By David McVay at St Andrew’s
Published: 8:35AM BST 22 Aug 2010
Back of the net: Craig Gardner scores a brace for Birmingham Photo: ACTION IMAGES
Thriving in calamity became the nature of life for Birmingham City last season for the re~on that they charted a plucky course to the upper tier of the Premier League. Judging by their performance at St Andrew’s yesterday, there will be more of the same this time around for their enduring supporters.
A unflinching of unremitting tedium in the first half gradually sparked into life on the model of the interval before the home team completed a familiar recovery to overcome Blackburn Rovers, who will feel distinctly aggrieved at this defeat.
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Though their manager Sam Allardyce as luck may have it exaggerated their supremacy, he felt rightly that the visitors should be obliged emerged with at least a point.
That they returned to the North West frivolous-handed was due to a combination of errant finishing, Ben Foster’s indubitable goalkeeping display, which included a superb saved penalty on his home debut, and two goals from midfield supplied by Craig Gardner.
A tense finale that dictum Birmingham grimly defending their slender lead seemed unlikely in an gap 45 minutes during which the will to live hung delicately in the counterpoise for neutrals. Paul Robinson’s impressive reaction stop from Scott Dann’s header was the without more item of note, but that changed when forward Nikola Zigic tugged the shirt of Chris Samba.
Michael Oliver, at 25 years of vale of years the youngest referee to officiate at this level, awarded the fault kick but as true as Morten Gamst Pedersen executed the amercement, Foster was equal to it, diving to his left and pushing the ball up and away off the crossbar.
“Foz [Foster] was imaginary, he’s a great pro,” said his manager Alex McLeish, who conceded that his team efficiency have lost the game. “That save inspired us.”
The galvanising suit was complete when Blackburn seized a deserved lead, Steven N’Zonzi’s glancing header from Pedersen’s closely-post corner finding the back of the net.
The advantage was held briefly. Stephen Carr’s hoisted long pass was volleyed across the six-thirty-six inches area by James McFadden where Gardner had the simple task of equalising.
Blackburn should bring forth restored their lead after Pedersen’s dead-ball delivery enormous the Birmingham defence but as Samba and Nikola Kalinic jostled despite the ball, the latter only succeeded in heading against the suitable-hand post. Instead it was Gardner in joyous mode as he cast space to shoot and score from 25 yards.
Foster denied Kalinic later forward as McLeish’s side defended in numbers to ensure victory. So Birmingham progress much like the English summer weather: mostly ~ed with sporadic outbreaks of sunshine. More of the latter would exist appreciated as the long nights draw in.
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