Source: SKY_Sports
Birmingham v Man City - live!
// A bit of a hack but it works// The article snippet is wrapped onto a second line, even when #article-sub is emptyif( $("div#article-sub").children().length == 0 ) {$("div#article-sub").remove();} 90 It's all over. Goalless at St Andrews and Man City have Given to thank for that - he made numerous excellent saves including a penalty from McFadden in the second half. Thanks for joining us.[LNB]90 Ferguson is sent off for a second bookable offence. There was 20 seconds left and he tries to handle the ball from a throw. Unbelievable idiocy from the midfielder.[LNB]90 Tevez cuts inside from the left, skips past a couple of challenges and then screws a hopeful shot over the bar. That could be it for this game.[LNB]90 Petrov with a wild swing. It almost hits the corner flag. Goal-kick to Birmingham.[LNB]90 Benitez does well down the Birmingham right, plays in the unmarked Bowyer who crosses into the box. Phillips can't quite connect in the scramble and claims for handball are correctly waved away by referee Dean.[LNB]90 After the stoppage for Johnson, there will be six minutes of added time.[LNB]88 The game is limping towards it's conclusion.[LNB]86 Kevin Phillips comes on for Jerome as Birmingham make a late change.[LNB]85 Johnson looks fine to continue. There will be at least three minutes of injury time now though.[LNB]84 A stoppage here with Johnson receiving treatment for injury.[LNB]82 Larsson's corner is cleared by Manchester City and they break with Bellamy. Bridge eventually has a shot, but it's blocked and then play is stopped with Johnson on the floor.[LNB]81 Cathal Donnelly, from Dublin has already given up with 10 minutes left. He says: "Disappointing result for Man City, but I expect them to bounce back next game."[LNB]79 Wright-Phillips dances around a few tackles as he runs towards the Birmingham area but his cross is poor and goes behind for a goal-kick.[LNB]78 Ridgewell punts a long ball forward but that bounces straight through to Given.[LNB]76 Bridge combines well with Petrov but runs into one too many Birmingham defenders.[LNB]75 Kompany's back pass to Given is a heavy one and the 'keeper, who has kept Manchester City in the game this afternoon, shows an excellent touch to give himself time to make the clearance.[LNB]73 Bridge is fouled by Larsson and Manchester City have a free-kick inside their own half.[LNB]71 Bellamy plays a ball back to Barry whose cross is a good one intended for Wright-Phillips, but the litlle winger is offside.[LNB]70 Ferguson overhits a long pass and the ball skids out for a goal-kick to Manchester City.[LNB]68 Fahey's ball to Bowyer is a good one. The midfielder crosses into a dangerous area but Jerome can't quite get there and Kompany gets a vital touch.[LNB]67 The corner comes to nothing and Birmingham attempt to build an attack.[LNB]66 Tevez cuts inside from the left flank and unleashes a powerful shot with his right foot. Good effort, but Taylor flicks it over.[LNB]65 Santa Cruz is now substituted for Martin Petrov. Bellamy will now go up front.[LNB]64 Forget to tell you Santa Cruz was booked a couple of minutes ago. It was for persistent infringements. Manchester City clear the corner.[LNB]63 Benitez wins a corner for Birmingham as the home side continue to build pressure.[LNB]62 Jerome heads narrowly wide under pressure from Vincent Kompany. Great chance for Birmingham.[LNB]61 McFadden is substituted for Keith Fahey as Birmingham make a change.[LNB]60 Lescott flicks goalwards from the corner after a dummy from Tevez but Taylor is equal to that.[LNB]59 Stephen Ireland comes on for De Jong.[LNB]58 Tevez slides in Wright-Phillips who looks for Santa Cruz at the near post. Good defending from Roger Johnson, though, who concedes the corner.[LNB]56 Great save from Given! McFadden's penalty isn't great but the save from Given is superb as he dives to his left. Justice is probably done.[LNB]55 De Jong is ruled to have handballed in the area. It was harsh. Really harsh. He jumped with Larsson and both looked to have handled it in the scramble.[LNB]54 Bridge is booked for kicking the ball away but he might be a victim of his own inadaquecies as he just miscontrolled it.[LNB]53 Benitez is narrowly offside. It was very tight and he looks aggrieved as he was through on goal. Right decision though.[LNB]52 Manchester City break quickly and neatly, eventually working the ball to Zabaleta who controls well. Unfortunately, his cross isn't quite so eyecatching and Birmingham deal with it easily.[LNB]51 Ferguson wins a free-kick inside the Manchester City half and referee Mike Dean is cheered after making tghe decision.[LNB]50 Tevez blasts a shot over the bar from 25 yards after good work from Wayne Bridge.[LNB]49 McFadden is tentative in the centre circle and that allows Tevez to steel the ball off him. The Argentinian plays in Wright-Phillips but Birmingham eventually clear their lines.[LNB]48 Pablo Zabaleta miscontrols on the Manchester City right and Birmingham have a throw.[LNB]47 Lescott hesitates under a high bouncing ball and has to rely on Given to come and save the situation.[LNB]46 We're under way for the second half in Birmingham.[LNB] The referee blows his whistle to signal the break and it's goalless at half-time. It was entertaining stuff, with Birmingham starting brightly and Manchester City getting better as it went on. Join us in the second period to see who, if anybody, can break the deadlock.[LNB]45 Barry's free-kick sails hopelessly high over Birmingham's bar.[LNB]44 Scott Dann is booked for a lunge on Tevez. Free-kick in a dangerous area to Manchester City.[LNB]43 Tevez with a cute pass into the feet of Barry, who twirls and twists his way into confusion inside the Birmingham area. Taylor eventually clears.