Watto’s Report: Birmingham City 2-2 Everton

In spite of Blues’ best performance for weeks at Portsmouth Alex McLeish decided to tinker with the team. Michel who was outstanding at Fratton was out and Bowyer was restored to the line up. Steve Carr replaced the injured Parnaby and Kevin Phillips was on the bench.

Blues responded to this with 25 minutes of ineptitude that was an embarrassment to the 21,000 odd Blues fans who bothered to show up for a match that was key to Blues ambitions for the rest of the season.

Hart had already been called into action twice to deny Pienaar when the gigantic Anichebe out muscled Ridgewell in the box, turned inside and fired a pile driver past Hart.  Ridgewell was having all sorts of trouble as the big man drifted wide and won balls in the air as well as on the deck.

Three minutes later with Ridgewell tailing Anichebe as he drifted inside, Pienaar went into the space on the right where Bowyer failed miserably to prevent a looping cross. The ball eluded Hart and Johnson and Yakubu nodded in on the far post. 

Blues were looking at this point likely to be given an embarrassing thrashing but Blues were given a lifeline when, in a rare attack Fahey looked to find Jerome with his back to goal. The striker waved a leg at it and made minimal contact as the ball went through the legs of Jagielka and rolled past Howard in the Everton goal.  The game changed from that moment and Blues took control for the remainder of the half.

The equaliser almost came when a miss-hit free kick by Fahey was returned to the far post where Ridgewell headed across goal. Dann headed goalwards and Jagielka hooked the ball off the line. Ridgewell almost atoned for his early error when he showed some neat footwork to get into the box. His cross came back to him and the goal was at his mercy. The shot however was wild and the ball sailed well over.

Hart was called into action again to turn away a Baines free kick as the half ended with the crowd cheering the home side from the field.

Blues may well have had a roasting at half time but whatever transpired in the dressing room had the desired effect as Blues laid siege to the Everton goal. The passing had become crisp and assured whereas in the first half the ball appeared to be on fire, such was Blues desire to give it away.

The equaliser came from a punt up field by Hart which eluded the Everton back four and Gardener sped past them and slotted a drive from 20 yards into the bottom corner.  It was the Witton refugee’s first goal for the club and boy did he enjoy it.  Gardener was forced off with a strain and was replaced by Larsson soon after.

Blues looked the most likely winners at this stage and the lost of Anichebe did not help the Everton cause. Blues, for all their passing and authority on the ball could not find a way through and only Mcfadden (on for Chucho) late on, got a sight of goal. Faddy forced his way into the box and fired over from an acute angle.

Everton who are an excellent team came back at Blues and gave the game an exciting feel as the play ebbed and flowed throughout the last 20 minutes. Both sides could have won it but neither did. This amazing fight back for Blues has kept the Merseysiders at arm’s length and edges us closer to their neighbours.

Blues: Joe Hart, Stephen Carr, Lee Bowyer, Liam Ridgewell, Cameron Jerome, Chucho (James McFadden, 72), Barry Ferguson, Roger Johnson, Scott Dann, Keith Fahey, Craig Gardner (Seb Larsson, 59).

Subs not used: Maik Taylor, Kevin Phillips, Michel, Franck Queudrue, Teemu Tainio.

Bookings: Bowyer (28)

Goals: Jerome (26), Gardner (51).

Toffees: Tim Howard, Leighton Baines, John Heitinga, Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta, Sylvain Distin, Tim Cahill (Jack Rodwell, 76), Phil Neville, Steven Pienaar, Ayegbeni Yakubu (Landon Donovan, 67) , Victor Anichebe (Dan Gosling, 79).

Subs not used: Carlo Nash, Tony Hibbert, Joseph Yobo, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

Bookings: Yakubu (62)

Goals: Anichebe (19), Yakubu (22)

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Solid performance

Attendance: 24, 579. Where were those who want to penalise us who go to every game by destroying the Away travel Club?

By Alan Watton

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