally secured a play-off place with a 1-1 draw against Brighton at the Amex Stadium. They almost collected all three points but a late equaliser for the home side meant Blues went back to The Midlands with just the solitary point, but still smiling as they finally booked their place in the end of season lottery that is the play-offs.

After drawing mid-week the home side had blown their chances of getting into the play-offs and therefore the game was more important to Blues, who ideally needed at least a point. In a game that lacked clinical finishing and some questionable refereeing decisions, it was Brighton who just about edged the ninety minutes, but it was Blues who took the lead. Minutes after Andros Townsend came close with a shot that flashed across goal and went just wide of the post, substitute Nathan Redmond managed to find the back of the net, firing a shot past Peter Brezovan to put his side on course to victory with just twenty minutes remaining.

But in the 83rd minute after some serious pressure on Colin Doyle’s goal, Brighton finally got the goal they had been searching for when Ashley Barnes fired home from close range to put a slight dent Blues’ hopes of finishing fourth. Nevertheless, a point was enough to seal a play-off place with just one game of the season remaining against the Championship Champions Reading.

Blackpool also secured a place in the play-offs with an emphatic 4-0 win against Burnley, leaving them fourth place and just one point ahead of Blues, and a tough away fixture at Milwall left to play. Cardiff’s 1-1 draw with Leeds leaves them one point behind Blues and in fifth place, in need of a result against Crystal Palace at the weekend who may be looking to avenge the Carling Cup semi-finals when Cardiff defeated them. After Middlesbrough’s 2-1 win over Southampton they are left with an outsider’s chance of getting into the play-offs; needing to better Cardiff’s result to finish in the top six.

Blues can’t rest on their laurels as they now play for positions in the play-offs; bettering Blackpool’s result will mean they take fourth spot and have the advantage of being at home in the second leg. However we all know Reading will prove tough to beat, and will want to finish their incredible season on a high before leaving for their Premier League adventure, which Blues will hope to be part of.

Image: BCFC.com

So Close But Yet So Far

Two points in two games have left Birmingham City agonizingly close to confirming a top six finish, with just two games to go away to Brighton and at home to Reading in the last game of the season. Blues were given a scare at the weekend in a game where a win would have seen them all but seal a play-off place.

In the battle of the BCFCs it was relegation threatened Bristol who took the lead with Stephen Pearson beating Colin Doyle, in goal after Boaz Myhill picked up an injury in the warm up. Bristol doubled their advantage soon after, this time Jon Stead scoring a peach of a goal to give the visitors an almighty boost in their quest for survival, and to send shockwaves throughout the Birmingham side reminding them that in this league, no game is easy.

Just before half time Marlon King halved the deficit, thanks to a deflection, and Blues went in at the break with work still to do. The second half saw Blues finally get the equaliser they had been searching for; defender Peter Ramage and player of the season contender Chris Burke worked together on the right hand side before Burke sent a low ball into the box which Nikola Zigic, just yards out, duly slotted home.

Blues only have themselves to blame for letting vital points slip at an all-important home fixture, in which miss placed passes were unfortunately all too common throughout the ninety minutes, culminating in Blues being the masters of their own downfall.

Tonight’s midweek fixtures presented Blues with another opportunity to cement their play-off place but a lacklustre start from the away side meant that it was a very nervous forty-five minutes, especially with the news that Cardiff were 1-0 ahead and, as it stood, on level points with Blues.

Ipswich caused problems for the Blues back line and Colin Doyle had to be called upon several times to prevent the tractor boys from taking the lead. Blues were then hit with another injury blow, with Captain Steven Caldwell having to go off with ten minutes left of the first half.

Just before half time Blues took the lead against the run of play, with a goal that was equally well constructed as it was well taken, with that man Chris Burke finishing a move that saw Peter Ramage, Marlon King and Andros Townsend all involved. It was a perfect time to score a goal.

Blues began the second half with impetus, looking bright on the counter attack with Ipswich, mid table and with nothing to play for, not as committed to the cause as their opponents. But Ipswich pressed on to enjoy heavy spells of the game, with Michael Chopra and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas causing countless problems and keeping Doyle on his toes.

And the latter equalised for his side with 75 minutes on the clock, sending his low effort past Doyle and piling pressure on Blues who up until that point were fifteen minutes away from sealing a place in the play-offs.

