Birmingham v Sunderland live!

24 October 2009 14:31
// A bit of a hack but it works// The article snippet is wrapped onto a second line, even when #article-sub is emptyif( $("div#article-sub").children().length == 0 ) {$("div#article-sub").remove();} 84 Great chance for Campbell to level and he wastes it. He is left in far too much room six yards out to rise to meet a header. With team-mates around him, in better positions, he powers way over the top.[LNB]83 Carsley on for Larsson as Birmingham look to tighten up.[LNB]82 GOAL SUNDERLAND - DANN OG. Turner rises in front of Hart to flick on a floated free-kick. His effort appears to be drifitng wide, but Dann turns the ball into his own net as he looks to clear.[LNB]81 Ferguson goes into the book for sending Reid sprawling. Not his first dodgy challenge of the day.[LNB]81 O'Connor leads a Birmingham counter. He can't beat Richardson for pace, though, and is quickly caught up.[LNB]80 Campbell does well to trick his way into the box. Having left Larsson standing his touch then lets him down and he is unable to trouble Hart.[LNB]79 Reid pings in a dangerous corner. Hart flaps a bit but gets enough on the ball to see it away from goal. Richardson looks to get in a quick-fire shot from the left, but has Carr in his face immediately.[LNB]78 Silly offside from Ridgewell as he looks right along the line. Having taken a thrwo-in himself, he knew he was going to have to move in order to get the ball back.[LNB]77 Jerome and McFadden get a standing ovation as they are replaced by O'Connor and McSheffrey.[LNB]76 Not sure what Jones is trying to do as he lashes past the post from an impossible angle.[LNB]75 Zenden picks up the loose ball and fancies his chances from a long way out. Unsurprisingly his wild effort sails high, wide and handsome.[LNB]74 Bruce is let off the hook as Ferdinand hobbles to his feet. Meanwhile, Sunderland win a corner off Ridgewell. Reid takes and Johnson is again the man to get a telling touch for the Blues.[LNB]73 Ferdinand down and looks to be in some pain. Bruce perhaps regretting his decision to make three changes?[LNB]72 What a ball by Bowyer. He picks out Carr over the top and he does well to hook over a cross. Unfortunately no Birmingham player has gambled and Sunderland see out the danger.[LNB]71 Should have been three. Larsson with a clever cross. Jerome climbs highest to meet it, but times his jump all wrong and can't divert his header goalwards.[LNB]70 Corner to Birmingham taken by Larsson this time. Not the best as the delivery is knocked clear at the front post.[LNB]69 Bruce obviously not happy with his side. He has made all his subs and is barking madly at his players.[LNB]68 Cana. Henderson and Malbranque make way for Zenden, McCartney and Campbell. Will they make a difference?[LNB]67 Benitez threatens again. He twists and turns to make a yard and a low shot flicks off Turner and dribbles past the post. Gordon was worried for a minute.[LNB]67 Head tennis in the middle of the park, while Sunderland look set to make a triple change. Bruce putting all his eggs in one basket.[LNB]66 Malbranque tries to lift a clever pass over Johnson, but fails to get the required elevation. Jones was bursting in behind had he got it right.[LNB]65 Bent takes a knock to the head and requires treatment but he should be okay to continue.[LNB]64 Jones frees Bent. He picks out Reid, who then has his pocket picked by Ferguson. Sums up the work rate on offer from the Blues.[LNB]63 Quick free-kick from Birmingham catches Sunderland cold. McFadden, though, fails to squeeze a cross past the mass of bodies around the penalty spot and the opportunity goes begging.[LNB]62 Hart fumbles a high cross which deflected up into the air. Jones looks to benefit, but Johnson does really well to throw himself at the ball.[LNB]61 Corner to be taken by McFadden. He sends a cross right under the crossbar, where Bardsley is on hand to head clear.[LNB]60 Benitez lines up Turner, and then drifts past him. His shot is then blocked by Ferdinand. Sunderland continue to struggle with Birmingham's front two.[LNB]60 Richardson in plenty of space 20 yards from goal. He tries his luck but fails to test Hart. He slices his shot badly and it flies well wide.[LNB]59 Bruce attempts to inject some urgency into his side as he steps out of his technical box to retrieve the ball. At the moment Sunderland showing very little and it can't be long before they make changes.