skip to content

  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Pride Park Stadium
  • Attendance: 31117
  • Referee: Probert, L

Live Commentary

90mins

Its all over at Pride Park, Derby couldn't find a late equaliser as Birmingham hang on to take their first three points of the season.

88mins

Earnshaw swings in a cross but can't find a white shirt as Larsson heads away from danger.

86mins

Birmingham are really under pressure, doing just enough to survive at the momentas Derby launch ball after ball into the penalty area.

84mins

Dean Leacock comes on for Gary Teale as Derby push forward, Leacock taking Moore's place at the back as the big central defender pushes upfront.

84mins

Mathew Sadler comes on for Fabrice Muamba as Birmingham look to hold out for the win.

83mins

Griffin has a desperation strike from 25-yards out but Muamba does well to throw himself infront of the shot a block it.

79mins

Teale whips in a cross but Ridgewell heads it away but only as far as McEveley on the other flank who swings in another cross but yet again Ridgewell deasl with it, this time sending it away from danger,

74mins

Larsson whips in a free kick from wide on the left and finds Djourou who gets up well and heads the ball towards goal but can only but it just wide of the right-hand post

72mins

Birmingham again respond with Medhi Nafti being brought on for Gary McSheffrey.

72mins

Derby are planning to go for broke as Robert Earnshaw comes on for Eddie Lewis.

72mins

Griffin again gets forward for Derby, swinging in a cross towards the far post but its too close to Maik Taylor who claims the ball eaisly.

71mins

Radhi Jaidi is the first person to recieve a yellow card after demonstrating some unsporting behaviour.

67mins

Teale tries to find a white shirt in the penalty area with a decent looking cross but Jaidi gets up well to head it away from danger.

64mins

Jerome should complete his hat-trick after getting ahead of Moore and latching onto a long ball, Moore seemingly trying to pull back Jerome but the striker plays on and takes the shot first time, but sends it spinning wide of goal

63mins

Birmingham restore their lead as Jerome gets his second, volleyinghome from inside the area at the far post after the substitute Larsson flicked on Kelly's cross for the former Cardiff striker to finish.

61mins

Birmingham respond with a change of their own Sebastian Larsson coming on for Mikael Forssell.

60mins

Derby make their first change of the afternoon with Darren Moore coming on for Claude Davis

57mins

Derby have their tails up, this time McEveley trying to get his team infront with a shot from the edge of the penalty area, Kelly doing well to block the effort. McEveley takes the resulting corner buts its a poor one floating out of play.

56mins

Pearson finds himself with a golden oppurtunity finding himself with a clear shot on goal from six yards out but the midfielder mis-kicks the ball which Taylor deals with easily.

54mins

Fagan cuts in from the right and tries to curl one past Taylor but sends it just wide of the goalkeepers near post.

53mins

Forrsell looks to put Birmingham ahead again, finding some space on the edge of the area before firing just over the bar.

51mins

Matt Oakley levels it up for Derby with a great volley at the far post after Lewis had picked out the Rams captain with a great cross.

49mins

Forrsell does well again to create some space for himself shooting from about 20 yards out but its turned behind by Todd. McSheffrey's corner is too close to Bywater who punches away.

47mins

Jaidi makes a rare run forward for the Blues, whipping a cross but Bywater deals with it with a good catch.

47mins

Forssell should double Birmingham's lead, Jerome puts his fellow striker through on goal but McEveley does well to put Forssell off as he drives it straight at Bywater.

46mins

Lewis puts an inswinging corner into the centre of the penalty area but Taylor is off his line well to punch it away from danger.

45mins

Birmingham get the second half underway hoping for another quick fire goal that may well sink Derby.

45mins

Birmingham lead at the break thanks to Jerome's super quick goal and the visitors have looked the more likely to add a second as Derby are again struggling to create much.

43mins

Muamba has a decent effort from the edge of the penalty area forcing Bywater to parry the ball away to a white shirt.

41mins

Parnaby floats in a corner for the visitors towards the far post where a clutch of players is waiting, McEveley getting up above everyone to head it away.

40mins

Teale whips in a cross buts its flicked away by Jaidi who sends it across the penalty area and out for a throw-in for Derby.

38mins

Howard has a crack from long range but this time a blue shirt is able to close the down the Derby striker.

38mins

Oakley is the next player to try his luck from long range, the Derby midfielder hammering a shot just wide of Taylor's goal from 25-yards out.

34mins

Lewis continues to push Birmingham back and tries another cross for the Rams but Parnaby does well to block.

33mins

Griffin does well to get forward again but lets himself down with his cross, sending it straight out of play

32mins

Derby beginning to apply some pressure, after a series of blocked crosses Derby finally win a corner which Oakley swings in but only finds Ridgewell's head who sends it away from danger.

30mins

Lewis taes the second corner and this time finds Teale who tries his luck from a very tight angle but the winger is leaning back and ends up blasting the ball over the bar.

29mins

Lewis swings in a corner towards the near post looking for the run of Howard but Kapo is first to the ball and heads it behind for another corner.

29mins

Pearson drills a shot from 25 yards for Derby but the ball keeps rising and ends up in the stand behind the goal.

28mins

Birmingham are looking comfortable at the minute, Derby are just failing to get the service to Howard who hasn't had much to feed on so far.

25mins

McSheffrey swings in a corner for City, sending it towards the far post where Jaidi is waiting but the big central defender is adjudged to have fouled Davis.

19mins

Birmingham squander to great chances, firstly Forssell goes through on goal and forces Bywater into a great save, tipping it wide. From the corner Kapo picks out Jaidi who gets a powerful header on the cross, sending it directly onto the crossbar

16mins

Kapo clatters into McEveley, the Derby defender taking the resulting free kick but its a poor one and floats out of play.

14mins

Kapo tries his luck from a free kick 25 yards from goal but its a very poor effort as the ball strikes the wall and bounces away from danger.

13mins

Oakley tries to find a white shirt in the area with a long ball into the box but finds no one except for McEveley on the far side of the field who floats in a second cross only to see Taylor come a claim the ball.

12mins

Griffin gets forward for Derby and tries to get a cross in but this one is dealt with by Ridgewell who does well to head it away from danger.

10mins

Kelly tries to get a cross in but McEveley does well to block the cross and then knock the ball off Kelly to earn Derby a goal kick.

8mins

Derby are forcing Birmingham back, Fagan again trying his luck from long range but this time its off target and flies over the bar.

7mins

Teale cuts in from the flank and hits a screamer at goal forcing Taylor into a wonderful save, tipping the ball just around the post but referee Lee Probert missed the save and gives Birmingham the goal kick.

4mins

McSheffrey whipes in a cross towards Jerome but Todd gets up well to head the ball away from danger.

3mins

Fagan ties to get the Rams back into the game cutting in from the right and getting his shot away, but it is blocked by Jaidi who takes the power off the shot and leaves Taylor to make a comfortable save

1mins

Cameron Jerome gives Birmingham an early lead after catching Derby napping Forssell picking out Jerome where the City striker just had to fire home from close range.

0mins

Referee Lee Probert gets this game underway which has been dubbed a relegation batle despite the fact that it is still August. Derby take the kick-off

0mins

Birmingham XI: Maik Taylor, Parnaby, Jaidi, Ridgewell, Kelly, Kapo, Muamba, Djourou, McSheffrey, Jerome, Forssell

0mins

Forssell and Djourou pass late fitness tests and make the starting eleven but the Blues are still without Johnson, Taylor and Schmitz while Doyle is rested as Maik Taylor comes in between the sticks.

0mins

Derby XI: Bywater, Griffin, Davis, Todd, McEveley, Teale, Oakley, Pearson, Lewis, Howard, Fagan

0mins

Derby are without Mears and Barnes but are boosted by the return of Claude Davis and hand a debut to Eddie Lewis as The Rams look to bounce back from the mauling they received at Tottenham last week.

Match Report

Cameron Jerome gave Birmingham City's Premier League campaign lift-off with a Pride Park double that floored Derby County.

Steve Bruce decided to play Jerome alongside Mikael Forssell and the pairing paid off after only 32 seconds when City took the lead.

Derby were outplayed in the first half but came back to equalise through Matt Oakley before another clinical finish from Jerome won it.

There were boos from the home fans at the end but Derby could not be faulted for effort and commitment although they used the ball poorly at times.

Birmingham should have won the match before half-time and they could have paid the price when Derby came at them in the second half but overall, they were better than last season's Championship rivals.

The central midfield pairing of Johan Djourou and Fabrice Muamba was at the heart of their success although they also had to defend strongly after the break.

Derby had been caught cold at Spurs last week and they were floored in the first minute when Forssell slipped the ball between Andy Griffin and Andy Todd for Jerome to slide a low finish past Stephen Bywater at his near post.

If there were question marks over the keeper for the goal, he kept his side in it with two superb saves to deny first Forssell, when the striker appeared to have gone round him and then Muamba, when Gary McSheffrey put the midfielder through.

Radhi Jaidi also struck the underside of the bar and Derby were relieved to go in only one goal down.

Whatever manager Billy Davies said worked because they were level six minutes after the break. Gary Teale played Eddie Lewis in on the left and his cross was volleyed past Maik Taylor by Oakley from 12 yards.

Derby began to push City back but the visitors regained their composure and went back in front with a superb goal in the 63rd minute.

Stephen Kelly crossed from the right, McSheffrey flicked the ball on and Jerome showed great balance and skill to send a right-foot shot past Bywater.

Derby kept plugging away but, Teale apart, they did not carry a real threat and too many passes failed to find their target.

Even so, they might have equalised again in the final minutes when Oakley fired in a low shot from the edge of the area which Taylor kept out diving low to his right.

Derby County

Birmingham City

Corners

54

Fouls

813

Goal attempts

1611

Shots off target

84

Offsides

11

advertisement

advertisement