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  • Date: 2008-05-11
  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: St Andrews Stadium
  • Attendance: 26668
  • Referee: Webb, H

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: Birmingham City are relegated from the Premiership but did it in style after an emphatic performance at St. Andrews today, while their opponents are left ruing missed opportunities as they will not play European football next season.

90mins

BIRMINGHAM 4 - 1 BLACKBURN: FABRICE MUAMBA makes it four with a great header from inside the box.

89mins

West Ham have now equalised against Aston Villa, just to rub salt into the wound for Blackburn who know that they will no longer play European football next season.

89mins

All three sides fighting against the drop are winning today, but unfortunately two of them will not play a part in next seasons Premiership campaign.

88mins

BIRMINGHAM 3 - 1 BLACKBURN: CAMERON JEROME nets his second of the game from a one-on-one opportunity.

87mins

A ball is threaded through for Emerton who looks to get onto the end of it, but Taylor is quick off his line to smother the ball.

85mins

Gary McSheffrey takes the field in place of Olivier Kapo.

82mins

Bentley takes a defender and flashes a shot across goal, forcing a decent save out of Taylor.

80mins

Hughes makes an attacking substitution with Benni McCarthy replacing Stephen Warnock, with Emerton moving to left-back.

78mins

The game has again become subdued and both sides seem to have given up hope, with most players' body language becoming weary.

76mins

Liam Ridgewell brings down Jason Roberts and the striker was clear through on goal. The Rovers fans call for the red card, but Howard Webb only produces the yellow one on this occasion.

75mins

It is too little too late for City, but the goal almost certainly ruins Rovers' hopes of Europe.

74mins

BIRMINGHAM 2 - 1 BLACKBURN: CAMERON JEROME makes no mistake this time though as he beats Brad Friedel with a neat volley from 8-yards.

73mins

Cameron Jerome puts in his contender for miss of the season as he scoops the ball over an empty goal from close range.

73mins

Reading are now three goals up against Derby County and it seems there is no way that Birmingham can avoid the drop now.

72mins

Damien Johnson makes way for Medhi Nafti

71mins

Brett emmerton goes down under a challenge looking for a penalty but referee Howard Webb waves play on.

69mins

Alex McLeish now makes a change, with Cameron Jerome replacing Mikael Forssell

67mins

Hughes looked set to make it a triple substitution with Benni McCarthy stripped of his tracksuit but the manager appeared to change his mind at the last minute.

66mins

Morten Gamst Pedersen makes way for Kerimoglu Tugay.

66mins

Johann Vogel leaves the field for ex-Birmingham player David Dunn who gets a hostile reception.

65mins

Both sets of fans have gone rather quite now leaving the atmosphere a little subdued, but Mark Hughes looks to his subs bench in order to put some inspiration onto the pitch.

62mins

Bad news comes through for both these sides - Aston Villa have taken the lead at Upton Park while Reading have doubled their tally against Derby.

60mins

Pedersen picks out Santa Cruz six-yards out with a pinpoint cross but the striker makes a mess of the opportunity, heading the ball over the bar.

57mins

Larsson hits a shot goal-wards but it is straight down the throat of Friedel.

55mins

Kapo hits a fierce shot from difference and Fridel can't get anywhere near it, but is grateful to see the ball fly past the post.

52mins

Santa Cruz is bundled over in the box and appeals for a penalty but Howard Webb books the striker for allegedly diving - a dubious decision.

50mins

That goal changes everything as Blackburn have now restored their hopes of European football, but it is bad news for Birmingham.

49mins

BIRMINGHAM 1 - 1 BLACKBURN: Santa Cruz slides a pass through to MORTEN GAMST PEDERSEN who eases the ball past Taylor from close range.

47mins

Larsson tries his luck from a free-kick but he fails to trouble Friedel.

45mins

Howard Webb gets the second-half underway and as it stands, Blackburn will finish in 8th and Birmingham ten places below in 18th.

45mins

HALF TIME: David Murphy's strike separates the sides at half-time but goals elsewhere mean that City will still be relegated if the scorelines remain the same.

45mins

No other scores have come through and it is a wonder what the Birmingham fans are dancing about, but their side are winning and they can do nothing more than that.

