Harsher than harsh - for the 2nd time in 3 weeks against the two sides above them, Cardiff City were denied victory with the very last kick of the match. Lee Bowyer equalised with the game's last touch to give the home side, completely outplayed and undeserving of any reward, a point to level up Joe Ledley's stunning opener and leave City fans, players and manager absolutely sickened. So poor were Birmingham that even after that, they were still booed off by the few of their supporters who hadn't already left ... life is cruel.
City's first game for a fortnight saw an unchanged side with Gabor Gypes passing a late fitness test on his back. Two alterations on the bench as Miguel Comminges and Ricardo Scimeca made way for the returning (where did he go anyway?) Eddie Johnson and new arrival Chris Burke 'winging' in as the only change to club personnel so far in the transfer window.
CARDIFF CITY: Enckleman; McNaughton-Johnson-Gypes-Kennedy; Parry-Rae-Ledley-Whittingham; Bothroyd-McCormack. Subs: Heaton-Blake-Burke-Johnson(Eddie)-McPhail
Birmingham were racing away to promotion without ever convincing - which included a 2-1 win at Ninian Park but have been stumbling and falling more than Paul Gascoigne on his way home from a night out. Four points out of the past 15 and a F.A. Cup exit midweek has seen them slip to 3rd behind Reading and 7 points ahead of City with the gap closing.
Pressure is therefore surrounding the club but while City have had to settle for Burke on a free, The Brummies are gambling big time bringing in Lee Bowyer, Kevin Fahey, Scott Sinclair and Hameur Bouazza while Kris Boyd would have joined them too if he hadn't been so greedy. Just 11 extra players in their squad then.
BIRMINGHAM CITY: Taylor; Kelly-Jaidi-Ridgewell-Murphy; Sinclair-Carsley-Bowyer-Bouazza; Phillips-Jerome.
A bubble 'coach only' trip put many off but City still sold their limited 1,200 allocation. I couldn't make it as today is my daughter's 18th and have a party this evening but I was there in spirit and listened to a first half fairly dominated by City but featuring far more lowlights than highlights.
Possession was 69% to 31% in Cardiff's favour, they had shots, corners and looked an organised, cohesive unit while Birmingham looked exactly what they've been all season long - a collection of individuals who just don't play together. Birmingham had just a bright opening 2 minutes and ex-City boy Cameron Jerome netting long after offside was awarded and everyone had stopped and had to endure their own fans booing them, so poor were their efforts.
The closing stages saw a flurry of substitutions as Steve McPhail and Eddie Johnson replaced Jay Bothroyd and an injured Paul Parry, Birmingham threw on Marcus Bent for Steven Kelly.
City saw Whittingham fire at goal three times, Bothroyd cause problems and Ross McCormack denied on the goalline on half-time and would have been very satisfied with their display but reflect how they didn't create enough chances and cause a single problem from numerous corner kicks. At half-time itself, Peter Whittingham limped out after being kicked from behind but it allowed Burke to make his bow.
Half-time: Birmingham City 0 Cardiff City 0
Tea cups thrown around the home changing room in disgust at their ineptitude, Birmingham were sent out a full 5 minutes before the restart ... and City made sure they waited! It didn't make much difference either, Birmingham had a little more possession but less overall but were being comprehensively out-performed by City. A key was that the 2 Lee's in Birmingham's midfield - Carsley and Bowyer - were vastly inferior to Rae and Ledley while City were brighter and better in every department.
Cardiff were starting to cause more problems and Burke was settling well and playing telling balls. One cross in the face of goal saw both Bothroyd and McCormack fail to react as strikers should, Paul Parry made Taylor save from another but on 61 minutes came the glorious breakthrough as Chris Burke crossed and JOE LEDLEY celebrated his 200th display for Cardiff City and his 22nd birthday next week with a glorious shot crashed into the top corner leaving Taylor helpless. Stunning and City fans rightly went bonkers.
Birmingham had to respond and removed the disappointing debutant Scott Sinclair for Larsson and chasing the game, they had to show a bit more while Cardiff were happy to absorb and try to pinch a second. Bothroyd fired wide and Roger Johnson tried to score from the halfway line before Birmingham produced their most dangerous moment as Carsley made Enckleman produced a strong save which would have pleased him returning to the venue where he would he horror own goal as an Aston Villa player.
The home side were gone and so were their fans who had seen more than enough and left early. No scares came in the clopsing stages of the 90 or the 4 minutes added on but 30 seconds after that, a high ball fell in City's box, they failed to get there and LEE BOWYER stuck. A lesson not learned. We wuz robbed but Bowyer and justice have never gone together!