The game continued to be an end of end affair, with Blues coming agonizingly close late on with Zigic’s shot being cleared off the line. Ipswich piled on the pressure but the away side held on, all but confirming a play-off place after tonight’s result, but wins for Cardiff and Blackpool mean Blues are clinging onto fourth place by a single point.

A Fruitful Easter

Taking four points out of a maximum of six over Easter weekend sees Birmingham in a healthy position, but you can’t help but think it could have been more had they just managed to hold onto the lead at West Ham yesterday evening.

Saturday saw Crystal Palace visit St. Andrew’s and become the next victims of Chris Hughton’s terrific attacking side. After a disjointed start the home side finally got a hold on the game and it took them just twenty-one minutes to break the deadlock. Picking up the ball outside the area, Chris Burke cut inside and produced a fine shot that curled into the net. The front runner for player of the season also has a handful of goal of the season contenders too, after adding this fine effort against Palace to his tally of impressive long range goals.

Just over a minute from the restart and Blues were two goals to the good; Burke was involved again, this time provider for Keith Fahey whose superb looping shot left Julian Speroni helpless as the ball smacked the post before crashing into the back of the net. On fire Blues looked to be going on to score more, with the Palace defence unable to cope with the attacking display being put on by the St. Andrew’s outfit.

And there wasn’t long to wait before Blues found the back of the net again as just ten minutes after Fahey’s goal they were at it again; this time David Murphy the scorer, who found the back of the net for the third time in as many games to put his side three goals to the good.

Palace then scored an impressive goal of their own just before the break, with Owen Garvan reducing the deficit for the Eagles just before the half time whistle was blown.

After what was arguably the best first half performance we have witnessed from Blues this season, the second half started with the visitors having the upper hand, with Blues taking their foot off the gas momentarily with an important game away to West Ham on Monday in mind.

Jordon Mutch came close to putting the Blues out of sight when his free kick was chested over the bar by Speroni, but the score stayed at 3-1 for the third game in a row and put a nice cushion between Blues and the play-off contenders below them.

No time to rest as Blues headed to the Boleyn Ground for an all-important game against West Ham, in which the home side realistically needed to win if they were to keep up their push for automatic promotion. As such it was the Hammers who began the game with impetus, leaving the visitors no choice but to defend for their lives, barely able to get out their own half in the opening stages of the game.

Yet it was Blues who took a surprise lead just before the half hour mark. After coping resiliently with the Hammers pressure, the visitors mounted an attack with culminated in a fine long range effort to add to their increasing tally of impressive goals. Jordon Mutch found the ball at his feet 25 yards out and managed to fire the ball past Robert Green who didn’t even move.

A shock to the system for the home side and a real boost for Blues who have been so clinical of late. Just three minutes later, Marlon King found himself one on one with Green and doubled Blues’ advantage, sending the Blues players wild and the travelling Bluenoses at the other end of the pitch into delirium.

There was time for West Ham to get back into the game though, with Ricardo Vaz Te scoring a header from a corner just before half time. But just as they did in their last game away from St. Andrew’s, Blues responded just moments later by increasing their goal cushion once again; as Chris Burke’s scuffed shot from a corner managed to find its way into the back of the net to send Blues in at half time with a 3-1 lead.

The second half pressure from West Ham was expected, and it was only a matter of time before they got back into the game. Carlon Cole, after an impressive second half performance, took advantage of the space given to him inside the area and was able to control and pick his spot before duly slotting past Boaz Myhill.

In search for an equaliser West Ham pulled out all the stops and, agonizingly for Blues, they got their reward on the 89^th minute. Goal scorer Burke handled the ball inside the area and Vaz Te stepped up to salvage a point for the Hammers, smashing his penalty home. Deserved for the home side it may be, but Blues should feel disappointed dropping two points so late on in the game after leading for so long. Nevertheless, with results going their way yesterday Blues have an even healthier cushion as they sit pretty in fourth place with just four games to go.

Three points in an all important home fixture against Bristol City on Saturday should all but seal a play-off place depending on results elsewhere, with an away trip to Ipswich following the home fixture, and tough games against Brighton and Reading to follow.

