View from the South – Birmingham City v Bristol City

It has been weeks since I attended a game and the anticipation was therefore enhanced. In the recent past Blues had played twice on Friday evenings; at Burton which was televised when the lads put in a lacklustre performance and were deservedly turned over and at Nottingham Forest which was not on the telly because the mighty (!) Notts County were also at home the following day! Both of those fixtures I would ordinarily have gone to had they been held at a proper civilised time of three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon, a time which everybody knows is when football should be played. I didn’t go to the Villa game because travelling restrictions on a Sunday just make the experience too hard to bear and so it was back to doing what I do best; sitting on my arse in front of the telly. I thought Blues played very well and really should have won with better finishing but there again that’s our perennial problem isn’t it? The only thing our rivals did was score a cracking goal (though it irks me to have to admit it!) the rest of the time they were largely outplayed. At least the cathedral gargoyle didn’t score when he came on in the last few minutes which would have been particularly galling but at least we didn’t lose the game. I was in Canada for my daughter’s wedding when we played Huddersfield and settled to listening to the commentary over the Internet. Last week was international week and I was invited to a corporate occasion at Twickenham to watch England defeat South Africa for the first time in an age and I have my mate Jezza who is actually a Viler (he’s not a bad man, he’s just confused and misguided! 😀 ) to thank for the kind invitation.

Back to the present, I was out early doors walking my elderly neighbour’s dog, a Cairn Terrier called Bentley. That completed it was soon time to walk down to the train station for my usual trip to Reading and from there change to get the Manchester connection to Coventry. I had spoken to Chris earlier who remarked how long it had been since the gang had all been together for a match and it felt good to be back in the routine. I reached Coventry on time at about 12.25 and it was back to Baginton Oak for a quick pint while Chris finished up one or two things he needed to do. We collected little Jack and were soon heading down the Coventry Road arriving in good time for another scoop in the Royal George. We decided to move along to the ground and get some food and another drink when we noted the newly commissioned bar, ‘The Happy Abode’ where the Subway sandwich shop used to be so we stopped for one in there instead. Inside the ground we ordered some beef ribs with sweet potato mash but the chef was away getting more. We ran out of time as kick off approached and went off to our seats but the kind folk at The Cookhouse delivered our meals to our seats! How good a service is that? 🙂

Immediately prior to kick off there was a minute’s silence in remembrance of the fallen which was immaculately observed by each and every one of the 18,586 in the crowd. Blues started brightly and really should have gone ahead in the 11th minute when following a surging break from Kieftenbeld and a lovely weighted pass into Donaldson’s feet, the striker turned inside Aden Flint and shot beating the keeper but not the near post. Two further follow up shots resulted in a block and finally a scuffed shot wide from Davis and a glorious chance was gone. Unlucky? Not in my view; the thing that so frustrates me about Clayton Donaldson is that he works harder than most of his counterparts in the division, works unselfishly for the team and gets himself in excellent positions. The recurring problem with him though is that he simply doesn’t score often enough. This was a bad miss in my opinion and could have changed the game radically had it been dispatched into the bottom corner.

Frank Fielding was called upon to save well from a fierce swerving shot from David Cotterill not long after but the visitors looked dangerous themselves in their attacking forays so it wasn’t all one way traffic. Blues however have become adept at catching opponents on the break when they lose it and from one of these moves David Davis shot narrowly wide from 25 yards. Fielding also had to be on his guard to prevent Lukas Jutkiewicz getting to a through ball. Bristol City’s best chance fell to Tammy Abraham whose header was destined for the top corner until man of the match Tomas Kusczcak intervened. Blues still carved out the better chances in the first half but as half time approached, Bristol asserted themselves a little more and enjoyed their first spell of sustained pressure resulting in a header from Flint that drifted just wide, a disallowed effort from Jamie Pearson that was chalked off for a clear foul on Kusczcak and a close call when a cross by Joe Bryan was just out of the reach of Abraham.

Half time came just at the right moment given Bristol City’s ascendancy and they continued where they left off after the break bringing another fine save from Kusczcak to keep out Marlon Pack’s top corner bound drive which the keeper pushed on to the bar and over. Blues did respond and again should have taken the lead with the clearer chances. Jutkiewicz had two excellent chances to score in as many minutes with a close-in shot having controlled a cross from Cotterill and turned only to see his effort blocked on the line by Flint and the best chance of the match by far with a fantastic whipped cross into the box and a free header which the striker did technically everything right with. He headed it powerfully down and on target but it was too close to Fielding and the ball stuck in his grateful hands. Again I’m afraid to say this was a bad miss; anywhere else in the 8 yards by 8 feet space and Blues are one up!

