|
Newcastle 0 Birmingham 1
Newcastle were handed another dose of penalty misery as David Dunn condemned them to a third home defeat inside a week.
The former Blackburn midfielder could not beat Shay Given with his 60th-minute spot-kick after makeshift left-back Gary
Speed had tripped Damien Johnson, but he was first to the rebound to fire home and snatch all three points.
Newcastle, who saw their Champions League dreams ripped apart on Wednesday night by Partizan Belgrade four days after Manchester
United had left St James' Park with all three points, dominated for long periods, but simply could not put Maik Talyor's goal
under enough pressure as a crowd of 52,006 were again left disappointed.
City arrived on Tyneside with a game plan which they executed expertly, denying their hosts space and defending tigerishly
throughout, while United once again misfired.
Sir Bobby Robson's side have now taken just one point from the nine they have contested to date and go into the break for
international matches knowing that they cannot allow this run of results to continue if they are to retain their status as
a top-four side.
Newcastle desperately needed a victory, and a convincing one at that, to offset the misery of their exit from Europe, but
Birmingham had not conceded a single goal in their first two league games, and it was not difficult to see why.
Matthew Upson and Kenny Cunningham were uncompromising in central defence and with a midfield quintet of Robbie Savage
- who had been felled accidentally by referee Matt Messias' swinging arm just two minutes into the game - Stephen Clemence,
Stan Lazaridis, Damien Johnson and Dunn working desperately hard to close down the space, United found the going tough.
They always enjoyed the greater share of the possession and with Kieron Dyer, Jermaine Jenas, Hugo Viana and Nolberto Solano
passing and moving impressively, there was much in their play to applaud.
However, with 10 men behind the ball at every opportunity, City effectively limited them to a handful of half-chances during
the opening 45 minutes, a source of frustration to both the Magpies and their supporters.
Indeed, it was the visitors who enjoyed the better openings before the break, Dunn forcing a good fingertip save from Given
after Viana had recklessly attempted to back-heel the ball to Gary Speed inside his own penalty area.
The former Blackburn midfielder was asked to provide the link between midfield and attack, where Stern John was named as
a lone striker, and he did that twice to good effect to provide him with shooting chances which went just off target.
For their part, Newcastle failed to seriously trouble Taylor in the Blues' goal, although Alan Shearer headed wide on 21
minutes under pressure from Cunningham and Jamie Clapham and Upson had to block bravely from Solano and Jenas as the pressure
mounted.
United returned after the break in determined style and forced six corners inside the first 11 minutes of the half, although
significantly failed to trouble Taylor unduly.
And just when it looked as though the home side were about to take the game by the scruff of the neck, disaster struck.
Dunn broke downfield and slid the ball inside Speed to Johnson. The Welshman went full-length in a bid to cut out the pass,
but only succeeded in tripping the midfielder.
Messias immediately pointed to the spot and booked Speed, and although Given, who had been on the receiving end from 12
yards against Partizan in midweek, saved well, the midfielder followed up to slot home the rebound home.
Solano volleyed into the side-netting and substitute Lee Bowyer, one of three men thrown on by Robson with 24 minutes remaining,
forced a good save from Taylor.
But with the home side having once again built up a head of steam, they almost threw the game away twice within a minute.
First Dunn tested Given with a low drive after Clemence had split the United defence, and then Lazaridis robbed Andy Griffin
and ran through on goal, but the Irishman stood up well to block as the midfielder tried to round him.
Robson's men threw everything they had at Birmingham as the clock ran down, but in truth, it was not enough and Taylor
did not have a genuine save to make as the travelling supporters started to celebrate.
Teams:
Newcastle: Given, Griffin, O'Brien, Bramble, Speed, Solano (Bowyer 66), Jenas, Dyer, Viana (Robert 66), Shearer,
Ameobi (Chopra 66).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Hughes.
Booked: Jenas, Speed.
Birmingham: Taylor, Kenna, Upson, Cunningham, Clapham, Johnson, Savage, Clemence, Lazaridis (Cisse 79), John (Horsfield
71), Dunn (Tebily 88).
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Morrison.
Booked: Kenna.
Goals: Dunn 61.
Att: 52,006
Ref: M Messias (N Yorkshire).
Chelsea 0 Birmingham City 0
On the sort of afternoon when titles cannot be won, but can certainly be lost, Chelsea endured further frustration as their
enduring Premiership shortcomings were exposed by Birmingham City.