Image: BCFC.com

Back to Back Victories

After a much needed 3-1 win against relegation strugglers Doncaster Rovers on Friday, Birmingham faced a quick turn around and repeated the same result this time away to Burnley, a team who had come off the back of an impressive weekend win themselves, much to the delight of everyone connected with the club as the promotion push took a major boost at such a pivotal point of the season.

The cold conditions didn’t seem to be hampering Blues’ red-hot attacking play, as after just eleven minutes they were in front. Finding himself in space, Marlon King fired the ball into the net to score his sixteenth goal of the season, and set Blues on course for successive away victories.

King could have easily added a second in what was a relatively comfortable half for the visitors, but his reluctancy to shoot meant he took too many touches and Burnley were able to clear the danger before the in-form striker was able to capitalise.

Long range shots from Guirane N’Daw and Jordon Mutch seemed to be the order of the night, yet neither came anywhere near doubling their team’s advantage, much to the frustration of the travelling support who sensed that their team needed that vital second goal; knowing that a Burnley equaliser was on the horizon.

The second half introduction of Junior Stanislas for the home side proved a turning point in the match, with Burnley finally getting more into the game and posing a threat to Boaz Myhill and the so far resilient Birmingham back line.

And Blues had a right to feel threatened; first Charlie Austin, seeing Myhill out of position, tried a long range effort which Curtis Davies managed to get his head to just in time to clear off the line, and Burnley came even closer just moments later with Danny Ings hitting the bar before Austin again came close from the rebound.

Burnley finally got the goal that had been coming through Ings, heading in a routine cross from Ross Wallace. But they didn’t get to celebrate for long, as a minute later Blues had the ball up the other end with King, who fed the ball to Mutch who put Blues ahead again; much to the delight of the Birmingham fans who mimicked their opposition by singing the goal celebration music they had heard just moments earlier.

The game was put to bed in the 88th minute when David Murphy sealed the three points from close range. Turf Moor emptied as the Blues fans celebrated another vital three points in their push for promotion. The result keeps them in fourth – three points clear of fifth place, with a home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday before a tough trip to London to face West Ham on Easter Monday in front of the television cameras. 

Image: BCFC.com

Crunch Time

It’s been said before by many a Bluenose and I will reiterate it here for what won’t be the final time I’m sure: what a season it’s been so far. You can take away a lot from a football club. You can take away the money, you can take away the star players, you can even take away some of the fan base, who detach themselves from a club when they become uninterested.

But one thing you can never take away from the fans who remain, the players on the pitch or the manager in the dugout, is passion for the game, and pride for the shirt. This season we’ve seen some ultimately brilliant performances, some sensational goals and passing play and although we’ve hit bad patches, we must remember that every team goes through at least one rough spot a season.

But Blues seem to be getting over the bump in the road to promotion and if last night’s performance is anything to go by, it shows that we can win when the pressure is on us. It might not be perfect, but then it never has been.

A shaky start meant bottom of the league Doncaster found themselves in front, with Frederic Piquionne scoring past Boaz Myhill with just four minutes of the game gone. Not the be underestimated, the determined basement club went in search of a second, but this always leaves the defence open to a counter attack which Blues took full advantage of.

After waking up, the away side Blues began to threaten the Donny backline, with Marlon King hitting the bar before David Murphy equalised from the resulting corner, sending the travelling Blues fans wild and increasing the volume further from that section of the ground.

Taking control, the promotion pushers went in search for a second, and it looked to be coming when King was put through on goal. But taking one touch too many, the striker skipped past Carl Ikeme and looked to have been caught, falling down and claiming a penalty. Yet the referee had other ideas; and booked King for diving – much to the player’s disbelief.

Blues continued their slick attacking play after the break, with Nikola Zigic coming close to putting his side in the lead on more than one occasion but with Ikeme in the Rovers net in good form, it looked as if it would take something a little bit special to beat him for a second time; and when you want a moment of class, there’s no one more willing than Chris Burke to provide it for you.

Some quick interchanges between strike pairing Zigic and King fed the Scot the ball on the edge of the box and, cutting in from the right, he unleashed a perfect curling shot which slotted right past the stretching Ikeme.