43mins

The Birmingham fans have lightened up and there seems to be some good news spreading around the stadium - the ideal situation of course would be a Derby equaliser.

40mins

Stephen Kelly saves Birmingham and Maik Taylor as he clears a Blackburn cross of the line.

39mins

Larsson is now cautioned for showing dissent towards the referee.

37mins

Birmingham have a lifeline now but will need to hope that Derby can pull a goal back against Reading.

34mins

Kapo strikes a curling shot from just outside the box and forces a fine save out of Friedel who tips the ball around the post..

32mins

Jason Roberts is booked for arguing with the officials.

32mins

Rovers are furious with the referee, as he was still talking to the players who were forming the wall when the free-kick was taken.

31mins

BIRMINGHAM 1 - 0 BLACKBURN: Zarate lays the ball off for DAVID MURPHY who strikes a low shot from 25-yards. Brad Friedel makes a horrendous mistake and lets the ball slip through his grasp and into the back of the net.

30mins

Pedersen fouls Fabrice Muamba and City have a free-kick in a decent position.

27mins

Sebastian Larsson puts a good delivery into the box after a well-worked move and Kapo heads the ball wide from 8-yards out.

25mins

Damien Johnson picks up the first booking of the game for afoul on Jason Roberts.

24mins

There is not much to talk about as we pass the halfway mark of the opening 45 minutes and neither keeper has had much to do, the best chance falling to Zarate inside three minutes.

21mins

Bentley gets into a decent position and looks to get a cross into the bo but his delivery is surprisingly poor.

18mins

Johann Vogel picks up the ball and starts a good move for Blackburn that results in a long range Stephen Warnock shot sailing over the crossbar.

15mins

More news has come from around the country and Aston Villa have equalised at West Ham while Reading have taken the lead at Derby, which is bad news for Birmingham.

13mins

It has all gone a little quiet in St. Andrews, including the football, and neither side has yet got a foothold in the game.

11mins

The news from Upton Park is that West Ham have taken the lead against Aston Villa, which is good news for Blackburn if they too can find the net.

9mins

David Bentley hits a shot from distance but it is blocked by Liam Ridgewell on the edge of the penalty area.

7mins

Morten Gamst Pedersen cuts inside and picks out Roque Santa Cruz with a cross. but the Paraguayan''s shot is well saved by Maik Taylor.

5mins

Jason Roberts upends Radhi Jaidi but Howard Webb keeps the cards in his pocket on this occasion.

3mins

Mauro Zarate plays a neat one-two with Olivier Kapo before blazing a shot wide of the target - a decent opportunity for the loan striker.

1mins

The home faithful are making plenty of noise in these opening stages and are testing the resolve of the Blackburn players.

0mins

Howard Webb gets the season finale underway.

0mins

James McFadden has picked up a knock in the pre-match warm-up and will no longer feature in the match. Mauro Zarate comes in for the striker, with Cameron Jerome taking the bench.

0mins

Blackburn on the other hand can finish 6th if they pick up three points and Aston Villa fail to do so at Upton Park, but could also slide down to 8th if they fail to pick up more points than Portsmouth who host Fulham.

0mins

Birmingham City must avoid defeat today if they are to avoid the drop. A point will be enough, providing Reading and Fulham both lose, as City have a better goal difference.

0mins

BLACKBURN STARTING XI: Friedel, Reid, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Bentley, Emerton, Vogel, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, Roberts. SUBS:Brown, Kerimoglu, McCarthy, Khizanishvili, Dunn

0mins

BIRMINGHAM STARTING XI: Maik Taylor, Kelly, Jaidi, Ridgewell, Murphy, Larsson, Muamba, Johnson, Kapo, Forssell, McFadden. SUBS: Doyle, Nafti, McSheffrey, Zarate, Parnaby

0mins

Mark Hughes also starts with the same eleven that beat Derby eight days ago, but has another option on the bench as Benni McCarthy returns from a hamstring injury.

0mins

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish names an unchanged side to the one that lost at Fulham last weekend, though there are some alterations on the bench with Medhi Nafti and Gary McSheffrey returning in favour of Frank Queudrue and Cameron Jerome.