[LNB]58 Birmingham in no rush to do anything now. They tale their time with throws and free-kicks. Who can blame them? They desperately need these points.[LNB]57 Henderson does really well to squeeze over a cross from the left. It drifts past one outstretched leg before being hammered clear. Cana latches on the clearance and fires a woeful effort high into the stands.[LNB]56 Larsson floats in the free-kick, but is unable to pick out a blue shirt. Sunderland look to counter through Reid.[LNB]55 Brilliant from Larsson as he dances past two challenges. He then feeds Jerome, who wins a free-kick wide on the right. Birmingham look full of confidence and appear capable of grabbing another goal yet.[LNB]54 Sunderland are seeing plenty of the ball as Birmingham look to hold firm and shut up shop. They really should have done enough to seal the points here, barring a dramatic collapse.[LNB]53 Bardsley with an ambitious effort which cannons off Dann and away for a throw. Sunderland work the ball onto Jones' head and he is unlukcy not to pick out the unmarked Bent.[LNB]52 Larsson works Gordon low to his left. He fails to gather the ball, but is able to hold on at the second attempt as Benitez flies in.[LNB]51 Promising free-kick to Birmingham as Larsson is felled. Can the Swede add a third?[LNB]50 Jones escapes in behind Dann. His cross is then dreadful as he attempts to find Bent. Goal-kick to the hosts.[LNB]49 Sunderland look deflated, and so they might. The last thing they needed was to fall behind right after the interval. It's a long way back now for Bruce's men.[LNB]48 GOAL BIRMINGHAM - McFADDEN. Nice flick from Jerome finds McFadden. He cuts back inside his man and rolls a right-footed effort into the bottom corner. Should be game over.[LNB]47 Ferguson releases Benitez over the top. His pass is a little too heavy and runs through to a relieved Gordon.[LNB]47 Sunderland break at pace. Henderson finds Jones in the area, but he is unable to control a bouncing ball and Carr pokes to safety.[LNB]46 Ridgewell scuffs over a low cross, which is dealt with by Cana. He had more time to deliver than he realised.[LNB] Sunderland get us underway at the start the second half. No changes at the interval.[LNB] The players are back out and we are about ready to resume. Can Sunderland find a way back into the game? We are about to find out.[LNB] You can also bet in-play at skybet.com. Birmingham are now 8/15 to take the points, with Sunderland at 5-1. The draw is available at 12/5. The lively Benitez is 9/1 to get the next goal.[LNB] How will the second half play out? Will we get more goals or can the Blues hold on to what they have got? Remember you can let me know your thoughts at Chris.Burton@bskyb.com.[LNB] Birmingham 1 Sunderland 0. Ridgewell's bundled effort seperates the two sides at the interval. Both teams have looked bright at times, but the hosts are good value for their lead. Hopefully we will have more of the same after the break.[LNB]45+1 Henderson pushes down the right with purpose and wins a corner off Ridgewell. Last chance of the half for the visitors. Bent meets his cross but can't find a way to goal.[LNB] One minute of stoppage time to be played.[LNB]45 Benitez loops a shot goalwards from distance. It is always drifting wide and never troubles Gordon. He found space very easily though and Sunderland are struggling to keep tabs on him.[LNB]44 Prolonged period of pressure from Sunderland but Birmingham stand firm. A long ball over the top then sends Jerome clear. Gordon, though, is quick off his line and is able to get in a flying clearance well outside of his box.[LNB]43 Malbranque ghosts in at the far post and Dann is relieved to get the slightest of touches to take the ball off his toe. Reid sends over another corner, which Hart comes and punches clear through a crowd of bodies.[LNB]42 A lot of time and space for Jerome to drill narrowly wide from the edge of the area. Good combination play again with Benitez. Those two look sharp this afternoon.[LNB]41 Richardson tries to run away from Larsson, but is tracked all the way. Sunderland are trying to get men forward but are finding Birmingham a tough nut to crack. The Blues are chasing everything and giving the Black Cats no time on the ball.[LNB]40 Reid set up 20 yards out. He tries his luck from distance, but drags well wide. Not happening for the Black Cats at the moment, perhaps a change of tact required at the interval.