Blues were hungry for a third, and with the 1,600 travelling Bluenoses in full voice the Doncaster resistance looked to have been well and truly broken, with Blues in complete ascendancy. Burke again tried his luck from range not once but twice and came close both times, and with the minutes to go Murphy’s delightful ball over the top to King saw the striker beat the offside trap and, with no Rovers player tracking his run, he went alone and sweetly struck the ball to slot past Ikeme for the third Blues goal of the night to wrap up all three points and send Blues into fourth place.

With one game in hand over the teams around them, Blues have their fate in their own hands as we enter the final games of the season. But I think we can all agree, whatever happens, we have surpassed all expectations set at the start of what we thought was going to be a season of transition, that has turned into a season filled with triumph. And it’s not over yet.

Image: BCFC.com

A Week To Forget

Birmingham’s promotion campaign took a slight stumble this week, only managing to pick up one point from two games leaving them just in the top six on goal-difference alone. In a week that saw a 4-1 loss away to bottom of the league Portsmouth and a tough-fought home draw against fellow promotion pushers Cardiff, it is one for Blues to perhaps forget and try to move on from as quickly as possible.

It all looked to be going so well when Nikola Zigic put his side ahead just seven minutes into the midweek game on the south coast, yet Blues were left to rue their inability to put the game to bed when Chris Maguire put Pompey back on level terms early in the second half. The onslaught ensued, as just three minutes later David Murphy was dismissed for a second bookable offence, and namesake David Norris put the struggling side ahead.

As Blues pushed for an equaliser, their depleting defence conceded two more, first from substitute Kelvin Etuhu who had been on the pitch a matter of minutes, and then Marko Futacs more than secured the three points in stoppage time to give his side an almighty lift in their fight for survival.

Blues were not only left to rue their missed chances, but the questionable refereeing decisions which lead to Murphy been sent for an early shower, and the free kick that lead to Portsmouth’s second goal appearing to strike a Pompey arm before falling to Norris. Manager Chris Hughton, never one to lament officiating, stated this as one of the reasons for his team’s loss.

But there was no time to dwell on it, with Cardiff City’s visit to St. Andrew’s imminent, Hughton had a few days to prepare for what everyone knew would be a tough fixture. After a poignant tribute to former-Blue Fabrice Muamba, who continues to recover day by day in hospital after collapsing last week, it was back to business on the pitch with the away side looking the more dangerous in the early stages, but failing to cause too many problems with their inability to beat the offside trap.

Blues failed to get anywhere near their best and on the whole, the first half was uninspiring to say the least. Keith Fahey was being missed by the midfield which seemed no-existant, with balls going straight up to Marlon King and Erik Huseklepp; bypassing the centre of the park. The away side definitely went in at half time the happier, seemingly finding the form again that they have lacked of late.

Yet, the second half saw Blues come out the blocks and attack with some real threat. After failing to get Chris Burke on the ball too often in the first forty-five, the ex-Cardiff man was now getting the ball down the wing and causing problems for the Cardiff back line.

As a result of their attacking play, Blues were awarded a penalty when Jordon Mutch was clearly brought down in the area. Marlon King stepped up to take the resulting spot kick, but was out-witted by David Marshall and the score remained at 0-0.
Erik Huseklepp, back in the side after not being able to play against his parent club midweek, almost made up for King’s failed efforts moments later when he found himself through on goal, but it was Marshall who came to the rescue again for Cardiff to keep the scores level.

The game was becoming more end to end, and after a Cardiff attack was dealt with Burke broke with the ball and motored up the pitch and, with Huseklepp in the six-yard box, he coolly squared the ball to the on-loan striker who scored from close range.

It was a fantastic solo effort by Burke culminating in another assist for the man who was voted in the top ten Championship players by the managers in the league earlier this month.

Blues looked to have done enough to take all three points after a seemingly rocky start, but with just twelve minutes left Cardiff produced a perfect move that meant Blues had to share the spoils; Peter Whittingham’s ball found Captain Mark Hudson who fired past Boaz Myhill, who had been untroubled for most of the afternoon.
On reflection it was a deserved equaliser, but at the business end of the season you want to be winning games – especially your home games – even if you don’t necessarily deserve the three points.

Blues travel to relegation threatened Doncaster on Friday night, hoping to get back to winning ways as the season draws to a close. No more mistakes can be made now as we go into the final stretch of games in our quest for promotion.