Match Preview

Birmingham City need to win their final game of the season and hope other results go their way if they are to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

The St Andrew's club slipped to 19th in the table after last weekend's potentially disastrous 2-0 defeat at Fulham and, after a run of five games without a win, appear to have lost form at the vital time.

The Blues board claim manager Alex McLeish's job is not under threat even if relegation is confirmed on Sunday, but these are worrying times for the former Scotland boss, who has won just four of his 24 games in charge.

"We have got nothing to lose now. We have to go for it," he said. "We are at home, we will have the encouragement of the whole of St Andrew's and I am sure our players will feed off all of that energy."

McLeish's main problem has been his side's inability to keep it tight at the back as they haven't secured a clean sheet Boxing Day.

His defensive problems have not been helped by an ankle injury which forced Liam Ridgewell off at half-time last weekend and puts his appearance on Sunday in doubt.

Blackburn have European qualification via the Intertoto Cup on their minds as they prepare to travel to Birmingham.

Saturday's 3-1 win against Derby County means seventh-placed Rovers have a chance of securing a place in the much-maligned competition which could in turn lead to a UEFA Cup run.

"It's fantastic that we've been able to take our season right into the 38th game," said Hughes.

"We've never been out of the top ten all season and I think, for a club of our size, that's a huge achievement."

Newly-crowned player of the year Roque Santa Cruz took his tally to 23 in his debut season in England with a brace against hapless Derby, while Jason Roberts continued his impressive finale to the campaign with the other.

Fellow striker Benni McCarthy is likely to return to the squad after missing the past few weeks with a hamstring strain to give Hughes a clean bill of health.

Match Report

Birmingham City went down with all guns blazing in their unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation despite a match winning second-half performance sparked off by two goals from Cameron Jerome.

There was high drama as David Murphy scored his first goal for Birmingham to give the Midlanders a possible lifeline, but their hopes faded in the second half when Morten Gamst Pedersen grabbed a 49th minute equaliser.

Jerome even missed an open goal only a minute before grabbing Birmingham's second. He also notched Birmingham's third.

Fabrice Muamba notched a fourth goal, but it was all to no avail as the Fulham and Reading results became known.

Birmingham, however, could have no complaints. They have contributed to their own downfall with some poor home performances this season and return to the Championship after only one season in the top-flight.

Blackburn were under strong first-half pressure but dominated most of the second half after getting back into the game with Pedersen's equaliser.

Birmingham suffered a blow when Scotland international James McFadden was forced to drop out of the side with a knee injury.

His replacement, Mauro Zarate, quickly impressed with some tricky footwork, but his finishing left a great deal to be desired as he hammered a shot well wide to his own frustration.

As to be expected, Birmingham played at a frantic pace despite the humid conditions but Blackburn held firm as the home side seemingly ran out of attacking ideas.

The closest Birmingham came to breaking the stalemate occurred in the 28th minute when a glancing header from Olivier Kapo went wide of the far post following a cross from Seb Larsson.

Birmingham then took the lead completely out of the blue as Zarate played a free-kick back to Murphy and the former Hibs player advanced unchecked.

As no challenge materialised, he tried a hopeful shot from 25 yards which completely deceived Brad Friedel and scurried into the far corner of the net.

Birmingham had a let-off when goalkeeper Maik Taylor was stranded off his line and, just as Jason Roberts closed in to convert Brett Emerton's cross, Stephen Kelly made a desperate clearance on the near post.

But three minutes into the second half, Blackburn were on level terms following another massive mix-up in Birmingham's defence.

Liam Ridgewell made the original mistake to let in Roberts. Taylor bravely saved the first attempt but the ball rebounded to Roque Santa Cruz, who slipped the ball into the path of Pedersen to equalise.

Jerome took over from Mikael Forssell and Murphy set him up with a golden chance only for the former Cardiff player to lift the ball over the bar.

But he made amends when he scored on the volley in the 73rd minute to convert a cross from Larsson.

Jerome notched his 89th minute goal when he collected a Gary McSheffrey cross to notch a simple third goal on the volley with Muamba heading home a cross two minutes from time.

Birmingham City

Blackburn Rovers

Corners

52

Fouls

1611

Goal attempts

1414

Shots off target

65

Offsides

35

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