Birmingham 3 Southampton 2

 

Birmingham virtually guaranteed Premiership football for a second season as two-goal hero Christophe Dugarry inspired them a thrilling victory over Gordon Strachan's side.

Blues' sixth win in eight games took them up to the 44 point mark and almost out of sight of the relegation zone.

Steve Bruce's side produced some of their most fluent football of the season in the opening 45 minutes and yet found themselves in arrears.

Dugarry was at his imperial best and tormented the Saints with his skill and trickery and it is no wonder that Bruce wants to make permanent his move from Bordeaux.

But Southampton, with the aid of some fine saves from Paul Jones, hung in there before taking the lead against the run of play.

In the second half Gordon Strachan's side started to play with more purpose but Bruce's side now showed the fighting qualities and twice came from behind to draw level - before fittingly Dugarry headed the winner seven minutes from time.

Blues defender Kenny Cunningham got in an important early block on a shot from Saints striker James Beattie and, when the ball looped up to David Prutton, he sent his header across the face of Ian Bennett's goal.

But the home side were soon into their stride and Jones produced a fine save to turn a curling effort from Bryan Hughes around the post after he had cut in from the right flank.

Then Dugarry failed by inches to get on the end of an inswinging free-kick from Stephen Clemence after Geoff Horsfield had been brought down by Michael Svensson.

Robbie Savage appealed in vain for a penalty to referee Steve Bennett after a challenge on him by Michael Svensson after he had been put clear by Matthew Upson.

The on-loan Dugarry was looking dangerous and Claus Lundekvam knew nothing about a powerful volley which struck him on the back and flew out of play for a corner.

Dugarry was a problem for the Saints every time he ventured forward and Jones again was extended as he beat out a stinging drive from the French World Cup winner.

But against the run of play Southampton went ahead after 25 minutes through a goal from Anders Svensson - his second in 48 hours.

Beattie flicked the ball through to Svensson, on target in Saturday's win over Leeds, who then turned it past Bennett from a narrow angle on the left side of the penalty area.

Saints now started to show their quality and Beattie wasted a golden chance to score his 24th goal of the season when he headed wide when unmarked from six yards out from a Fabrice Fernandes free-kick.

The England striker was then denied by a fine block from Bennett after Anders Svensson had played the ball into his path following a mistake by Dugarry after he had been over-elaborate.

Wayne Bridge became the first player to be yellow-carded after 43 minutes for dissent after kicking the ball away.

A testament to the way they played was that Blues received a standing ovation when they went off at half-time despite the scoreline.

Strachan made a half-time substitution, bringing on Brett Ormerod for Rory Delap to partner Beattie with Anders Svensson moving back into midfield.

Prutton made a good break forward to get onto the end of a low cross from Paul Telfer but his shot was a weak effort which was comfortably dealt with by Bennett.

Bruce opted for a change after 54 minutes, bringing on Stan Lazaridis for Clemence.

But it was Saints who came close to doubling their lead when Bennett finger-tipped away a dipping effort from Anders Svensson.

Dugarry did have the ball in the net after 56 minutes but play had already been halted for a foul on Jeff Kenna.

Bennett did well to parry away a dipping long range effort from Anders Svensson who had plenty of time to line up his shot.

Bruce made a second change after 65 minutes with Paul Devlin replacing Kenna but it needed Bennett to be at his best to deny Beattie at close range.

Blues finally equalised after 74 minutes with Dugarry's 25 yard free-kick containing too much power for Jones even though he got a hand to the ball.

Southampton's reply was instant and Ormerod thundered a shot past Bennett into the roof of the net after a flick on by Michael Svensson.

But Blues stormed back and Hughes made it 2-2 with a volley from a cross by the tireless Horsfield.

Then in the 83rd minute St Andrews erupted when Dugarry climbed at the far post to head in a centre from substitute Stern John.

Teams

Birmingham Bennett, Kenna (Devlin 64), Cunningham, Upson, Clapham, Damien Johnson (John 79), Savage, Clemence (Lazaridis 54), Hughes, Horsfield, Dugarry.

Subs Not Used: Marriott, Purse.

Goals: Dugarry 75, Hughes 79, Dugarry 82.

Southampton Jones, Telfer (Tessem 85), Lundekvam, Michael Svensson, Bridge, Fernandes (Higginbotham 76), Oakley, Anders Svensson, Prutton, Beattie, Delap (Ormerod 45).

Subs Not Used: Blayney, Williams.

Booked: Bridge, Telfer.

Goals: Anders Svensson 26, Ormerod 77.

Att: 29,115

Ref: S Bennett (Kent).