Tired and Weary

The busy season seems to be catching up with Birmingham City, who managed to pick up just a point on their travels relegation strugglers Coventry City yesterday afternoon. Although the promotion chasing side held their nerve and salvaged a point after the Sky Blues went ahead in the 70th minute, it was clear to the travelling 5,700 Blues fans that their team looked tired and most definitely weary.

It was a game of limited clear cut chances although both sides had their fair share of attacks. Andros Townsend proved to be the liveliest player in a royal blue shirt once again, causing trouble throughout the game for the Coventry defence with his threatening runs down the left wing.

But the rest of the team seemed to be feeling the effects of a season which has seen them compete in three cup competitions as well as try to keep up their promotion chase in the league. Marlon King and Erik Huseklepp received little joy up front, however just after the half hour mark the latter shot just wide after a terrific move from the away side.

The relegation battlers Coventry were showing their intent at the other end of the pitch too, with Carl Baker coming close on a couple of occasions, and Steven Caldwell having to quickly clear one of Baker’s shots which looked to be heading in.

The second half saw a brighter Birmingham performance. Chris Burke had a great chance to put his side ahead but his shot was saved by Joe Murphy. But whilst Blues were on top, Coventry broke away and ex-Birmingham player Gary McSheffrey surprisingly scored a headed goal on the 70th minute. Unmarked, the Coventry born man cushioned his header over Boaz Myhill’s reach and expertly into the top corner of the net.

But while Coventry fans were still celebrating, Blues went up the other end and a long throw from on-loan Peter Ramage evaded the attention of everyone in the area bar King, who connected delightfully mid-flight to put his side back on level terms.

Although Blues had late chances via a string of set pieces, they couldn’t find the winner they desperately wanted and needed, and the game ended on a sour note with Jordon Mutch receiving a straight red for an elbow on Alex Nimely on the 89th minute. The substitute had been on the pitch less than twenty minutes before he was given his marching orders.

Nikola Zigic came close to grabbing a late winner moments from time when, deep into the seven minutes of added on time, a low Burke cross came into the box but the towering striker was unable to get a touch on it which would surely have sealed all three points for the Blues.

Blues have another away fixture next up on Tuesday against Leicester. Now out of the play-off places, Blues will have to pick up nothing less than a point at the King Power stadium if they want to stay in contention, with the teams around them picking up form as we go into the crucial stage of the season.

Another Disappointing Result

After seemingly wrapping up the three points after 57 minutes, Blues were the masters of their own downfall as they conceded two goals in quick succession to only pick up a point against bottom half of the table side Derby County. Their second home game in as many weeks had another miserable outcome, which felt more like a loss than a draw, and the dejection on the players’ faces at the full time whistle showed it all.

Acquiring the services of Peter Ramage and Caleb Folan – as well as Chris Hughton’s son Cian – before the transfer embargo was ordered after failing to get our accounts in on time, meant that the squad was now much stronger and ready to cope with the last leg of the push for promotion and to maintain a play-off place.

The disappointment of last week’s unfortunate defeat seemed to have been brushed under the carpet by the players as they dominated the opening stages of the game, with Derby rarely getting a sniff at goal and Boaz Myhill seemingly unemployed for the first half. And with less than twenty minutes played, Blues took a deserved lead. Jordon Mutch’s short corner was played to Andros Townsend who cut inside the oncoming Rams defender and shot at goal, with the deflection falling straight to Erik Huseklepp who had the task of easily slotting home to score his first goal in a royal blue shirt.

Creator of the goal Townsend impressed all afternoon, and was instrumental on the wing; skipping past every player he took on with ease and creating havoc for the Derby defence. And the Spurs loanee almost got his first goal for his new side too, but he saw his shot was cleared off the line just in time to prevent Blues from doubling their advantage.

But the home side didn’t have to wait long for that second goal. It was Townsend again the creator, who fed the ball into the path of Marlon King, and the forward added to his tally for the season with a smart finish with just over half an hour left to play.

Looking to be in cruise control, Blues seemed comfortable to go on and finish the game off. But two Derby goals in the space of five minutes, first from Steven Davies and then Theo Robinson, completely shell-shocked them, and they couldn’t muster a recovery, despite an onslaught of Frank Fielding’s goal for the last five minutes of the game. Credit must be given to Derby for an assured come-back, but Blues were largely at fault, especially for the second goal, for switching off at the back.

