Source: Telegraph
Birmingham City 2 Blackburn Rovers 1: match report
The last time Birmingham City ventured into European competition, man was taking his first tentative steps in outer space and Helen Shapiro was Walkin' Back to Happiness at the top of the hit parade. [LNB]That was in October 1961, an appearance in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup final, and nearly 50 years on the Bluenoses are making jolly giant strides towards breaching Continental barriers once more. [LNB]This was their fifth consecutive league victory, the first time they have achieved that sequence at this level in 36 years, and the result hoists last season's promoted club above Liverpool and Manchester City into sixth position. Birmingham can dream of Rome; Blackburn Rovers on this evidence, should prepare for Scunthorpe and leave their passports in East Lancashire. [LNB]These are heady days indeed for Birmingham and the second city with Aston Villa's assault on the top four elite. Alex McLeish's side played with purpose punctuated with a style that seldom surfaces at St Andrew's as some flowing first half football set a benchmark that may be difficult to sustain against less feeble opponents. [LNB]Careless marking allowed Sebastian Larsson space to swing over a right wing centre which eventually ricocheted its way to Cameron Jerome who had the simple task of steering the ball over the line. [LNB]His second, shortly after half time, was more symbolic of the home team's guile as Larsson released the overlapping Stephen Carr down the right and his diagonal pass back from the byline was finished clinically by Jerome from 10 yards out. [LNB]The result should have been a formality but Birmingham's own deficiencies inspired Blackburn when Morten Gamst Pedersen's free kick drifted to Pascal Chimbonda at the far post. The full back's attempt was denied by Joe Hart but Ryan Nelsen was on the spot to sweep the rebound into an empty net in the 69th minute. [LNB]That unlikely goal created anxiety amid the Birmingham ranks and some hitherto random panic attacks although they should have been assuaged when Jerome's pass found Christian Benitez on the counter before the Ecuadorian inexplicably hit the crossbar from six yards out with an open goal beckoning. [LNB]