Tonight the table reads:
2nd Reading P28 pts 54
3rd Brum P27 pts 52
6th Cardiff P27 pts 45
Had we hung on and not allowed Reading and Birmingham those last kick levellers on their home patches in the past 3 weeks, it would instead read;
2nd Reading P28 pts 52
3rd Brum P27 pts 51
4th Cardiff P27 pts 49
City's first game for a fortnight saw an unchanged side with Gabor Gypes passing a late fitness test on his back. Two alterations on the bench as Miguel Comminges and Ricardo Scimeca made way for the returning (where did he go anyway?) Eddie Johnson and new arrival Chris Burke 'winging' in as the only change to club personnel so far in the transfer window.
CARDIFF CITY: Enckleman; McNaughton-Johnson-Gypes-Kennedy; Parry-Rae-Ledley-Whittingham; Bothroyd-McCormack. Subs: Heaton-Blake-Burke-Johnson(Eddie)-McPhail
Birmingham were racing away to promotion without ever convincing - which included a 2-1 win at Ninian Park but have been stumbling and falling more than Paul Gascoigne on his way home from a night out. Four points out of the past 15 and a F.A. Cup exit midweek has seen them slip to 3rd behind Reading and 7 points ahead of City with the gap closing.
Pressure is therefore surrounding the club but while City have had to settle for Burke on a free, The Brummies are gambling big time bringing in Lee Bowyer, Kevin Fahey, Scott Sinclair and Hameur Bouazza while Kris Boyd would have joined them too if he hadn't been so greedy. Just 11 extra players in their squad then.
BIRMINGHAM CITY: Taylor; Kelly-Jaidi-Ridgewell-Murphy; Sinclair-Carsley-Bowyer-Bouazza; Phillips-Jerome.
A bubble 'coach only' trip put many off but City still sold their limited 1,200 allocation. I couldn't make it as today is my daughter's 18th and have a party this evening but I was there in spirit and listened to a first half fairly dominated by City but featuring far more lowlights than highlights.
Possession was 69% to 31% in Cardiff's favour, they had shots, corners and looked an organised, cohesive unit while Birmingham looked exactly what they've been all season long - a collection of individuals who just don't play together. Birmingham had just a bright opening 2 minutes and ex-City boy Cameron Jerome netting long after offside was awarded and everyone had stopped and had to endure their own fans booing them, so poor were their efforts.
The closing stages saw a flurry of substitutions as Steve McPhail and Eddie Johnson replaced Jay Bothroyd and an injured Paul Parry, Birmingham threw on Marcus Bent for Steven Kelly.
City saw Whittingham fire at goal three times, Bothroyd cause problems and Ross McCormack denied on the goalline on half-time and would have been very satisfied with their display but reflect how they didn't create enough chances and cause a single problem from numerous corner kicks. At half-time itself, Peter Whittingham limped out after being kicked from behind but it allowed Burke to make his bow.
Half-time: Birmingham City 0 Cardiff City 0
Tea cups thrown around the home changing room in disgust at their ineptitude, Birmingham were sent out a full 5 minutes before the restart ... and City made sure they waited! It didn't make much difference either, Birmingham had a little more possession but less overall but were being comprehensively out-performed by City. A key was that the 2 Lee's in Birmingham's midfield - Carsley and Bowyer - were vastly inferior to Rae and Ledley while City were brighter and better in every department.
Cardiff were starting to cause more problems and Burke was settling well and playing telling balls. One cross in the face of goal saw both Bothroyd and McCormack fail to react as strikers should, Paul Parry made Taylor save from another but on 61 minutes came the glorious breakthrough as Chris Burke crossed and JOE LEDLEY celebrated his 200th display for Cardiff City and his 22nd birthday next week with a glorious shot crashed into the top corner leaving Taylor helpless. Stunning and City fans rightly went bonkers.
Birmingham had to respond and removed the disappointing debutant Scott Sinclair for Larsson and chasing the game, they had to show a bit more while Cardiff were happy to absorb and try to pinch a second. Bothroyd fired wide and Roger Johnson tried to score from the halfway line before Birmingham produced their most dangerous moment as Carsley made Enckleman produced a strong save which would have pleased him returning to the venue where he would he horror own goal as an Aston Villa player.
The home side were gone and so were their fans who had seen more than enough and left early. No scares came in the clopsing stages of the 90 or the 4 minutes added on but 30 seconds after that, a high ball fell in City's box, they failed to get there and LEE BOWYER stuck. A lesson not learned. We wuz robbed but Bowyer and justice have never gone together!
Tonight the table reads:
2nd Reading P28 pts 54
3rd Brum P27 pts 52
6th Cardiff P27 pts 45
Had we hung on and not allowed Reading and Birmingham those last kick levellers on their home patches in the past 3 weeks, it would instead read;
2nd Reading P28 pts 52
3rd Brum P27 pts 51
4th Cardiff P27 pts 49
What a pisser!
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