A controversial moment in the match also saw Nikola Zigic booked for an apparent dive in the penalty area, but replays show that he was caught directly on the knee, and a penalty should have been awarded.

Two disappointing results have left Blues still in the play-offs places – but only just. Concentration now switches to an all-important FA Cup replay against now manager-less Chelsea after their sacking of Andre Villas-Boas yesterday. A home advantage and high confidence will put Blues in the driving seat, but Chelsea may be looking to bounce back from a poor run of results that has left them fifth in the league and outside the Champions League place.

Mixed Results

It’s a funny old game, football.

Such is the demand of the forty-six game a season Championship games come thick and fast, and while on Tuesday Blues were celebrating another fantastic victory over Barnsley, Saturday saw a disappointing defeat and the end to an unbeaten run stretching all the way back to December.

What was most apparent in Tuesday’s clash at Oakwell, and something that has been visible for the last few games, is that we are now much more clinical. Where we were once having 5-10 shots with one or two on target – Peterborough away for example – we now have a much better shots to shots on target/goals ratio.

As such, our three excellent finishes – albeit one handsomely deflected – allowed us to appear a much more clinical side and win the game, with the help of some astute defending. Chris Burke’s deflected shot put Blues ahead in under ten minutes, before an unlikely equaliser from David Cotterill, after the defence had a momentary lapse on concentration and were duly punished.

But Blues found themselves ahead again thanks to a 20 yard shot from Keith Fahey. A man who has booed only months previously had his name sung by the travelling 700 Bluenoses, which is a testament to how much the Republic of Ireland midfielder has changed opinions at St. Andrew’s with his strong performances in the centre of the park.

After commendable performances by all, the home side were limited to chances and as such Blues put the game to bed with twelve minutes left on the clock. Substitute Nathan Redmond beat the keeper from the tightest of angels to seal all three points for Blues and keep their unbeaten run going.

The next couple of days saw two loan singings come in; first, Portsmouth’s Erik Huseklepp was added to Chris Hughton’s charges. The pacey forward left the south-coast struggles with a heavy heart, but determined to do well at his new club. Another addition was made shortly after; this time Tottenham Hotspur’s Andros Townsend joined the ranks, having been on loan at fellow Championship side Leeds United up until his move to B9.

The new signings were set to make an impact as up next at home was a relatively straight-forward match against Championship strugglers Nottingham Forest who, on paper, have a team oozing with talent and experience. The likes of George Elokobi, Dexter Blackstock and Chris Gunter to name but a few. And Blues fans and players alike shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss this, as they were on the wrong end of a 2-1 score line, bringing not only their unbeaten home run to an end, but their fifteen match unbeaten run to a close as well.

Dexter Blackstock produced the goods for the away side in both halves, whilst sandwiched in the middle was another impressive Chris Burke strike which seemed to offer hope of a victory, before it being snatched away with just under half an hour to go by the team who, ultimately, wanted it more on the day.

Despite the unfortunate defeat, Blues still sit in the play-off places with an extremely favourable goal difference. The FA Cup reply next week may provide a distraction, but it certainly isn’t unwanted. After all, a year ago today was the greatest day in Birmingham City’s history, and another trip to Wembley certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Shaping Up

After playing catch-up with the rest of the league for the majority for the season, Birmingham City have now found their true place in the league after finally catching up with the league games that had to be postponed due to Europa League commitments. After a well-fought 0-0 draw at a very snowy St. Andrews on Saturday evening against second place Southampton, whose necks Blues are now breathing down, last night saw a slightly sluggish but nonetheless deserved one nil victory against Portsmouth courtesy of a late well-taken Nathan Redmond goal.

Blues are now in a terrific position, sitting within touching distance of West Ham and Southampton with the equal best goal-difference in the league - plus 20 - a positive stat which they share with the second place Saints.

After a summer of turmoil and uncertainty, players and managers leaving the nest and administration and Carson Yeung’s trial floating overhead like a daunting storm cloud; Birmingham have once again exceeded expectations of their fans whom expected, and would have been content with, a mid-table-to-top-half finish. However, a Europa league campaign to be proud of, an unbeaten home record still intact and no losses since December 2011 paint quite a different story for the Midlands side and fans, players and manager alike can be immensely proud of the achievements so far - and all on such a shoe string budget as well.