[LNB]42 It's getting quite heated on the pitch as we approach half-time. Another free-kick gives Birmingham a chance to hoist the ball into the Manchester City box.[LNB]41 Birmingham pressure results in a shot from Bowyer, and it's a good one, but Given makes the save.[LNB]39 De Jong fouls Larsson and the Birmingham players are furious the referee won't book him. Ferguson, in particular, looks miffed after his earlier caution. De Jong just gets a good ticking off, to boos from the home crowd.[LNB]38 Wright-Phillips can't squeeze his way through three Birmingham defenders and referee gives him a free-kick.[LNB]37 Ferguson is playing well in the middle for Birmingham. Here he is involved again in a good move, but it breaks down on th eedge of the Manchester City box.[LNB]36 Bellamy scuffs the resulting free-kick. It trickles wide of goal from 35 yards.[LNB]35 Bellamy is clattered to the ground by McFadden who can't believe the referee has signalled for a free-kick.[LNB]33 Good play from Birmingham. Jerome takes a ball well on his chest, plays it to Bowyer who almost slides in Sebastian Larsson with a brilliant pass through the middle.[LNB]32 Santa Cruz tries to roll a ball towards the run of Gareth Barry but it deflects into the arms of Taylor.[LNB]31 Tevez digs a shot out from 25 yards but it sails high and wide of Taylor's goal.[LNB]30 Nice interchange between Cameron Jerome and Benitez but Lescott breaks up the move and Manchester City break. Santa Cruz gets a chance from close range but Taylor makes the save.[LNB]29 Bellamy's curling free-kick is headed over the bar by Lescott.[LNB]28 Manchester City break from the corner and Ferguson takes out Bellamy. He's cautioned for his troubles.[LNB]27 McFadden livens things up with a snap shot from 20 yards. Given is happy to concede a corner.[LNB]25 Now the away side are offside as Santa Cruz strays too far forward in search of a pass from Lescott. It's a scrappy period of play.[LNB]23 Manchester City are defending much higher up the pitch now and Benitez can't adjust and is caught offside.[LNB]22 Birmingham scramble the flag-kick clear but Manchester City soon have possession back. Mark Hughes' team are now on top following the home side's good start.[LNB]21 Manchester City are finding more space now and Tevez is growing increasingly influential. Here he tees up Bellamy who wins a corner with his deflected shot.[LNB]19 Taylor flaps at a corner following more Manchester City pressure but Birmingham clear the danger.[LNB]18 Taylor is forced into a good save after a shot by Wright-Phillips as Manchester City step it up a gear.[LNB]16 Birmingham look dangerous thus far with slick, vibrant attacking play. They break again quickly but Joleon Lescott is there to tidy up at the back.[LNB]14 Tevez attempts a shot from a tight angle but that is easy for Taylor.[LNB]13 The corner comes to nothing and Birmingham break, quickly creating a chance at the other end but Lee Bowyer's cross is headed clear.[LNB]12 Tevez slides a pass through to the run of Bellamy after some good build-up play by Manchester City. Maik Taylor makes the save and the away side have a corner.[LNB]11 Santa Cruz heads wide from Wright-Phillips' cross as Manchester City do some attacking of their own.[LNB]10 Another chance for Birmingham as Manchester City struggle at the back early on. Benitez skips through again but again Given is his equal with a super smothering save.[LNB]8 Christian Benitez runs at goal and shoots from 20 yards, but Given gets the slightest of touches and that's enough to tp the ball onto the post. Great effort, great save, Birmingham unlucky.[LNB]7 Wayne Bridge's cross is headed clear by Birmingham who try to counter-attck but have to make do with a throw on halfway.[LNB]6 Barry Ferguson makes inroads down the inside left channel and creates an opportunity for himself before dragging the ball wide of goal.[LNB]5 Maik Taylor clears into the stands under pressure from Tevez. The opening exchanges have been pretty frenetic, with neither side able to get the ball on the deck and pass it about.[LNB]4 A loose ball from the run of Carlos Tevez almost runs through to Santa Cruz but Scott Dann does really well to deny the forward.[LNB]3 Christian Benitez checks onto his right foot but his cross is too close to Shay Given who collects.[LNB]2 Stephen Carr's cross is too deep for anyone and Manchester City have a throw-in.[LNB]1 Birmingham get the first half under way at St Andrews.[LNB] Carl Southall predicts a 1-1 draw while Methuselah reckons it will be 5-0 to Manchester City![LNB] Five minutes to kick-off at St Andrews and the players are making their way out onto the pitch. It's a tale of two cities, but which one will prevail? I have to say, despite Manchester City's tendency to draw a few in recent weeks I have to fancy them this afternoon. They'll be too strong for Birmingham won't they? Stay tuned to find out...[LNB] Some pre-match betting news from Sky Bet Towers. Their Andy Clarke says: "Manchester City have won just one of their last five Premier League games, yet they are strongly supported at 8/11 at St Andrews. Emmanuel Adebayor is injured, so Roque Santa Cruz starts and is 5/1 to open the scoring."[LNB] Good afternoon and welcome to our live clockwatch of today's only Barclays Premier League clash as Birmingham host Manchester City at St Andrews. Get your emails into ben.linfoot@bskyb.com if you've got anything you want to say about the game.[LNB] Manchester City: Given, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, De Jong, Barry, Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Tevez. Subs: Taylor, Richards, Johnson, Ireland, Sylvinho, Petrov, Weiss.[LNB] Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Carr, Roger Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson, Bowyer, McFadden, Jerome, Benitez. Subs: Doyle, Phillips, Fahey, McSheffrey, Parnaby, Carsley, Vignal.[LNB]
