In typical fashion, the weather – having been beautiful all the way through the working week – had changed dramatically to greet the weekend and Saturday morning was dull, dank, cold and distinctly unpromising. I needed to go and see my 91 year-old aunt and my cousin in Sutton Coldfield. Both of them are frail and in poor health and so it’s a trip I make from time to time by way of support. It meant an early start to get down to Blackwater station to catch the 08.30 train to Reading to get my connection up to New Street and from there to Butlers Lane near to where my aunt and cousin live. I got there just around 11.30 and stayed for a cup of tea and a chin wag. The time passed by rapidly and it was soon time to catch the train back to town in order to leave enough time to walk down through Digbeth to St Andrews.
It was only a few short days since I had been there for the game against Leeds on Tuesday night. The game was a poor one in the first half, better in the second but once again Blues had given themselves too much to do by gifting a limited, physical and rugged Leeds side a two goals start. Both resulted from lack of pressure on the ball allowing Dallas too much time to shoot. I thought his second goal was an excellent strike, a volley on the turn from 25 yards. Nine times out of ten, such attempts end up high, wide or saved but the scorer’s technique was absolutely spot on and to a certain extent the defence can be forgiven that one; sometimes you just have to accept that the opposition have scored a cracking goal and they should take a bow. Clayton Donaldson pulled a goal back and Blues certainly gave it a good go to get back in. We were unlucky to see a well worked equaliser chalked off for offside (it was tight!) but the upshot was we lost at home again to a side we should have defeated.
In my opinion the play off dream started to fade after our defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday and from there we failed to beat poor teams like Rotherham, Wolves, Blackburn, Fulham and things finally evaporated with the defeat at Charlton. Teams with ambitions to compete in the playoff lottery at the end of the season see off sides like this consistently. I said in a previous blog that there would be too many games like some of the ones mentioned and so it has proved. Blues are not and never have been good enough and in many ways it’s good that the aspiration is over and we can look to building for the future. I hope we will see some of our much lauded and promising academy players given a little game time now since I suspect they are going to have to step up.
Daniel Ivery on Often Partisan gave a somewhat gloomy forecast for next season after the Brighton game when it was clear that his anger and frustration had got the better of him. I can fully understand where he is coming from but with the squad and the individual players we have compared to better placed teams, it was always going to be a tall order but to a certain extent, I share his frustration as to how events have unfolded because we have dropped away simply because we have failed to beat the teams we should beat. So many points have been squandered against relegation threatened sides. There is no point in ripping teams like Derby County a new one away from home if you then go and lose to Charlton Athletic by defending like schoolboys from a corner. The game that got Dan worked up was lost because of two free headers from set pieces and that is why we are mid-table and were always likely to be so. We are going to finish up around where I and many others thought we would but despite this, the club has progressed and whilst I don’t share Daniel’s downcast assessment I agree that we need to be cautious and realistic next season if we are to continue going forward. I think we are a couple of seasons away from serious play off competitiveness yet.
Enough of that, what about the present? Just as the train pulled into Banbury, I had a missed call which was Chris telling me that he had got back from holiday in France. I wasn’t sure exactly when he was returning so it was good to hear that I wouldn’t be Billy No Mates at the game. We arranged to meet in the George for a pre-match pint, watched some of the lunchtime game before getting into the ground for some hot food. I wasn’t expecting to win this game and felt a draw would be a good result for us. In reality, I suspected it would be another home defeat; we would see.
Blues actually outplayed Burnley but the result was sadly so familiar. In truth Burnley had two serious forays into our half and scored both times! Burnley did not deserve to win this game but they did because they exposed our defensive frailties which have become so apparent of late and benefitted from our inability to convert clear cut opportunities to score ourselves especially in the 22nd minute when – with easily the best move of the match – Maghoma was presented with the best chance of the game by David Cotterill who pulled the ball back to him but from ten yards out. How he contrived to shoot wide from where he was only he will know but I turned to little Jack sitting next to me and said, “That will cost us!” How prophetic that was when in virtually their first excursion into our half, Burnley scored against the run of play. A ball down the right wing was received, played between Grounds’s legs by Lowton and played inside to George Boyd who drove the ball low past the hapless Legzdins. The lead was wholly undeserved but there you are.
Second half, Blues continued to be on the front foot and finally the goal that their enterprising and attacking play deserved arrived on 55 minutes. A fierce drive by Toral was parried by Heaton but Maghoma made up for his glaring miss earlier by depositing a header low into the far corner of the Tilton goal for 1-1. I honestly thought Birmingham would go on and win from there and their play suggested that it was on the cards but fate as it has been going for Blues of late dealt them another bad hand when a rare counter by Burnley resulted in a far post header by Andre Gray with 15 minutes left from a cross by George Boyd. It was wholly undeserved and once again against the run of play but that is the difference between a side heading for promotion and one missing out on the play offs; small margins and clinical efficiency in taking chances presented to you. Another 2-1 defeat at home and this time not deserved but that’s football I’m afraid.