After managing to keep a small team relatively injury free and only losing two players in Jean Beausejour and Liam Ridgewell in the January transfer window that has just slammed shut, Blues can consider this season an immense success – and it’s not even over yet. Sitting pretty in third place in the Championship, there is still a long way to go, and where Blues are concerned you know there will be twists, turns and probably a lot of surprises yet to come.

One thing’s for sure though; whatever happens at the end of the season Chris Hughton and his squad can be proud of their marvellous efforts. A team of bosman signings and ‘leftovers’ from the relegation rubble at the end of last season have shone in this league with attacking football, lots of goals and a rock solid defence.

As we enter the last few months of the season, one mistake now can spell a torrent of bad results and a swift fall down the table; yet at the same time, successive victories can push you right up there into the automatic promotion places or cement a play-off place for the time being at least. Mistakes cost dear at this time of the season; let’s hope it’s not Blues that are making them, but capitalising on the mistakes made by those around them.

The Best Of You

There was a time where we could barely muster a goal away from home, let alone a win. But the past few days have given us a passage into the fifth round of the FA Cup, three valuable league points and eight goals to celebrate.

First a tough test at Bramall Lane proved to be a much more straight forward victory than expected. After a shaky start Blues cruised to a 4-0 win, with Nathan Redmond starting the scoring on 18 minutes when his boot connected with Jordon Mutch’s corner and found the back of Steve Simonsen’s net. Blues doubled their advantage twenty minutes later, this time lone striker Adam Rooney got on the end of Chris Burke’s ball to add to his goal scoring tally for the season and stake his claim for a regular place in the side.

The Championship side were comfortable in possession and you could only see them scoring more goals. Their third came on the 58 minute mark; Wade Elliott broke from midfield and unleashed a shot from 20 yards out before running off in celebration in front of the 4,100 Brummies who had made the short trip up to Sheffield. Blues gave their fans even more to sing about with a Brazil-esque goal 12 minutes from time. After a succession of thirteen passess – all met by ‘Ole!’from the away fans clearly enjoying their day out – David Murphy slid the ball into the box with Rooney in the right place at the right time to finish off a perfect move.

Blues had some late defending to do to prevent a late consolation goal for the League One side, but due to their desire to keep a clean sheet as much as they want to score a goal, the Midlands outfit were able to keep their four goal advantage intact, setting up a tough but much welcomed away tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the next round.

Just a couple of days later Blues returned to league action, where their promotion push was boosted massively after coming from behind to win 4-1 against Leeds United. The home side started the game on the front foot and went ahead just before the twenty minute mark, courtesy of Ross McCormack’s low shot in the penalty area which crept past Boaz Myhill.

But a resilient Blues fought back to claim their second away victory in Yorkshire in just three days with Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who has been linked with numerous moves away from St Andrews during the transfer window, bagging all four of his teams’ goals. The first came just on the half hour mark, with a headed goal from close range, which allowed Blues to play with more confidence again as they were back on level terms. His second and third goals came within three minutes of each other; both from short distance and both showing just how much belief the players in the side have to turn the game on its head.

But Zigic wasn’t done there; his fourth and final goal came with just twenty minutes left of the game, and it was another headed goal as the giant Serb towered over the Leeds defence to score again, before being substituted for Adam Rooney, another striker on top form at present.

Blues saw out the game to record their fourth successive away victory and remain unbeaten in 2012. A phenomenal season just gets better, and a tough test against Southampton on Saturday will more than test the spirit of Hughton’s men.

Fortress St. Andrews

Birmingham City maintained their scintillating home form with another comfortable win, this time dispatching Watford and beating them by three goals to nil which was enough to push Chris Hughton’s team into the top six and claim a much deserved play-off spot.

Undefeated in 2012 and coming off the back of a seven game unbeaten run, the home side were looking to add to that further against the Hornets and a brace from Curtis Davies followed by a second goal in as many league games for Chris Burke was enough to secure the three points and move up the table in a much desired play-off position.