In short, you can spend £110million on a new squad, but you evidently cannot completely solve overnight Chelsea's inability
to finish off dogged opponents, even at home.
Birmingham were incredibly tenacious at Stamford Bridge, with Robbie Savage and Stephen Clemence excelling in central midfield
as they outplayed, let alone outfought, their far more illustrious opponents.
Scott Parker simply cannot arrive quickly enough if Charlton can be persuaded to sell, as too much is being asked of Frank
Lampard and, especially, Claude Makekele.
While Joe Cole hit the post, keeper Maik Taylor was otherwise equal to everything else that Chelsea threw at him as they
missed the chance to narrow the gap on Manchester United and leaders Arsenal.
There may be quality in abundance at Stamford Bridge but, above all, where Claudio Ranieri's side still fall as short as
ever before is in their inability to win when not at their best.
Having lost at home to Liverpool 11 days earlier, their brief renaissance with four goals against both Leicester and then
Watford in the FA Cup was undermined.
Birmingham may have been depleted by injuries and the absence of on-loan Chelsea striker Mikael Forssell for this fixture,
but they remained undaunted.
Indeed, they immediately took the game to Chelsea, with Damien Johnson forcing Carlo Cudicini into a neat save after he
had cut inside Wayne Bridge.
Chelsea began to carve out openings of their own, with Maik Taylor denying Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Glen Johnson.
However, the home side were being denied the space in midfield from which to launch anything other than long-range efforts.
And when they did finally find some width, thanks to Frank Lampard's excellent crossfield ball, Hasselbaink headed Bridge's
cross narrowly wide.
Cole almost turned the game with a moment of individual ability as his neat dip of the shoulder past Olivier Tebily took
him into a shooting position, but his curling effort struck the far post.
Otherwise, Chelsea were too often guilty of over-elaborating, with Jesper Gronkjaer particularly guilty of running down
blind alleys.
In central midfield, they came up against the ceaseless endeavour of Savage, aided and abetted by Clemence, while width
was all too hard to find down the flanks.
In short, Birmingham's containment strategy was working to perfection, with Bryan Hughes starting to make the most of Glen
Johnson's hesitation.
It was no wonder, therefore, that Ranieri replaced the ineffective Gronkjaer with Damien Duff, who had only returned from
an injury lay-off as a midweek substitute against Watford, at the break.
In an explosive start to the second-half, Birmingham threatened first, with Clinton Morrison and Stern John calling Cudicini
into action, while Savage shot over the bar.
Back came Chelsea, however, as Taylor's weak punch under pressure from Marcel Desailly fell to William Gallas, whose lobbed
effort was acrobatically cleared off the line by Tebily.
Still Birmingham held out, even as Lampard burst into the area on to Cole's ball and went round Darren Purse only to be
foiled by an excellent save from Taylor.
On came Adrian Mutu, replacing not Hasselbaink or Gudjohnsen, but Cole as Ranieri went for broke with a virtual four-man
strikeforce that featured the Romanian in a largely free role.
Steve Bruce responded with the rather more prosaic talents of Stan Lazaridis, who replaced Morrison, as they moved to a
five-man midfield.
Chelsea certainly threw everything they had at Birmingham in the final stages, only for Taylor to save Lampard's snap-shot
and then fling himself bravely at Hasselbaink's feet.
Gudjohnsen resisted the temptation to go down in search of a penalty but promptly shot wide and all of Chelsea's late pressure
came to nothing.
Roman Abramovich is supposedly a patient man who does not expect his new club to win the title in their first season together.
On this evidence, it is just as well.
Teams
Chelsea Cudicini, Johnson (Melchiot 81), Desailly, Gallas, Bridge, Cole (Mutu 60), Lampard, Makelele, Gronkjaer
(Duff 45), Gudjohnsen, Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Huth.
Booked: Cole, Johnson.
Birmingham Taylor, Kenna, Purse, Cunningham, Clemence, Savage, Johnson, Hughes (Kirovski 81), Tebily, John (Carter
89), Morrison (Lazaridis 66).
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Barrowman.
Booked: Savage, Tebily.
Att: 41,073
Ref: J Winter (Cleveland).
Birmingham 4 Leeds 1
Bryan Hughes and Mikael Forssell put Birmingham back on course for Europe, and dealt a blow to Leeds' survival hopes in
a pulsating Barclaycard Premiership clash at St. Andrews.