The Good: The performance in this match. This was in my opinion the best football I have seen from Blues over a whole game at St Andrews all season. The players did not deserve the final outcome. They were mugged.
The Bad: The missed chances in the first half especially the one by Maghoma on 22 minutes. It was a clear cut, glorious opportunity which – had it been taken – would have changed the course of this game.
The Ugly: The prospects for the Vile when they join us in this division next year. If their fans believe that they are going to make a rapid return to the Premier League, think again because they are delusional.
Birmingham City: Adam Legzdins 6, Paul Caddis 7, Ryan Shotton 8, Michael Morrison 8, Jonathan Grounds 6, Maikel Kieftenbeld 8, David Davis 8, Jacques Maghoma 8 (Kyle Lafferty 79, N/A), Jon Toral 8, David Cotterill 8 (Diego Fabbrini 79, N/A), Clayton Donaldson 9.
Subs not used: Stephen Gleeson, James Vaughan, Viv Solomon-Otabor, Jonathan Spector, Tomas Kuszczak.
Goals: Maghoma 55.
Yellow cards: Toral x 2 = sent off.
Burnley: Tom Heaton 8, Matt Lowton 6, Michael Keane 7, Ben Mee 7, Scott Arfield 6 (Lloyd Dyer 60, 6), Dean Marney 7, Joey Barton 6 (David Jones 45, 6), George Boyd 7, Ashley Barnes 7, Andre Gray (James Tarkowski 89, N/A).
Subs not used: Paul Robinson, Tendayi Darikwa, Matthew Taylor, Rouween Hennings.
Goals: Boyd 31, Gray 77.
Yellow cards: Ward, Arfield, Boyd.
Referee: Mark Heywood 3: So poor all the way through this game. He missed an obvious penalty as early as the fourth minute when Maghoma was kicked in the head. In any other area of the pitch that would have been awarded a free kick so why not because it was in the penalty area? A few minutes later it took three fouls on our players before a free kick was awarded. Joey Barton was substituted at half time having not at least been cautioned and Lowton and Arfield should also have been but were let off but then he double carded Toral near the end for an innocuous challenge which compared to some of the stuff that had gone down was harsh. Awful refereeing but once again he was not the main reason we lost this game; we lost because we failed to defend properly at crucial times but most of all MISSED OUR CHANCES!
Attendance: 19,151 (2,332 Clarets)
Bazza KRO
well said Bazza I agree with you we were the better team we have a problem with the left back I should say a lot of goals have come from his defending this season. did you read the report from that Burnley idiot who said his team were far better than us Barton was targeted by Birmingham what a load of cobblers. there fans caused trouble in the stand breaking seats at the end of the game. KRO
Thanks Nicko. I think it can be difficult to see the shortcomings of your own team and the virtues of the opposition as a fan and true fans tend to be passionate in exhibiting these faults at times and I’m sure we have all been guilty of it at various times. One of the things I’ve found in writing reports for Joys and Sorrows over a number of years is that it has taught me to steel myself against bias and as some regular readers know I try very hard to be fair to both sides even though the partisan fan in me wants to see it from our slant. I have been criticised at times for perhaps overplaying the hand in favour of our opponents but it is important to try and be brutally honest if we get lucky or we lose because the other team are better. With respect to the Burnley fan you speak of, he’s guilty of wearing the rose tinted spectacles on this occasion and just as I am the first to be critical of my beloved team when they are second best in a match I am equally prepared to say they were the better team on the day if they were. I agree that our Claret friend is delusional; Burnley were second best all afternoon in every way apart from the most important; the score line sadly.
On the subject of impartiality, I’ve just read an article by Tyrone Marshall in the Lancashire Telegraph http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/burnley_fc/news/14433520.TYRONE_MARSHALL_VERDICT__Birmingham_City_1_Burnley_2/?ref=mac where you would think that Burnley were the only team in it. He actually states that Maghoma’s equaliser was scored against the run of play. I felt that that period of the game was when Blues were most on top. I turned to Chris and said, “How deserved was that?” It just goes to show how easy it is to get carried away with the emotion of the moment and view things favourably when the reality is otherwise. Mr Marshall was watching a different game to the one I witnessed I’m afraid but it matters naught, they won. He is right about one thing though; a nineteen game unbeaten run for Burnley and counting is a hell of an achievement.