 

Birmingham 1 West Brom 0

 

Substitute Geoff Horsfield scored an injury-time winner to virtually guarantee Premiership survival for Birmingham and send local rivals West Brom closer to the relegation trapdoor.

Horsfield headed home a deflected shot from Stern John in the fourth minute of injury-time to break the heart of Gary Megson's battling side.

A share of the spoils had looked to be just about the right result until Horsfield - who replaced the injured Clinton Morrison - earned Blues their third win in four games.

City certainly had their opportunities with Christophe Dugarry (twice) and substitutes Darren Carter and Horsfield denied by a combination of fine goalkeeping by Russell Hoult and poor finishing.

Wide midfielder Damien Johnson caught the eye although City missed the pace of in-form winger Stan Lazaridis who failed a late fitness test on a hamstring strain.

But Albion also played their part in a game that got better as the afternoon wore on with Jason Koumas impressing in the centre of the park and only the woodwork denying Jason Roberts his first goal in 19 games.

They also showed their usual battling qualities but will now need to put together a remarkable run of results to stave off relegation.

Blues made a positive start in the noon sunshine and the first chance fell to Stephen Clemence who volleyed over from 12 yards out after a deep cross from Jeff Kenna had been turned back across goal by both Dugarry and Morrison.

Larus Sigurdsson then brought down Dugarry in full flight in a dangerous position but Robbie Savage - playing his last game before a two match ban - saw his free-kick easily dealt with by Albion skipper Sean Gregan.

Most of the play was confined to the Albion half in the opening stages although Blues keeper Ian Bennett had to fly-hack clear from an alert Roberts who had scored in the 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns in October.

Then Albion's recalled defender Ronnie Wallwork - replacing long-term injury victim Darren Moore - was relieved when he sliced his attempted clearance straight back at Hoult who was able to clear.

The visitors started to come more into the game and threatened for the first time when on loan wing-back Ifeanyi Udeze fired just over the bar from 15 yards out after a move involving Gregan, Derek McInnes and Danny Dichio.

The Baggies had appeals for a penalty rejected after a tussle between Kenny Cunningham and Roberts and then Dichio could have done better when he headed over from a deep Koumas centre.

Bennett easily dealt with an inswinging Koumas free-kick and the game was crying out for someone to put their foot on the ball.

Robbie Savage stepped over a Jamie Clapham corner to allow Paul Devlin, who replaced hamstring victim Stan Lazaridis, a shot at goal from 20 yards out but he failed to keep his effort down.

Dugarry set up an opportunity for strike partner Morrison following a deep cross by Jeff Kenna but the ball was just behind the Republic of Ireland international who dragged his shot wide.

Then it was City's turn to have penalty appeals rejected in the 41st minute after a tussle involving Morrison and Albion defender Neil Clement as referee Paul Durkin waved play on.

Albion made a positive start to the second half with Bennett parrying away a low drive from Koumas while Roberts hit the bar with a close range header after Dichio had turned a Koumas corner back across goal.

At the other end Dugarry looked certain to score his first Blues goal in nine starts when he met a cross from Clapham but his header was blocked by the legs of Hoult.

Koumas was only just off target with another powerful effort and it was the visitors who were looking more likely to break the deadlock.

Blues were forced to make a change when Morrison suffered a shoulder injury in an aerial collision with Clement and he was replaced by Horsfield.

Hoult failed to deal with a cross from Kenna and the ball broke to Dugarry but his effort from a narrow angle was cleared off the line by Clement.

Then it was the turn of Bennett to be called into action to cling onto a dipping effort from the impressive Koumas away to his left with the game now much more open than in the first 45 minutes.

Hoult responded with a finger-tip save to turn over a Horsfield area from a Devlin centre as Albion looked to have held out before Horsfield struck.

Teams

Birmingham Bennett, Kenna (Carter 68), Cunningham, Upson, Clapham, Damien Johnson, Savage, Clemence (John 79), Morrison (Horsfield 56), Devlin, Dugarry.

Subs Not Used: Marriott, Michael Johnson.

Goals: Horsfield 90.

West Brom Hoult, Clement, Wallwork, Gregan, Sigurdsson, Balis, Udeze, McInnes, Koumas (Hughes 86), Roberts, Dichio.

Subs Not Used: Dobie, Lyttle, James Chambers, Murphy.

Att: 29,449

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).

 

 

 

 

Clinton Morrison grabbed two goals in the last half hour - the second in the fourth minute of injury time - to give Birmingham a famous point.

For Liverpool it was a case of another two-goal lead thrown away after Newcastle had clawed their way back from two behind at Anfield last week.

But this time Steve Bruce's Premiership newboys were the ones leaping for joy in front of delirious fans.

Morrison was vilified here a couple of years ago when he was at Crystal Palace and had criticised Michael Owen's goalscoring ability.

But he returned to take revenge while Owen at the other end was seeing chance after chance go begging.

Great entertainment though it was, Liverpool know this can't go on. Before the Newcastle game they were ahead twice at Blackburn before conceding a draw, so they have now effectively lost six points in three games.

Danny Murphy and Steven Gerrard had Liverpool on cruise control before Morrison's double strike. For Birmingham, having beaten Leeds in their previous game, it underlined that their return to the top flight may not be as fleeting as many at first feared.

Houllier dumped Abel Xavier in favour of fit-again Jamie Carragher and once again left Emile Heskey on the bench.

Birmingham's side was virtually unrecognisable from the one that lost in the FA Cup at Anfield last term - only Darren Purse survived from that starting line-up.

And after a recent fine win over Leeds, they were intent on another shock at Anfield.

But Birmingham spent the opening minutes chasing shadows as they were hit by a tidal wave of attacks, sweeping from side to side at lightning pace.

Michael Owen was robbed of a great scoring chance after he had charged down a Nico Vaesen clearance, only to be judged by a linesman some 30 yards away to have handled.

But in all Liverpool's swirling action and the dominance of Steven Gerrard and Didi Hamann in midfield, chances were rare thanks to Kenny Cunningham and Purse's diligence at the back for the visitors.

In fact, Birmingham managed to grab their breath and get Clinton Morrison into the game thanks to much vigorous running and pressing from Robbie Savage in particular.

But having survived the initial barrage, Birmingham found themselves a goal down on 25 minutes thanks to a clumsy foul by Liverpool-born Bryan Hughes on the all action El-Hadji Diouf.

Up stepped Danny Murphy to send a curling free kick over the wall and in off the post.

On 35 minutes it should have been two when Gerrard robbed Hughes in Liverpool's half and found Owen with a superb 40-yard pass. The striker cruised into the box and saw his shot blocked by a combination of Vaesen and Purse.

Owen regained possession, went to the by-line and saw John Arne Riise somehow lash his laid-back cross hopelessly wide from just 12 yards.

Once again, though, when Liverpool were right on top, they relaxed enough for Birmingham to get some possession in midfield and pin them back with some good passing of their own.

Even so, a minute from the break Murphy broke from deep, fed Owen who took the ball away from Vaesen and saw his shot hacked away from the six-yard box by Kenny Cunningham as Riise lunged in.

Liverpool lost the injured Henchoz at half-time, and Emile Heskey came on, taking up a position on the left of midfield with Riise dropped to left-back and Traore into the centre of defence.

And it didn't take long for Liverpool to put right some of the wastefulness of the first half when they grabbed their second with a sweeping, punishing attack on the break.

Diouf, playing despite only just returning from a trip to Senegal to see his stepfather who is dying of cancer, surged from his own half and with the defence backing away, he slipped the ball into Gerrard's pass for the England midfield to drill home his shot off Vaesen's despairing dive.

It could have been three when Heskey fed Owen, whose angled shot was parried by Vaesen.

Birmingham's response was creditable. On 58 minutes Hughes launched a stunning hooked volley that Dudek matched with a wonderful mid-air block.

That inspired Birmingham even more and on 61 minutes the Premiership's new boys did score.

Stern John created the chance on the right after Traore's mistake, and Morrison hooked the ball past Dudek in the six-yard box.

Savage and Murphy, old mates from their Crewe days, were involved in a tremendous midfield tussle with tackles traded at ferocious speed without a hint of a problem between the pair.

Another sweeping Liverpool move saw Hamann set up Murphy for a shot against the foot of a post before Salif Diao came on for Riise.

Birmingham then made a triple substitution with Geoff Horsfield, Stan Lazaridis and Darren Carter taking over from Hughes, Damien Johnson and John.

It instantly caused them problems when Purse and then Martin Grainger had to go off for treatment, leaving their side twice down to 10 men as Liverpool pressed for the killer goal.

Liverpool put on Patrik Berger for Diouf, and virtually his first touch was a deflected shot that Vaesen needed to save smartly, as he did at Owen's feet a minute later when Berger put him through.

But Morrison was still to strike again, sending a lopping header into the top corner from Lazaridis' cross as Anfield was stunned into silence.

Teams:

Liverpool Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz (Heskey 45), Hyypia, Traore, Murphy, Hamann, Gerrard, Riise (Diao 72), Owen, Diouf (Berger 80).

Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Baros.

Goals: Murphy 25, Gerrard 49.

Birmingham Vaesen, Kenna, Cunningham, Purse, Grainger, Devlin, Savage, Hughes (Horsfield 74), Damien Johnson (Lazaridis 75), John (Carter 75), Morrison.

Subs Not Used: Bennett, Eaden.

Booked: Savage.

Goals: Morrison 61, 90.

Att: 43,113

 

Squad Number	Name	Pos	Height	Weight	Date of Birth	Birth Place	Previous Club
1	Ian Bennett	G	6'00"	12 10	10-10-71	Worksop	Peterborough U
2	Jeff Kenna	D	5'11"	12 03	27-08-70	Dublin	Blackburn R
3	Martin Grainger	D	5'10"	11 07	23-08-72	Enfield	Brentford
4	Steve Vickers	D	6'02"	13 01	13-10-67	Bishop Auckland	Middlesbrough
5	Darren Purse	D	6'02"	13 08	14-02-76	Stepney	Oxford U
6	Aliou Cisse	M	5'11''	12 08	24-03-76	Zinguichor	Paris St Germain
7	Paul Devlin	F	5'08"	11 05	14-04-72	Birmingham	Sheffield U
8	Robbie Savage	M	5'11"	10 07	18-10-74	Wrexham	Leicester C
9	Geoff Horsfield	F	6'00"	11 07	01-11-73	Barnsley	Fulham
10	Bryan Hughes	M	5'09"	10 00	19-06-76	Liverpool	Wrexham
11	Stan Lazarides	M	5'09"	12 00	16-08-72	Perth	West Ham U
12	Kenny Cunningham	D	5'11"	11 02	28-06-71	Dublin	Wimbledon
13	Tony Capaldi	D	6'00''	11 06	12-08-81	Porsgrunn	None
14	Stern John	F	6'01"	13 07	30-10-76	Trinidad	Nottingham F
15	Jovan Kirovski	M	6'01''	12 01	18-03-76	Escondido	Crystal Palace
16	Tommy Mooney	F	5'11"	13 10	11-08-71	Teesside North	Watford
17	Michael Johnson	D	5'11"	11 00	04-07-73	Nottingham	Notts Co
18	Nico Vaesen	G	6'04"	13 01	28-09-69	Hasselt	Huddersfield T
19	Clinton Morrison	F	6'01"	11 02	14-05-79	Tooting	Crystal Palace
20	Tommy Williams	M	5'11"	12 06	08-07-80	Carshalton	Peterborough U
21	Christophe Dugarry	F	6'02''	12 04	24-03-72	Bordeaux	Bordeaux
22	Damien Johnson	M	5'10"	11 02	18-11-78	Lisburn	Blackburn R
23	Jamie Clapham	D	5'09"	11 08	07-12-75	Lincoln	Ipswich T
24	Darren Carter	M	6'02"	13 12	18-12-83	Solihull	None
25	Matthew Upson	D	6'01"	11 05	18-04-79	Eye	Arsenal
26	Oliver Tebily	D	6'00"	13 00	19-12-75	Adibjan	Celtic
27	Jonathan Hutchinson	M	5'11"	11 11	02-04-82	Middlesbrough	None
28	Curtis Woodhouse	M	5'08"	11 00	17-04-80	Driffield	Sheffield U
29	Craig Fagan	F	5'11"	11 09	11-12-82	Birmingham	None
30	Matthew Sadler	D	5'11"	11 05	26-02-85	Birmingham	None
31	Christophe Grondin	M	5'11"	11 07	02-09-83	Toulouse	None
32	Stephen Clemence	M	5'11"	11 07	31-03-78	Liverpool	Tottenham H
33	Ferdinand Coly	D	5'10'	12 09	10-09-73	Dakar	Lens
34	Piotr Swierczewski	M	6'00''	12 01	08-04-72	Nowy Sacz	Marseille
35	Clint Davies	G	6'03"	12 07	24-04-83	Perth (Aus)	None
36	Andy Marriott	G	6'02"	10 10	11-10-70	Sutton-in-Ashfield	Barnsley
37
38
39
40
Players no longer at this club
Squad Number	Name	Pos	Height	Weight	Date of Birth	Birth Place	New Club
25	Paul Furlong	F	6'00"	11 00	01-10-68	London	QPR
21	Nicky Eaden	D	5'10"	12 08	12-12-72	Sheffield	Wigan Ath
23	Jerry Gill	D	5'11"	11 00	08-09-70	Clevedon	Northampton T
13	Graham Hyde	M	5'08"	12 04	10-11-70	Doncaster	Bristol R
25	Darryl Powell	M	6'01''	13 03	15-11-71	Lambeth	Sheffield W