At last, the day had finally arrived; a 3 pm kick off on a Saturday afternoon! The planets had aligned for the first time since early November before the World Cup. It hadn’t stopped Blues going from a healthy seventh in the table to eighteenth. Although we are still six points clear of the dreaded trap door area, it doesn’t make for good reading. It shows the lack of depth in the squad that injuries have exposed, notably Harlee Dean, who had added steel and solidity to the defence and played his part just before the World Cup break in producing a number of clean sheets. Since then we can’t seem to keep one. Defensive solidity is the key to success at any level and the sooner the team stop shipping goals the better. Although we were flirting with the play off area not so long back I said at the start of the season and will repeat now, I don’t believe we will be competing in the final mix at the end of the season regardless. That is not negativity fellow bluenoses but reality as I see it.
Saturday dawned to a cold one and no mistake. Looking outside it was no place for people who are not polar bears and I resolved to put on at least four layers, one of which was the shirt of the faithful. A warm coat, hat, boots and gloves completed the ensemble and I set off for Blackwater train station where there was to be a bus operating between there and Reading. The clear air and the crunch of frost underfoot was bracing on the walk down. The coach arrived on time and I picked up my usual train at Reading for my onward journey to Coventry arriving just before 12.30 where Chris was there to pick me up. He had to go and pick up little Jack from Baginton so dropped me off at the Festival at Styvichall. A pint was called for and I downed one followed by another when Chris and Jack joined me and it was then off to the ground and some food. This week it was Korean chicken curry and rice or spicy wings. Chris and I chose the former and Jack the latter washed down with a pint inside the ground. It had been a great day so far which was about to be spoiled by a football match.
Blues were bedecked in a commemorative white shirt and blue shorts in remembrance of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and it was a lovely touch that the whole crowd gave a standing ovation in the sixth minute. Blues had started brightly and it was to be hoped that the team would do the little lad proud. Sadly, it was not to be as Blues fell behind to a soft goal which came about because Blues failed to clear their lines despite several opportunities to do so. Maxime Colin headed the ball down to a Preston forward twenty yards out which started the trouble and a bout of head tennis the result culminating in a shot on the half volley from Ryan Ledson from the middle of the penalty area which gave Ruddy no chance. Worse was to follow when a corner to the near post was not defended properly and allowed to be flicked on by Alan Browne and then in at the far post. Terrible defending down the park on a Sunday morning and even worse from professionals and it was 0-2 with only 15 minutes on the clock. In truth the game was already lost. The performance went from bad to worse after that.
The difference between the two sides was that Preston defended properly and we didn’t; plain and simple. We seem to have gone from a team that was noted for solidity and defensive miserliness to being as porous as a colander. We won virtually none of the first balls in the air and were outfought and outmuscled in midfield. Yes there was a spell when our midfield knocked the ball about attractively and enjoyed two thirds of the possession but the final delivery seems always to be delivered from too deep with nowhere near enough quality allowing a competent Preston rearguard to clear easily. Groundhog Day again! How many times have we witnessed this type of garbage in the last, I don’t know how many seasons? The first half ended to boos from the home contingent and rightly so!
You would hope that things would improve over the break but frankly it didn’t, it was largely more of the same for the first fifteen minutes at least when a triple substitution of Jukey, Bacuna and Friend came on for the ineffective Hannibal, Chong and the tiring Long. Things improved a bit, it has to be said but what frustrated me all afternoon was the fact that when it came to challenges in the final third, Preston won virtually everything. This is simply unacceptable from a side wearing the colours of Birmingham City. The home faithful are not having it and John Eustace needs to get this message across to the players PBQ this week because otherwise we will be in the bottom three in the not too distant future. We cannot allow average sides like Preston to just turn up with pipe and slippers and waltz off with three points without so much as a by your leave! Wake Up Blues!!!!!! I am going with the gang up to Blackburn next week as I am one that still loves the FA Cup. I was asking myself why after this shambles.
We did halve the deficit with just seven minutes left when for once after a bit of sleeves rolled up belated pressure, Maxime Colin – who had a game he would want to forget – delivered a clipped ball to the far post from a better area to the big man who registered his 60th goal for the club with a downward header. Lukas Jutkiewicz, that unfailing servant of our club rose high to head the ball just over the line to register the referee’s wrist alarm. The celebrations were subdued as it took a moment for some parts of the ground to register that we had scored. There was to be no grandstand finish however as Jordan Graham missed the only half chance we produced in time added on. Frankly, we got out of this game what we put into it… which was nothing. Preston deserved their victory. They turned up at St Andrew’s Field prepared for a game of Championship football.
The Good: The day generally. A couple of pints with Chris and Jack, the Korean curry. Pity it got spoiled by a game of football. It was good to meet up for the first time in months with some of the folk around me where I sit. Special shout out to John; good to see you bud.
The Bad: The performance from Blues. Lacklustre, lacking energy and fight and two of the softest goals conceded you will ever see. Awful, nowhere near good enough for Birmingham City.
The Ugly: Protests in front of the directors box in the second half. There were people with children and one or two elderly people terrified for their safety as things turned ugly. There were a couple of people who ran on the pitch delaying the game for all the use that was. I support and respect the right to protest but don’t frighten and intimidate others that’s all. Will the board do anything in response? Probably not.
Birmingham City: John Ruddy 6, Maxime Colin 4 (Jordan Graham 88, N/A), Kevin Long 4 (George Friend 62, 5), Dion Sanderson 4, Auston Trusty 4, Tahith Chong 4 (Lukas Jutkiewicz 62, 6), Hannibal Mjebri 4, (Juninho Bacuna 62, 6), Krystian Bielik 5, Reda Khedra 7, Troy Deeney 4, Scott Hogan 4.
Subs not used: Neil Etheridge, Jordan James, Alfie Chang.
Goals: Jutkiewicz 83.
Yellow cards: Mejbri 32, Chong 45+1, Bacuna 79, Jutkiewicz 90+1.
Preston North End: Freddie Woodman 7, Jordan Storey 6, Liam Lindsay 6, Andrew Hughes 6, Alan Browne 7, Robert Brady 6, Alistair McCann 6, Ryan Ledson 7, Ben Woodburn 6 (Daniel Johnson 88, N/A), Liam Delap 6 (Ched Evans 69, 5), Thomas Cannon 6 (Troy Parrott 81, N/A).
Subs not used: Alvaro Fernandez, Greg Cunningham, Bambo Diaby, David Cornell.
Goals: Ledson 10, Browne 15.
Yellow cards: Brady 45.
Referee: Rebecca Welch 6: We have had this official before: Last season when she refereed our FA Cup tie against Plymouth which we lost 1-0. She gave an excellent performance that day and her decision making in this match was equally sound. However, I do have one significant criticism and that is that she didn’t clamp down on the blatant kicking away of the ball by the Preston players from the time they scored their second. Look, I understand that if you petulantly hoof the ball into the crowd thus delaying the game, it’s an obvious yellow card but just because you tap the ball away ten to fifteen from where a free kick or throw in is to take place, this is no less of an offence. Someone has to go and retrieve the ball and it deliberately slows the game down. Preston were at it all afternoon and nothing was done. Professional players will practice these dark arts to the full and repeatedly unless you let them know that you’re onto them. Had she booked a couple of the opposition, called the captain over and told him “I know what you’re up to; stop it,” then they would desist. Five minutes added on did not reflect the lost time in my view; it needed seven or eight but perhaps Ms Welch was sparing us further torture!
Attendance: 16,608
KRO Bazza
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