After that Bristol City took control of the game and Blues were largely on the back foot with the home side increasingly unable to get hold of and keep the ball. Changes were clearly needed and they came in the form of Maghoma for Gleeson who had been particularly culpable for coughing up possession with poor passing and Che Adams for Clayton Donaldson who possibly had taken a knock. These changes occurred on 68 minutes with Cotterill finally being replaced by Greg Stewart on 79 minutes. I, like many, was surprised that this particular change had not happened much earlier. Bristol continued to boss the game throughout the second half and were clearly the better side but as so often happens in football, Birmingham finally broke the deadlock with eight minutes left; against the run of play. From a corner (only Blues’ second; Bristol had eleven!) Greg Stewart’s cross was flicked on towards the far post by Jutkiewicz where Che Adams swiveled expertly to crash the loose ball into the net from close range. This was hard on Bristol who didn’t deserve to be behind but every fan has had to endure similar injustices at some stage including us so we’ll take it won’t we? 😀

Bristol City launched a final assault in an attempt to get an equaliser and Bobby Reid should have levelled from close range for them but put his effort wide to the despair of the large traveling contingent behind the goal. There was still time for Spector – who had otherwise had a reasonable game – to get himself sent off for a shocking lunge on Lee Tomlin. The American had a chance to clear the ball thirty yards out but took a touch and lost control. In an attempt to retrieve the situation he lunged at the ball and clattered the Bristol player over the top. It was an awful challenge from someone that we all know is not an overtly dirty player but an immediate red card was the correct decision. However, I agree with the Bristol City players that had the decision been delayed and play allowed to continue, the away team had a clear overlap with Tammy Abraham clean through following an easy pass. This incident arguably denied them their deserved equaliser. In fairness to the referee, the challenge was so bad that it is almost a natural reaction to stop play and deal with such a violent incident immediately. However, I fully understand the Bristol City team’s frustrations. Despite being down to ten men Blues had a great chance to make the score 2-0 when Bristol got caught pushing for a leveller. Che Adams got put through with seconds left in the inside right channel but his fierce effort was brilliantly saved by Fielding; the referee overruled his assistant and gave a goal kick!

Blues finally held out after nearly six nerve shredding minutes of time added on but I have to say whilst the win and the three points are welcome, we were lucky! In the aftermath we now have a real problem at full back as Spector will be out for three games. I hope Gary Rowett doesn’t put Shotton out to right back and insert Paul Robinson in to centre half; this was a disaster last time. Surely young Josh Cogley’s time has come? I won’t get to find out for a couple of weeks; can’t go to the Brentford game, tickets are sold out. 🙁

The Good: It was good to be back at a game and in the company of Chris and little Jack after so many weeks. I suppose the result has to fit into the ‘Good’ category given that our opponents were the better side in the second half and if I were a Bristol City fan, I would be devastated with defeat from this game. We didn’t deserve to win but when I think of the many occasions down the years when fate has turned its fickle hand against us, I’ll take it!

The Bad: The second half performance which started off without the brightness and tempo of the first leading to a lack of control of the game. I felt the substitutions of Cotterill and Gleeson should have occurred much earlier.

The Ugly: Spector’s tackle leading to his red card; it was a shocker. He lost control of the ball, lunged to get it back, missed and went over the top. It was a straight red card, no arguments.

Birmingham City: Tomasz Kusczcak 8, Jonathan Spector 6, Ryan Shotton 7, Michael Morrison 7,  Jonathan Grounds 7, David Cotterill 5 (Greg Stewart 79, 7), Stephen Gleeson 5 (Jacques Maghoma 68, 7), David Davis 7, Maikel Kieftenbeld 6, Lukas Jutkiewicz 7, Clayton Donaldson 6 (Che Adams 68, 7).

Subs not used: Paul Robinson, Reece Brown, Adam Legzdins, Josh Dacres-Cogley.

Goals: Adams 82 min.

Yellow cards: Morrison, Cotterill.

Sent off: Spector.

Bristol City: Frank Fielding 7, Mark Little 7, (Callum O’Dowda 88, N/A), Aden Flint 7, Hordour Magnusson 7, Joe Bryan 6, Gary O’Neill 7 (Aaron Wilbraham 81, N/A), Marlon Pack 7, Jamie Paterson 6 (Korey Smith 81, N/A), Bobby Reid 6, Lee Tomlin 7, Tammy Abraham 7.

Subs not used: Scott Golbourne, Taylor Moore, Gustav Engvall, Ivan Lucic.

Goals: None.

Yellow cards: None.

Referee: Tony Harrington 5: it was a bit of a mixed bag for this official which varied from OK to indifferent. I have no problem with the decision to send Spector off and I would add that I thought Cotterill was lucky to only get a yellow card when he pushed Joe Bryan over the advertising hoardings in the 59th minute. I felt the referee was overly fussy in some areas and yet let a lot of blatant shirt pulling and holding go; particularly against Jutkiewicz who was manhandled all afternoon. There were at least two cynical offences against Bristol defenders that went unpunished that should have been given yellow cards in my opinion and there was a farcical incident when Che Adams was put through with Bristol chasing the game. Fielding made an outstanding save to prevent the Blues man making it 2-0 and the linesman signalled a corner only for Mr Harrington to give a goal kick! Bizarre!

Attendance: 18,586

Bazza KRO