VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – BIRMINGHAM CITY vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Once again, Bazza has produced a match report with his View From the South.

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I awoke early on Saturday to a beautiful bright sunny morning in Surrey. Quick breakfast and out and about as there was no resisting the imploring stare of Dilys, my Welsh Terrier that her morning walk was in order. I always find early morning the best part of the day and there truly is no place like England when the sun shines. Inevitably, I spotted a magpie in the woods but another flew into the same tree so as I think I explained in my last post, this augured well for the forthcoming fixture. I think it has more to do with the fact that magpies have become one of the commonest birds around rather than any providence on their part.

My youngest son once again declined to come to the match with me. He is all love struck at present preferring the company of his pretty girlfriend to watching the lads. Given the way they have been playing it is difficult to blame him but he’ll learn! The journey north went without incident and having parked up, grabbed a Subway Club sandwich and necked a pint it was time to take my seat. I had a feeling that Blues had to start the game with more tempo and it was nice to be proved right for once. Despite this Forest also made a bright start and Nathan Tyson’s pace down Seb Larsson’s right back berth was worrying. Forest had obviously spotted a clear shortcoming which combined with Mike Taylor’s limitations makes us vulnerable down that side. Tyson got in behind us twice in as many minutes early doors and had it not been for a cruel bobble when he was just about to strike ten yards out the ball may have ended up in Maik Taylor’s net rather than the Tilton Road stand. The second foray nearly resulted in an identical outcome to the start of the Burnley game. Fortunately, James Perch was unable to get anything on the cross from Tyson and the chance, which was to prove the best Forest would have, went begging.

It was on this basis that Billy Davies stated that his team could have been two up at half time. It always amuses me how one-eyed football managers can be sometimes. He has clearly forgotten the fact that Ridgewell of all people could have had a hat trick with two headers and a wayward volley, Kevin Phillips had a goal bound effort saved and the keeper also did well with a free kick from Larsson. After the first five minutes Blues were the better side and I felt a goal had to come provided we kept up the work rate. It was pleasing to see Marcus Bent putting himself about and the much maligned Murphy had his best game for a long while but this may have something to do with the fact that he could get forward more based on a platform of greater midfield control provided by the excellent Bowyer, the ever industrious Carsley and the pace and guile of Sinclair and Fahey. Worryingly Phillips had to leave the fray early on with a hamstring injury to be replaced by Jerome. I felt Blues did not make enough of this enforced change as Forest’s lumbering central defenders were clearly vulnerable to pace.

The second half saw the game start to open up as it always does and following a deep cross from Murphy, the ball plopped down on the pudding, that is the St Andrews pitch at the moment, for the big striker to hammer the ball goalwards from five yards. Despite the keeper taking the sting out of the shot and a desperate attempt by the centre half standing on the line to clear the ball trickled into the back of the net to the evident relief of the assembled throng. Scrappy – yes, fortunate – maybe, deserved – definitely; the goal was coming and it was a matter of time before it happened. For my part I started looking at my watch preparing for the last nervous half an hour clinging on against a side we should defeat comfortably. Perhaps I am becoming too cynical in my old age because step back in amazement readers; we scored a second! A clever piece of interplay between Jerome and Fahey down the left resulted in the latter cutting to the by line and clipping the most exquisite chip over the keeper into the far corner. There was I thinking I had witnessed one of the finest goals to grace St Andrews for many a year and it turns out it was a fluke! He was trying to cross it! Regardless, it was a beauty and Blues now had the comfortable lead their play deserved.

Overall, we have to be pleased with the win. Blues were better than in recent weeks but that was hardly difficult. We played with a higher tempo, won the lion’s share of the second ball and moved their defenders about more than we have seen in weeks. However, it still wasn’t fantastic by any stretch of the imagination and our back four still needs urgent attention. Larsson did well but better teams than Forest will expose us down that side and Traore, Carr, and Parnaby cannot get fit quickly enough for me. I wish we knew the full story behind letting our only fit specialist right back go out to Stoke City on loan?

We have very tough away games coming up at Coventry and Crystal Palace. It is to be hoped that their pitches are in better nick than ours because the surface at home has to be hindering us more than the opposition most of whom are content to play percentage football down the channels and midfield support of a lone striker which reduces the dependence on slick, true turf. Poor pitches are becoming a recurring theme and are yet another reason why the sooner Birmingham can move to a new ground fit for purpose the better.

KRO SOTV

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Bazza is unable to do a match report for the game against Coventry. If anyone wants to do one for us, contact us through the contact form.

Kev