[LNB]39 How will Sunderland respond to falling behind? They have looked sharp at times when pushing forward, but have looked shaky at the back when put under pressure.[LNB]37 GOAL BIRMINGHAM - RIDGEWELL. Larsson fires the ball into the near post, with bodies running across it. Jerome and Ridgewell converge on the ball and it ends up flying past Gordon. The last touch appears to be Ridgewell's.[LNB]37 Free-kick to Birmingham 30 yards from goal as McFadden tumbles under a tackle from Bardsley. Birmingham wanted an advantage as Benitez had brushed past Ferdinand and was in on goal. What can they make of the set-piece?[LNB]36 Steve McManaman in the crowd today sitting alongside Carson Yeung. How big a role will he have to play in the new St Andrews set-up?[LNB]35 Benitez crosses for Bowyer. He ends up facing away from goal and can only head to a retreating Sunderland midfielder.[LNB]34 Break in play as we loose a ball over the roof.[LNB]33 Bent again gets to the dead-ball line and gets in a cross from a tight angle. Henderson busts a gut to try and get a touch, but Carr beats him to the ball and toes to safety.[LNB]32 Reid whips in a cross from the left right onto the edge of the six-yard box. Hart, though, is alive to the danger and claims in positive fashion.[LNB]31 Corner to Sunderland as Bardley's cross flicks off McFadden. Hart felt he had kept it in, but the linesman disagrees. Reid goes long again and Turner is unable to divert a header back towards a team-mate.[LNB]30 Malbranque with a poor pass to Bent which goes out of play. The flying forward was in acres of space but couldn't catch up with the sloppy ball towards him.[LNB]29 Brilliant save from Gordon as Birmingham turn up the heat. Great first touch from Benitez and his snap shot forces the Sunderland keeper to tip behind at full stretch.[LNB]28 Larsson's first delivery is knocked behind. Johnson goes down as Larsson tries again, but nothing given.[LNB]27 Terrific challenge from Richardson to deny McFadden. Benitez slipped in behind and his low cross only needed a touch. As it is Birmingham settle for a corner.[LNB]26 Jerome with a positive run which takes him to the edge of the box. He drills goalwards, but fails to catch his shot cleanly and Gordon is able to drop on the tame effort.[LNB]25 First caution of the game goes to Johnson for a lunging tackle on Reid. He didn't really catch the Sunderland man, but it was dangerous.[LNB]24 Too many long balls at the moment. The strikers from either side are not getting the best of service and perhaps a different approach would be advisable.[LNB]23 Atkinson wants a word with Ferguson, who runs away. The Scot was late in a challenge on Turner and then pushed Cana. He's fortunate to escape a caution.[LNB]22 Birmingham crowded out after making inroads down the right. Hopefull crosses thrown into the box without much success.[LNB]21 Corner to Birmingham conceded by Henderson. Larsson's delivery picks out Johnson, but he is unable to control his header and diverts it wide of the post.[LNB]20 First real sight of Richardson. He has been preferred to McCartnet at left-back and Bruce will be hoping he can make an impact both in attack and defence.[LNB]19 Wasteful from Hart as his clearance goes straight out of play. He had no need to go long and has only invited Sunderland to mount another attack.[LNB]18 All a bit scrappy in midfield as the tackles fly in all over the place. Both teams are well up for this and no quarter is being given.[LNB]17 McFadden whips over a dangerous free-kick. Gordon comes and punches. He claims a foul as he is clattered, but nothing is given. Larsson lifts his attempted lob into the stands.[LNB]16 Sunderland are moving the ball around well, but Birmingham are getting plenty of men behind the ball. They will be keen to keep things tight after a run of consecutive defeats.[LNB]15 Benitez skips past Turner with ease. When composure is needed with a clear sight of goal, he then lashes high over the top. Not the best of starts from Turner.[LNB]14 Bent leaps at the back post in an effort to meet a high cross. Carr cuts him off and gets a head to the ball first.[LNB]13 Sunderland look to calm things down. Henderson sees plenty of the ball. Is he capable of filling the void created by Lee Cattermole's untimely injury? I suppose only time will tell.[LNB]12 Turner gets caught under a cross and is fortunate to see Jerome unable to react in time to turn an effort goalwards. Let off for the Black Cats, who have wobbled a bit in the last few minutes.