Source: Telegraph
Birmingham City 0 Chelsea 0: match report
The roar that met the final whistle at St Andrews spoke volumes. Birmingham City have come a long way since the start of the season, but holding Chelsea, the league-leaders, to a draw is some achievement. And if anything, they were the victims of human error, Christian Benitez incorrectly ruled offside when he turned in a shot from Liam Ridgewell from less than a yard. [LNB]The reality, though, was that Chelsea had pushed Alex McLeish's side hard for much of the match, and Carlo Ancelotti will be frustrated that Manchester United could move within two points of the top. This was a slow burning, back-and-forth affair, the stand-out contributors being Joe Hart, who ended the game with his head swathed in bandages, and Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, Birmingham's Grenadier Guards, who were once again excellent. [LNB] Related ArticlesPremier League tablePremier League actionTelegraph player raterPremier League fixturesTransfer TalkSport on televisionBirmingham's defence has been super this season; the problem has been at the other end. Cameron Jerome has plenty of pace, as he showed inside thirty seconds, latching onto a Barry Ferguson pass, but his final ball needs work, and his shot went high and wide. [LNB]It should have settled the nerves, but Chelsea had too much possession to get comfy. Branislav Ivanovic tickled a header just over the bar, Daniel Sturridge came close with a left footed shot which was turned around the post by Joe Hart, and Frank Lampard was through with only Hart to beat, but the 'keeper stayed big and saved, leaving Lampard standing in the six-yard box scratching his head, wondering how he didn't score. [LNB]Next up was Alex, sending a fearsome free-kick from 40 yards out crashing against crossbar, and then Sturridge put the ball wide from a perfect cross from Drogba in added time. In spite of all that, it was Birmingham who should have seized the lead. Ridgewell, unmarked at the far post, beat Cech when Steve Carr found him with a cross, and Benitez put it over the line. St Andrews exploded but the linesman ruled him off-side. [LNB]Television replays subsequently suggested that a prostrate Drogba was playing the Ecuadorian on. [LNB]The second half was more of the same, Seb Larsson coming close with a free-kick that had Petr Cech at full stretch, and Florent Malouda had an open goal in the second half, but he sent his side-footer wide of the target. It just wasn't his day, and he was dismissed shortly before the finish for a rash challenge on Carr. [LNB]