Hughes, who is on the verge of signing a new three-year contract, enabled the home side to recover from Mark Viduka's early
strike with a two-goal blast.
Then Forssell's double took his own tally for the campaign to 18, and the fans were chanting 'sign him up' when the on-loan
Chelsea striker was substituted to a standing ovation.
Birmingham are now level on points with Newcastle - they are in action on Sunday - following a match where both defences
looked anything but solid.
Leeds may feel the final scoreline flattered their opponents and they were left to regret Viduka's glaring early miss which
would have put them 2-0 ahead inside the opening 10 minutes.
But they were blown away by three goals in 16 second-half minutes to leave them in the bottom three.
Leeds threatened to over-run Birmingham in the early stages and it needed a reflex save from Blues goalkeeper Maik Taylor
to keep the home side on level terms.
Didier Domi's cross was headed on by Alan Smith to Viduka and his powerful low volley was turned around the post by Taylor.
But Eddie Gray's side were not to be denied and they went ahead after four minutes through Viduka's ninth goal of the campaign.
Jermaine Pennant provided the telling through ball and the Australian kept his nerve before turning inside Martin Grainger
and planting a low left-footed shot past Taylor's despairing dive.
Viduka squandered a golden chance to double Leeds' lead after 10 minutes with the Birmingham defence again all at sea.
James Milner was second favourite to win a ball by the by-line, but he managed to turn it across goal and Viduka came in
at the far post, only to side-foot wide from six yards out.
This proved costly, for within 60 seconds Steve Bruce's side were back on level terms.
Clinton Morrison's low centre was flicked on by Forssell at the near post - and Hughes was unmarked in the centre to make
no mistake.
Leeds still posed a threat to Birmingham defence which did not look as if it had learnt the lessons of their 5-3 defeat
at Middlesbrough.
The home side appealed in vain for handball after Gary Kelly had blocked a cross from Lazaridis before Forssell came close
to notching his 17th goal of the season.
His first shot was blocked by Robinson, and his rebound effort was cleared off the line by Domi.
Robinson could then only stand and watch as a Grainger free-kick thudded against a post and he was relieved to see Martin
Taylor send the rebound straight at him.
Birmingham won a corner in the first minute of the second half, but Forssell failed to make proper contact with his volley
from Grainger's cross and it flew wide.
Milner made a good run before his rising left-footed effort was dealt with by Maik Taylor, who was then relieved when he
completed failed to make contact with a Kenny Cunningham back pass - only for the ball to bobble wide of the post.
The Blues 'keeper then went down to his left to clutch onto Viduka's shot on the turn, but after 66 minutes Birmingham
went ahead through Hughes' second goal.
Morrison's pass found Lazaridis who was aware of the presence of Hughes and he turned the ball into his path for a simple
tap-in from six yards out.
Then two minutes later Forssell gave Blues some daylight.
A long clearance from Cunningham found the Finnish international in space as Morrison raced back from an offside position.
The on-loan Chelsea striker sprinted clear of the Leeds defence and coolly slipped the ball wide of Robinson.
Forssell put the icing on the cake for Birmingham from the penalty spot in the 82nd minutes after Dominic Matteo had fouled
Morrison.
Teams:
Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Martin Taylor, Upson, Cunningham, Grainger, Johnson, Hughes, Clemence, Lazaridis, Forssell
(John 83), Morrison (Tebily 84).
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Cisse, Carter.
Goals: Hughes 12, 67, Forssell 69, 82 pen.
Leeds: Robinson, Kelly, Caldwell, Matteo, Domi, Pennant, McPhail, Seth Johnson, Milner (Simon Johnson 78), Viduka,
Smith.
Subs Not Used: Carson, Harte, Radebe, Keegan.
Booked: Domi.
Goals: Viduka 3.
Att: 29,069
Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire).
| BIRMINGHAM REPORTS 2003-2004 |
 |
Premier League Asia Cup
Birmingham 1 Newcastle 2
Shola Ameobi nodded home the winner as Newcastle took the opening honours in the FA Premier League Asia Cup with victory
over 10-man Birmingham.
Kenny Cunningham was sent off after 33 minutes for bringing down Craig Bellamy in the box, much to the disappointment of
the local crowd and players from both sides.
Alan Shearer slammed home the resultant penalty to give Newcastle a lead they held through to the interval.
But Birmingham came out fighting and won themselves a penalty with 19 minutes remaining which Paul Devlin converted to
level proceedings.
Their advantage only lasted a matter of three minutes, though, as Ameobi climbed high above the defence to head the winner
and book Newcastle a spot in Sunday's final against either Chelsea or the Malaysian national team.
The first officially-sanctioned Premier League tournament overseas began as something of a damp squib, with only the jinking
runs of Kieron Dyer and Laurent Robert plus Lee Bowyer's driving runs forward giving the football-mad Malaysians anything
cheer.
But after a fairly turgid first 33 minutes, in which Robbie Savage had spurned the best chance for Birmingham, the breakthrough
finally came as Bellamy chased through an inch-perfect through-ball.
Cunningham slid in, brought down the Wales striker and referee Rob Styles had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
His decision to brandish the red card, however, left players and officials from both sides stunned, with Dyer even approaching
the official to plead clemency.
Cunningham left the field to polite applause from the local crowd, but after the players had taken a quick drinks break,
they were up on their feet to cheer Shearer's perfect penalty, slammed to the right of Birmingham goalkeeper Ian Bennett.
Savage's effort after 13 minutes was Birmingham's brightest moment and came after French ace Christophe Dugarry had held
off the attentions of both Newcastle centre-backs to nod the ball down for the onrushing Welshman but he fired straight at
Steve Harper in the Newcastle goal.
Savage was one of those substituted at half-time as manager Steve Bruce injected some fresh legs into a midfield which
had been outrun by Newcastle debutant Bowyer, the impressive Dyer and Robert on the left.
As the second period wore on the fresher legs began to tell, particularly those of Stern John, who forced Harper into a
close-range stop before Birmingham forced the equaliser.
Another of the half-time newcomers, Darren Carter, nipped the ball away from Titus Bramble who clipped the midfielder right
on the edge of the box.
Devlin had only been on the field for five minutes but drove his penalty into the same corner as Shearer and it was game
on.
At least it was for three minutes, which is as long as it took for Ameobi, on for Shearer, to rise above the defence and
nod Bellamy's clipped ball back past Bennett.
Birmingham continued to test, with John lively up front and he missed an open goal just three minutes later, and that sounded
the death-knell for the Blues as Newcastle shut up
Malaysia 0 Birmingham 4
Stern John made amends for his blunder against Newcastle by scoring twice and causing Malaysia no end of trouble as the
Blues clinched third place in the inaugural FA Premier League Asia Cup.
The Trinidad & Tobago international had been the laughing stock of the national stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday
when he missed an open goal that cost Birmingham the chance of reaching the final.
But he made amends in the steamy Malaysian capital on Saturday night, scoring a rasping drive and then escaping his marker
to slot his second just after the interval as Birmingham eased to victory.
Second-half substitute Stan Lazaridis was a constant threat down the left and his cross allowed Stephen Clemence to nod
home the third before Damien Johnson picked out Bryan Hughes, another replacement, for the fourth.
It was the second game in just 24 hours for Malaysia - something Sir Bobby Robson described as "inhumane" - and their energy
and will was sapped in the last 20 minutes as Birmingham assumed control.
Blues manager Steve Bruce was forced to do without striker Christophe Dugarry, who was due to fly home with a knee injury,
but David Dunn was again impressive in his favoured central role.
It took John only seven minutes to make amends for his Thursday-night howler, taking advantage of time and space on the
edge of the box to fire a low, rasping drive past Azmin Azam in the Malaysian goal.
The strike was a virtual carbon copy of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's goal for Chelsea yesterday, when the Malaysian centre-backs
were also too slow to close down the danger.
Jamie Clapham's advancing runs from left-back were also causing difficulties for the Malaysians, and it was his run and
shot that almost created Birmingham's second.
Coming in off the wing, Clapham's right-footed curler was deflected and ballooned up to the far post, but Paul Devlin's
low, goalbound effort cannoned out off keeper Azmin's back foot.
He had kept the Malaysians in the game more by luck than judgement.
It was not all one way traffic either, but the plucky Malaysians lacked that crucial invention and composure in the final
third.
Robbie Savage, playing in a deep-lying role to allow Dunn his freedom, was given the run around my his more nimble-footed
opponents and Birmingham had the fingertips of keeper Ian Bennett to thank for keeping the scores level at the interval.
Just minutes before Azmin's save from Devlin, Akman Rizal unleashed a drive from outside the box that was clawed round
the post by the Blues old-timer.
Bruce made two half-time changes, with Matthew Upson slotting into the defence in place of Darren Purse, and winger Stan
Lazaridis given 45 minutes on the left.
The Australian had been sacrificed against Newcastle following the first-half dismissal of defender Kenny Cunningham, who
was subsequently suspended for tonight's game.
And Lazaridis took precisely four minutes to make an impact, dancing down the left to swing in a cross for John, who had
escaped his marker, to add his second.
Malaysia showed flashes of potential, but when second-half substitute Fadzli was presented with the ball unmarked in the
Birmingham box, he panicked and scuffed his snapshot wide.
John departed the scene with 20 minutes to go, just the point at which Malaysia had capitulated against Chelsea yesterday,
and they soon conceded again when Clemence rose above the defence to head Lazaridis' cross past a resigned-looking Azmin.
Hughes added the final nail in the coffin and Azmin, who appeared to have given up all hope, was replaced with five minutes
to go.
2003-04 Squad
|
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 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Martin Grainger |
D |
5'10" |
11 07 |
23-08-72 |
Enfield |
Brentford |
|
4 |
Kenny Cunningham |
D |
5'11" |
11 02 |
28-06-71 |
Dublin |
Wimbledon |
|
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 |
Zinguinchor |
Paris St Germain |
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
Robbie Savage |
M |
5'11" |
10 07 |
18-10-74 |
Wrexham |
Leicester C |
|
9 |
Mikkel Forssell |
F |
5'10" |
10 10 |
15-03-81 |
Steinfurt |
Chelsea |
|
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 |
Maik Taylor |
G |
6'03" |
13 09 |
04-09-71 |
Hildeshein |
Fulham |
|
13 |
Colin Doyle |
G |
6'05" |
14 05 |
12-08-85 |
|
None |
|
14 |
Stern John |
F |
6'01" |
13 07 |
30-10-76 |
Cane Farm |
Nottingham F |
|
15 |
Martin Taylor |
D |
6'04" |
14 09 |
09-11-79 |
Ashington |
Blackburn R |
|
16 |
David Dunn |
M |
5'10" |
12 00 |
27-12-79 |
Blackburn |
Blackburn R |
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
Andrew Barrowman |
F |
5'11" |
11 06 |
27-11-84 |
Wishaw |
None |
|
28 |
Carl Motteram |
M |
5'05" |
09 11 |
03-09-84 |
|
None |
|
29 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 |
Matthew Sadler |
D |
5'11" |
11 05 |
26-02-85 |
Birmingham |
None |
|
31 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
32 |
Stephen Clemence |
M |
5'11" |
11 07 |
31-03-78 |
Liverpool |
Tottenham H |
|
33 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
34 |
Neil Kilkenny |
M |
|
|
19-12-85 |
London |
Arsenal |
|
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Players no longer at this club |
|
Squad Number |
Name |
Pos |
Height |
Weight |
Date of Birth |
Birth Place |
New Club |
|
33 |
Ferdinand Coly |
D |
5'10' |
12 09 |
10-09-73 |
Dakar |
Perugia |
|
27 |
Jonathan Hutchinson |
M |
5'11" |
11 11 |
02-04-82 |
Middlesbrough |
Darlington |
|
9 |
Geoff Horsfield |
F |
6'00" |
11 07 |
01-11-73 |
Barnsley |
Wigan Ath |
|
7 |
Paul Devlin |
F |
5'08" |
11 05 |
14-04-72 |
Birmingham |
Watford |
|
35 |
Luciano Figueroa |
F |
6'00" |
12 02 |
11-12-82 |
Rosario |
Cruz Azul |
|
15 |
Jovan Kirovski |
M |
6'01'' |
12 01 |
18-03-76 |
Escondido |
LA Galaxy |
|
2 |
Jeff Kenna |
D |
5'11" |
12 03 |
27-08-70 |
Dublin |
Derby Co |
|
21 |
Christophe Dugarry |
F |
6'02'' |
12 04 |
24-03-72 |
Bordeaux |
|
|
20 |
Tommy Williams |
M |
5'11" |
12 06 |
08-07-80 |
Carshalton |
Peterborough U |
|
|
Peter Gilbert |
D |
5'09" |
12 13 |
31-07-83 |
Coventry |
Plymouth Arg |
|
29 |
Craig Fagan |
F |
5'11" |
11 09 |
11-12-82 |
Birmingham |
Colchester U |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