[LNB]12 McFadden's cross loops over Larsson and towards Larsson. He can't gather it in, though, and the ball bobbles clear.[LNB]11 Bowyer forced all the way back to help out in defence. Sunderland look dangerous down their right and keep going towards that channel. Birmingham beware.[LNB]10 Bent goes down under a challenge from Ridgewell at the back post. He appeared to get a nudge in the back, but not enough to deserve a penalty. Play on says Atkinson.[LNB]10 Decent move from Birmingham involving Benitez and McFadden. A nice one-two creates an opening but McFadden's attempted curler is easily saved by Gordon.[LNB]9 Composed from Gordon as he skips past Benitez on the edge of his own box. His touch is a bit heavy and has Jerome interested, but the Scottish keeper gets to the loose ball first and finds a team-mate.[LNB]8 Jones tries to send Malbranque scampering into the box, but Johnson reads his intention and intercepts. Cana then snaps into a tackle in trademark fashion in the middle of the park. What a revelation he has been for the Black Cats this season.[LNB]7 Offside against Bent as he attempts to latch onto a fortuitous header through from Henderson. Looked tight, but he offers no complaint.[LNB]6 McFadden yet to get into the game and he has been pushed backwards during the early stages. He could have his work cut out today as Bardsley is looking to bomb forward at every given opportunity.[LNB]5 Bright start from the visitors, can the hosts respond. McLeish is already out patrolling the touchline and is barking orders at his players.[LNB]4 Another corner for Reid, which is nodded clear by Johnson. Malbranque returns the ball with interest, but Dann diverts the ball away.[LNB]4 Bent beats the offside trap and skips towards the by-line. He lacks support, though, and his cut back is hacked clear.[LNB]3 First corner of the game goes to Sunderland as mis-hit from Reid cannons behind. Reid takes the set-piece himself. It evades everyone as the high delivery swings over the head of everyone and out of play on the far side.[LNB]2 Sunderland make headway down the left, with Bardsley pushing the Blues back. No way through though as make-shift left-back Ridgewell stands firm.[LNB]1 This is Birmingham's first game since Carson Yeung took control of the club and there are plenty of members of the new board in attendance. Have they been welcomed by Blues supporters?[LNB] Birmingham get us up and running.[LNB] Bruce exits the tunnel and is greeted by a decent recetption from the home supporters. Nice to see Blues fans appreciate all he did for their club.[LNB] The players are on their way out and we are almost ready for the off. Not quite a full house this afternoon, but not too far off.[LNB] The sun is out in the Midlands and conditions are just about perfect. The pitch is currently getting a last-minute sprinkling, which should help the ball to zip around the surface. I have a feeling we could be in for a decent contest this afternoon, as both sides have proven at times this season that they are capable of putting on a show. Here's hoping I'm right and we don't end 0-0![LNB] Today's referee is Martin Atkinson.[LNB]Sunderland team: Gordon, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Turner, Richardson, Malbranque, Cana, Henderson, Reid, Bent, Jones. Subs: Fulop, McCartney, Nosworthy, Zenden, Campbell, Da Silva, Healy.[LNB]Birmingham team: Hart, Carr, Roger Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson, Bowyer, McFadden, Jerome, Benitez. Subs: Maik Taylor, O'Connor, Phillips, McSheffrey, Queudrue, Parnaby, Carsley.[LNB] You can also bet in-play on today's game at skybet.com. Birmingham start as slight outsiders at 7/4, with Sunderland favoured at 6/4. The draw is available at 12/5. Marcus Bent is 5/1 to continue his fine form in front of goal by grabbing the opener.[LNB] How do you see the game going? Will we get goals? If so, who will be the dangermen? And what of Bruce, should he expect to be in for a tough afternoon from those on the terraces?[LNB] You can air your opinions by contacting me direct at Chris.Burton@bskyb.com.[LNB] Can Bruce guide his Black Cats to success and maintain their impressive start to the season, or will City prevail on home soil?[LNB] This promises to be an intriguing contest, with Steve Bruce returning to these parts for the first time since leaving the Blues in 2007.[LNB]Welcome to St Andrews for today's Premier League clash between Birmingham and Sunderland.[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports