FT:Newcastle 2-1 Birmingham: What drama at St. James'! Beye has given Allardyce some breathing space but Birmingham will be disappointed having defended so well

Obafemi Martins is coming off and Jose Enrique is coming on in his place.

GOAL:Newcastle 2-1 Birmingham: (90mins) Late late drama! Habib Beye stoops at the near post to head Emre's somehow past Larsson on the goal line to win the game for Sma Allardyce.

Emre gets the nod but he drives it into the wall and although handball appeals are made they are more in hope than expectation.

Newcastle have a free-kick in a dangerous spot and Emre and Milner have their eyes on it.

Newcastle are getting frustrated at the moment and a few of their firey players - Smith and Barton - are flying into needless tackles.

Quick feet from Martins on the edge of the box and he fires in a low shot and Taylor makes a great save to deny the Nigerian a winner.

Larsson is the second Birminham player booked for dissent as he gets in the ref's face.

Newcastle look a little heavy legged after their very busy week and Birmingham now look favourites for this one.

Joey Barton scythes down Jerome from behind and that was a horribly synical challenge from behind to bring him down and he could well have gone for that.

Mikael Forssell is on now for Daniel De Ridder and he will go up front with Jerome as he did late on at Spurs.

Newcastle look like they are going to dominate the game from this point on but Birmingham are a real danger on the break still.

Emre is coming on for the Newcastle captain Geremi and the mercurial Turkish international is capable of finding gaps in the defence.

Barton though now brings it forward and finds Smith who does brilliantly to bring it down and attempt a shot but it is over the bar.

Newcastle have a corner which Geremi takes - but it is a poor delivery and Birmingham clear easily in the end.

Both sides can still win this game the way things are going because it really is end to end stuff.

Gary McSheffrey has struggled again today but now Olivier Kapo is on and he really changed the game at Spurs last week.

The similarity to the first half is getting a little scary because only by Birmingham threatening to take the lead again has made the Newcastle players up the tempo and they begin to look dangerous again.

Maik Taylor is left grasping at thin air as Milner lets go from range once more and it zips just past the post..

Cameron Jerome again leaves the Newcastle defence looking like statues as he waltzes towards goal and looks now for De Ridder and only a superb tackle from Rozehnal denies him.

Larsson and Sadler play well down the left and now Larsson and Jerome combine for the Swede to hit a snap shot that he could have done better with as he hits the side netting, but that was all too easy.

Newcastle are flatter again at the start of the half and Birmingham almost take advantage as Muamba lets rip from range and it flashes just over the bar.

The second period is underway courtesy of De Ridder and Larsson and Birmingham need to improve because they were being undone too often in that first half.

HT:Newcastle 1-1 Birmingham: Newcastle have dominated the game since Birmingham took the lead early on and its only a matter of time before they take the lead.

And from that one it falls to the same man and he strikes this one much better and it comes crashing back off the crossbar and Taylor was well beaten by that one.

Another corner causes more problems for Birmingham as Milner is left free to have a shot tipped over by Taylor.

Charles N'Zogbia is on fire today and he comes flying forward from left back once more to feed Viduka who fails to turn it on to Martins who would have been through on goal.

Medhi Nafti is booked for dissent as he protests still about that penalty decision.

GOAL:Newcastle 1-1 Birmingham: (36mins) Martins tucks the penalty home as he places it left footed into the bottom corner off the post.

Penalty! Matt Sadler brings down Martins in the box and the referee awards a spot kick. But Birmingham are not happy although it appears it was a penalty.

Another good move from the Magpies as Rozehnal and Barton find N'Zogbia who again tricks his way past one defender and unleashes another well struck shot that flies just wide.

This looks very strange from Newcastle as Martins is on the right wing, Milner on the left while Smith and Viduka will try to find their glory days from Leeds up front.

Nicky Butt is going off to be replaced by Mark Viduka and that is probably as a result of the stomach cramps he has been suffering with.

Its all Newcastle at the moment but Taylor is there every time as he this time denies N'Zogbia who drills in a long range effort.

N'Zogbia uses that left foot of his once more to put in a dangerous free-kick and Martins is there to surely tap it home but Taylor dives at his feet to smother brlliantly..

N'Zogbia advances down the left hand side and puts in a wonderful cross that Taylor is forced to make a rather strange looking stop to prevent Smith getting his head on it.

The intensity of the home side's play is picking up now and the crowd are getting invovled but Birminghma are defending well and look good on the break.

Geremi whips in a corner and Rozehnal flings himself at the ball at the back post and it smashes back off the upright. However a whistle has gone for something and a free kick is given to the Blues.

However, Barton gives it sloppily away to Jerome in the midfield but he gets away with it this time as the ball to McSheffrey is too firm and rolls through to Given. A bit of a let off for Newcastle.

Big Sam's team are now starting to get the ball down and play the ball around a bit and Sadler, the Blues left back, does not look at his best and Newcastle may look to exploit that.

The Newcastle defence can't seem to handle Jerome's pace and in all honesty if Birmingham can find the right through balls then he could find himself with a lot of chances today.

GOAL:Newcastle 0-1 Birmingham:(9mins) Jerome is at it again! The big striker eases in behind Rozehnal before rounding Given to slide the ball into an empty net to give Birmingham the perfect start.

The game is being broken up by a number of small fouls and offences which the referee is blowing up for and that is stopping anyone getting into any rhythm.

A pretty sloppy start from both sides as neither manage to keep the ball for any period of time.

Rob Styles is the man in the middle today and he gets us underway with one firm blast of his whistle.

Birmingham: Taylor, Kelly, Schmitz, Ridgewell, Sadler, De Ridder, Larsson, Nafti, Muamba, McSheffrey, Jerome

Newcastle: Given, Beye, Taylor, Rozehnal, N'Zogbia, Milner, Barton, Butt, Geremi, Martins, Smith

Birmingham battled brilliantly against Spurs for three dramatic points last Sunday and will need something similar again today if they are to get the same result.

Newcastle have showed promise in the last two games and the draw with Arsenal will give them a lot of confidence and Allardyce goes with the same starting eleven for this game.

Welcome to a slightly happier St. James' Park as Alex McCleish brings his Birmingham City side to the North East to face Sam Allardyce's Newcastle United.