View from the South – Birmingham City v Derby County

I couldn’t go on Tuesday to the Leicester game and listened resignedly to the commentary on Blues player as we were systematically outplayed by the Foxes and from what I understand had to be grateful we didn’t get a right good hiding. Blues appear to have done some fairly nifty business in the January window with the acquisition of three Manchester United youngsters including Federico Macheda on the final day. Despite all the gloom and gnashing of teeth that had been going on, Lee Clark had worked the oracle by strengthening the squad in the areas where it was needed. The problem now of course would be; would the players obtained be up to the rigours of the Championship, would they be as good as their hype and would they gel? It remained to be seen. I was up early on Saturday morning as I had committed to go and see my very elderly Aunt and spinster cousin both of whom are frail and disabled and this meant an early train to New Street via Reading to catch a local service to Butler’s Lane passing through Vile country.

I got to aunty’s place at about 11.30 and spent about an hour and a half delivering various gifts including some iced buns which my aunt and cousin love having with their tea in the afternoon. She offered me a cup of coffee and more than suggested that a slug of whiskey in it was in order given the coldness of the day and the fact that the Blues were playing at home; it is impossible to argue with logic like that and moreover, impossible to argue with my Aunty Ann who as my Dad’s sister is capable of starting and winning an argument in an empty room! It was soon time to commence the return journey back to New Street and the short walk down to St Martin’s Church where I’d arranged for Chris to pick me up. Chris called and said that the A45 had been closed because of a fatality earlier and was forced to use the M6. Held up, he suggested that I grab a pint in the Bull Ring Tavern which I duly did pending his arrival.

There was still plenty of time for a lunchtime pint in the George and for us to catch a bit of the early game on the telly; 3-3 draw between QPR and Burnley. We went to the catering area in the ground where we got an excellent gammon roast last time and on this occasion the chef had prepared sausages, mustard mash and onion gravy! It was to die for and on such a cold day it hit the spot perfectly.

Derby have certainly had an upturn in fortunes since the man with the brolly had taken over at the helm and it did not auger well for us with our appalling home form. Nowadays it seems teams turn up at St Andrews with a draw being the minimum expectation which is depressing from the faithful point of view and it is little wonder that there is is so little atmosphere apart from that generated by visiting fans. The home support certainly need a lift at the moment and a win, any win at home could not come soon enough. The team had a new look about it with the inclusion of new loanees Tyler Blackett, Tom Thorpe and Albert Rusnak. Tom Thorpe went down with what looked like a bad injury on 14 minutes and was replaced by Aaron Martin. Five extra minutes were required at the end of the half as a result. We can only hope that the injury is just a sprained ankle but he will be properly assessed on Monday by all accounts.

The atmosphere was different this week as there was a belligerence about the home support that I hadn’t seen in a while. We were not going to be out sung by the visiting mob behind the Gil Merrick end this week and the stewards’ attempts to prevent a banner stating “Made in Birmingham, Destroyed in Hong Kong” were roundly booed and roused the home crowd into loud renderings of “We want Carson out!!” and “Keep Right On to the End of the Road” This seemed to lift our newly assembled young team that went at their more experienced and better equipped opposition and harried them into errors. It was important that Derby were not given their own way but it has to be said that Blues could have been behind at the break given the better use of the ball, better movement and fluidity of a Derby side full of confidence from a “ten wins in fourteen games” run. Blues conceded a penalty on 35 minutes when Will Hughes was recklessly felled in the box by Blackett. It looked as if it was going to give Derby the lead they had threatened but an excellent dive to the right by Randolph prevented Craig Bryson from notching the opener and despite Derby’s greater share of the play preserved parity which Blues probably deserved over the whole piece.

Few would have predicted the mayhem that was to occur in the second period. On 48 minutes Birmingham took the lead with a header from Howard from an excellent cross from Caddis and the thought that maybe it was finally our day surfaced…only for Blues to concede the equaliser within a minute of the restart. There is an old saying that teams are at their most vulnerable when they have just scored and this proved to be the case. Caddis allowed Ward to get in far too easily to cross to the far post and the initial shot cannoned off the bar. Now if that were any other team it would either have gone to safety or fallen to a defender and been cleared. However, this is us and of course the ball alighted back at the feet of Patrick Bamford who made no mistake second time of asking for 1-1. The Rams took the lead with a complete fluke that deflected off Bamford from Bryson’s shot from 20 yards out diverting so far from the original line that it gave Darren Randolph no chance. The visiting contingent went ballistic. I can understand their feelings but it is awful being on the wrong end of such rotten luck; my father always said if the ball doesn’t run for you, you won’t win football matches and despite pretty decent performances it hasn’t been running for us this season. The third, they just carved through us as we lost our way and went to pieces as Craig Forsyth made it 3-1 on 73 minutes and there was no way back – or so it seemed.

Burke and Macheda were introduced in an attempt to salvage something from the game and after very little from the Manchester United youngster, suddenly he was played through and must surely score when one on one against Grant! He didn’t, as his shot was saved by the keeper. The crowd groaned as Chris Burke seized on the rebound but there seemed relatively little danger…that was until the winger turned inside and curled a lovely finish past Grant’s right hand into the far corner for 2-3. Twelve minutes left and game on! It looked as if it was going to be another valiant defeat going into four added minutes when a left wing corner caused panic in the Derby rearguard trying to see out the game. Having hit the near post from a flicked header and then been played back in, the ball fell at the feet of Macheda who did what Lee Clark had drafted him in for; 3-3 and it felt like a win! Derby were the better team over the whole game but for application, stubbornness and effort combined with flashes of skill, Blues deserved their point.

 

The Good: The fight back from 3-1 down. Excellent effort from a virtually rebuilt side.

The Bad: the concession of the equaliser. Having scored it was criminal to let the opposition back in so soon after. They have to be made to work for it!

The Ugly: some of the physicality of Derby, much of which went unpunished.

 

Birmingham City: Darren Randolph 7, Tom Thorpe (Aaron Martin 14, 6), Brian Howard 6, Peter Lovenkrands 6, Lee Novak 5 (Federico Macheda 60, 6), Will Packwood 7, Tom Adeyemi 6 (Chris Burke 69, 7), Paul Caddis 6, Albert Rusnak 8, Emyr Huws 7, Tyler Blackett 6.

Subs not used: Colin Doyle, Callum Reilly, Olly Lee, Reece Brown.

Goals: Howard 47, Burke 75, Macheda 90 + 2

Bookings: Howard.

 

Derby County: Lee Grant 6, Craig Forsyth 6, Craig Bryson 7, Richard Keogh 6, Chris Martin 7 (Conor Sammon 91, N/A), Jamie Ward 7, John Eustace 6, Will Hughes 7 (Jeff Hendrick 75, 6), Jake Buxton 7, Andre Wisdom 6, Patrick Bamford 8 (Jonny Russell 78, 6)

Subs not used: Adam Legzdins, Zak Whitbread, Simon Dawkins, Thorne

Goals: Bamford 49, Martin 59, Forsyth 73

Bookings: Wisdom, Eustace, Bamford, Russell.

 

Referee: Craig Pawson 6; overall officiated the game well but allowed the Derby strikers too much latitude as they backed into Will Packwood all afternoon without penalising them. Packwood for his part, stuck to his task and had another excellent game.

Attendance: 15,224

 

Bazza KRO SOTV