In blustery conditions it was Watford who had the early chances with main man Marvin Sordell causing problems for the Blues defence. Nevertheless, the chances weren’t clear cut and didn’t bother a rock solid Blues backline, who have kept two clean sheets in the previous two games. The partnership between Steven Caldwell and Curtis Davies has proved to be essential in maintaining Blues’ terrific form of late, and the latter of the two also had a major impact in what happened at the other end of the pitch. As the game approached half time, Chris Burke’s great work in midfield was rewarded when his pass round Keith Fahey, who floated in a pin-point ball that met the head of Davies, connecting well and firing the ball home to put his side ahead.

With the momentum now strongly in favour of Blues, the second half saw a relatively comfortable performance from the side who had scored ten goals already in all competitions in 2012 prior to kick off. Never really known for their free-scoring antics, Blues were two nil to the good on sixty minutes, again with Davies – another unlikely source of goals – the provider. After Burke’s shot was deflected for a corner, Jordon Mutch swung in the ball and the central defender rose above the Watford defence and got his head on the end of the ball, netting his second goal of the game and his fourth goal in his last seven games for Blues.

After a spell of possession for Blues there was time for one more goal, this time Chris Burke, who had a hand in both of Davies’ goals, collected the ball in the far right of the six-yard box and fired home to complete yet another victorious afternoon for Blues at St. Andrews.

The victory propelled Blues up a place and into the top six of the Championship. They now sit pretty with 43 points and a more than healthy goal difference of plus 16 – the third best in the division, behind Southampton and West Ham United. A fourth round tie in the FA Cup now awaits Hughton and his team against League One outfit Sheffield United who are also flying high in the league; sitting third behind Charlton and Huddersfield. But, after knocking Premier League side Wolves out in the previous round, Blues won’t be short of confidence when they travel to Bramall Lane and will be looking for their fourth straight victory in all competitions in Sheffield this coming Saturday.


Full Time: BLUES 3-0 Watford
Goal Scorers: Davies (35, 60) Burke (81)
Star Man: Curtis Davies; a brace for a defender is a rarity, especially when he also keeps a clean sheet at the other end of the pitch too.
Next Up: Sheffield United away - FA Cup

Right On Track

The past week has been a fruitful one for Birmingham City. A resilient performance and a stalemate against local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup earned them a replay, and that was followed by consecutive victories in the Championship; first against Ipswich at home where a last gasp winner sealed all three points, and then yesterday against Milwall in a six-goal demolition of The Lions at The Den.

The midweek fixture against Ipswich, although not an exhilarating performance, still saw Blues pick up the much needed three points and left us just outside the play-off places, still with a game in hand. Nikola Zigic was highly instrumental in the victory, bagging two goals. After putting his side ahead, a brilliant piece of lone skill by Lee Martin put the away side back on level term going into half time. After being denied a late penalty, Ipswich were then cruelly denied a point when Zigic scored his second goal of the game from close range to pick up all three points, much to the delight of the Birmingham fans.

Image: bcfc.com

An away trip to Milwall then topped off a perfect footballing week. Curtis Davies’ header put Blues in front before Milwall went down to ten men after an incident involving Nikola Zigic and Shane Lowry, the latter having no complaints when he was sent for an early shower. The red mist descended once again on Milwall as they went down to nine men, this time for a tackle on Zigic by Alan Dunne, making the Serbian even less popular and angering the home fans who became severely angry at the referee’s decision.

Blues then made sure the match was beyond Milwall, as Keith Fahey’s perfectly timed ball found Marlon King who slotted the ball into the net. Chris Burke then compiled more misery onto The Lions, firing home to make it 3-0 Blues and no way back for the hosts. Two goals in quick succession from first Adam Rooney and then King’s second goal of the match sent the travelling Blues fans into away day dreamland, and substitute Nathan Redmond completed the stunning away victory by scoring a sixth, and heaped mounting pressure on Milwall who now sit dangerously just above the trap door of the relegation zone.

Two games, two wins, six points, and eight goals. It’s been a tremendous few days for Birmingham City and this should act as a major confidence boost ahead of the trip to Wolves for the FA Cup third round replay on Wednesday. Blues are still unbeaten in 2012 and now, sitting just outside the play offs, are right on track for a promotion chase as we enter the last few months of the season.

Image: bcfc.com