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  • Date:2009-04-11
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:The Valley
  • Attendance:20022
  • Referee:Probert, L

Live Commentary

90mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

90mins

Lloyd Sam is being taken off, Darren Ambrose has come on in his place.

79mins

Therry Racon is being taken off, Chris Dickson has come on in his place.

77mins

Radhi Jaidi is booked for unsporting behaviour.

65mins

Hameur Bouazza is being taken off, James McFadden has come on in his place.

59mins

Cameron Jerome is being taken off, Marcus Bent has come on in his place.

49mins

Sebastian Larsson is replaced by Kevin Phillips.

46mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 0 v 0.

45mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

44mins

David Murphy goes into the referee's book for unsporting behaviour.

29mins

Nicky Bailey goes into the referee's book for unsporting behaviour.

0mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.


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Match Report

Birmingham City took the point which took them back into an automatic promotion spot in the Championship with a goalless draw away to bottom-of-the-table Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

However, they will have to do a lot better if they are to cement their claim for a Premier League spot next season.

They were jaded until the last 25 minutes when manager Alex McLeish put on three substitutes, all of them strikers, but despite the firepower from the three new faces, they were unable to breach bottom-of-the-table Charlton's defence.

In fact it was the home side, marooned at the bottom of the table and almost certain to be relegated, who would have won the match in the dying minutes but for two great saves from Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor to stop goal-bound efforts from Jonjo Shelvey and Tresor Kandol.

Seventeen-year-old Shelvey, the youngest player on the field, was once again the shining light for Charlton. He had a couple of early efforts, one which went over the bar and the other that was saved.

It was poor fare in the first half but the game livened up as it opened out in the latter stages and Birmingham, who included three former Charlton players in their squad, produced their best efforts from Kevin Phillips who saw his low shot saved by Charlton goalkeeper Rob Elliot, who also did well to keep out Keith Fahey's shot.

Charlton's Chinese international Zhi Zheng had a glorious opportunity after 74 minutes but was denied by a last-ditch defensive clearance and then Taylor produced the two saves to keep Birmingham in the game and deny Charlton their first back-to-back victories of the season.

The Addicks have won just three Championship matches out of 27 and despite the point they gained, it is virtually certain that they will be playing in the third tier of English Football next season for the first time in 28 years.

Charlton Athletic

Birmingham City

Corners

27

Fouls

1715

Goal attempts

1710

Shots off target

64

Offsides

36

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