Source: Telegraph
Birmingham City 2 Sunderland 1: match report
The marriage between Carson Yeung and Birmingham City was given its official blessing at the chapel of St Andrew’s yesterday.
A traditional ceremony brought something old, with the return of former manager Steve Bruce, something new, the Hong Kong owners and his entourage, and something blue, the outfit worn by the object of his latest flirtation.
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There was something borrowed, too, in the shape of Joe Hart but despite the worst efforts of the fumbling on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper, Birmingham prevailed to defeat Sunderland and secure a first victory in their parish since Aug 19.
With the promise of around £40 million to spend on players, a lavish reception was the least Yeung might have expected and, in Birmingham’s sparse context at any rate, he was not disappointed as the home team scored twice for the first time in a Premier League game this season.
Of course, arranged marriages between diverse cultures can always present problems, not least those distant relatives who are rarely seen but are hell bent on causing trouble at family reunions.
Steve Bruce left Birmingham in acrimony two years ago as the current owners began takeover negotiations with the previous regime and his pre-match hype reflected his bitterness at that departure which took him to Wigan Athletic.
Bruce wished his old club well and was grateful for a warm welcome from the fans but he was less than gracious about Karren Brady, his former Birmingham managing director.
“I don’t understand all this patronising stuff from Ms Brady, I find it galling,” Bruce said in response to a newspaper article in which Brady praised Bruce to the rafters. “She was selling players from underneath me when I was here and she shafted me over my contract when I was leaving. I find this nicey-nicey stuff a bit strange.” The barbed retort failed to take the gloss off a home win for Yeung and his partners in this their first home game in control of the club.
Alex McLeish handed a rare start to Christian Benítez in an even rarer 4-4-2 formation and his side, after several chances, finally scored in the 37th minute, albeit with more than a hint of offside.
Seb Larsson floated over a free-kick from the left and Liam Ridgewell’s knee appeared to make the crucial touch inside the six-yard box. That lead was doubled two minutes after half-time when Cameron Jerome flicked on Larsson’s pass to James McFadden. The winger composed himself, cut inside Phillip Bardsely and curled a fine finish beyond Gordon for 2-0.
Bruce’s hopes of a happy return were revived when the hapless Hart allowed Michael Turner to head Andy Reid’s free-kick goalwards where Birmingham defender Scott Dann completed the job with a luckless own goal. Darren Bent should have snatched an unmerited draw but his effort flashed wide.
