Championship - Preston stun Birmingham

Eurosport - Mon, 27 Apr 14:27:00 2009

Birmingham City blew the chance to seal automatic promotion to the Premier League after they crashed to a 2-1 home defeat to Preston North End in the penultimate game of the Championship.

FOOTBALL Birmingham McLeish - 0

Alex McLeish men lie second in the standings and would have gone up with a victory at St Andrews but are now just one point ahead of third-placed Sheffield United.

The Blues led through Keith Fahey's header on the hour mark but spectacular strikes from Paul McKenna and Ross Wallace gave North End a win that keeps them two points behind the play-offs with one match to play.

Wallace's winner was a brilliant 30-yard free-kick but his copybook was blotted with a sending off immediately afterwards, picking up a second yellow card for taking his shirt off in celebration.

The dismissal meant that Alan Irvine's side ended the match with nine men after Lee Williamson was harshly shown a straight red on 68 minutes following a grapple with Blues midfielder Lee Bowyer, who was rightly sent off as the aggressor.

A tense first half saw Preston go the closest, with Jamaica midfielder Williamson hitting the post and Neil Mellor firing into the side netting with the follow up.

Birmingham had their chances though, with Billy Jones heading Garry O'Connor's shot off the line after North End keeper Andy Lonergan went walkabout.

Blues also had a goal disallowed when Franck Queudrue palmed the ball past Andy Lonergan in the style of Diego Maradona, an offence for which the Frenchman was booked.

It was goalless at the break and, seven minutes after the restart, Preston missed a great chance to open the scoring but Sean St Ledger somehow headed over from McKenna's cross after a quickly-taken free-kick.

The hosts got off the mark when James McFadden cut inside from the right wing and sent a glorious cross to Irishman Fahey, who made no mistake with a close-range header.

Then came the double sending off when Bowyer fouled Williamson, dragged the Jamaica international to the ground and attempted to wrestle him before the pair stood up and went head-to-head.

While Bowyer deserved to walk for instigating and continuing the ruckus, Williamson did nothing more than stand his ground and at worst should have been booked.

Predictably the game opened up and visiting skipper McKenna levelled with a superb shot from 30 yards that swerved wickedly before nestling in the right-hand side of Maik Taylor's goal.

Blues substitute Cameron Jerome spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to put his side ahead again when he somehow fired over after latching on to Sebastian Larsson's header.

He was one-on-one with Lonergan and on the edge of the six-yard bow: it was easier to score and almost impossible not to hit the target yet the ex-Cardiff man slipped at the last and spooned the finish.

It was another turning point in a thrilling encounter which Preston went on to win with another goal of the highest quality.

With one minute of normal time remaining, they won a free-kick 30 yards out which Scotsman Wallace sent-left footed, over the wall, dipping and curling past Taylor.

It put North End right back in the promotion mix, a win behind sixth-placed Burnley.

They face Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the season, while Birmingham have a tough ask to beat Reading away and Blades have a similarly daunting proposal of a trip to former boss Neil Warnock's Crystal Palace.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 7 - 26 of 26

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  1. it woul dbe great to see vill, wolves blues and baggies­ in the prem, but as I'm a Wolves fan I can't­ honestly bring my self to cheer for Blues!!! sorry­ guys!

    From m_willingham, on Mon 27 Apr 12:55PM

  2. lets get cubishley in and get mcleish out,to much­ negative football

    From DAVE, on Mon 27 Apr 12:26PM

  3. wolves fans should hang there heads in shame,they­ prefer a none midlands side to go with them into the­ prem league,after blues fans congratulating them for­ promotion they say these things and i was one who said­ well done,they say we are @#$% well what does that make­ you,we beat you 2.0 with 10 men for one hour and not­ because wolves played bad it was because blues never­ let you play,so if we are not promoted i hope you come­ back down straight away,and i take my congratulations­ to you back

    From DAVE, on Mon 27 Apr 12:18PM

  4. There is no doubt in my mind, as a Palace supporter,­ and knowing Warnock's fondness for Sheffield United­ and the injustice of last season, that he will pick a­ side whioch will go through the motions next week.­ Palace's recent form has been abysmal and it will­ be a team full of kids again. I'll have a decent­ wager on an away win, which will please Warnock­ immensely, even if he won't be able to show it on­ the pitch at Selhurst next week! All Sheffield need to­ do is be composed and the goals will come. And I hate­ Birmingham anyway, so come on the Blades!

    From j, on Mon 27 Apr 10:13AM

  5. We do not deserve to go up.The team is old,dreary and­ devoid of ideas.To think i'm going to reading to­ watch us get beat and then lose the play offs.McLeish­ is bad for Blues and needs to go.

    From sid_bluenose, on Sun 26 Apr 5:30PM

  6. sack the manager sack half the players whos not­ interested
    buy players who want to play to win not the­ ones on loan who dont give a @#$%
    BLUES STILL GOING­ UP

    From DAVID, on Sun 26 Apr 4:30PM

  7. I was hoping Birmingham would get promoted oh­ well
    ,looks like it'll go down to the wire good­ luck to Brum and Sheffield

    From darkfury18, on Sun 26 Apr 2:58PM

  8. Impressed by Preston yesterday. Three decent penalty­ claims in the first half, hit the post and St Ledger­ missed a sitter just after the break. Blues never­ looked like scoring and even when they did Preston­ played the better football and scored two superb goals.­ Bowyer should have been the only one dismissed. Blues­ looked old and a bit slow at times...

    From Peter, on Sun 26 Apr 1:52PM

  9. good luck preston- you deserve respect-clarets fan -­ for 50 years

    From james, on Sun 26 Apr 1:39PM

  10. Garry - you may be a little confused, either A - you­ are a deluded Burnley fan out of touch with reality as­ many are or B. you are a Wolves fan who may share the­ Dingle nickname with the inbred Yorkshire folk from­ Turf Moor.

    Either way, @#$% to ya!

    From Stu R, on Sun 26 Apr 1:09PM

  11. ay with me being a wolves fan i can just say­ birrmingham u r carp or shall is say s***

    From ryantill, on Sun 26 Apr 9:20AM

  12. Im a Wolves fan but "come on Sheffield"

    From Boddo, on Sun 26 Apr 8:53AM

  13. Birmiingham should stay inthe championship after what­ happened
    to edurado from arsenal fan

    From lubov, on Sun 26 Apr 2:42AM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Birmiingham should stay inthe championship after what­ happened
    to edurado from arsenal fan

    From lubov, on Sun 26 Apr 2:42AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Birmiingham should stay inthe championship after what­ happened
    to edurado from arsenal fan

    From lubov, on Sun 26 Apr 2:42AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Birmiingham should stay inthe championship after what­ happened
    to edurado from arsenal fan

    From lubov, on Sun 26 Apr 2:41AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    lol, trust Blues to blow it. Reading away... That's­ the hard way to secure promotion. What's the­ betting that you blow it again, end up 3rd and then­ loose in the playofffs.

    Shame, we could have done with­ the 6 points against you next season!

    From Steve, on Sun 26 Apr 12:56AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    birmingham are a @#$% team with a @#$% fan base . they­ have played poor all season ,premiership behave­ yourself

    From pikey, on Sat 25 Apr 10:26PM

  19. Thanks Preston you've given all Royals fans new­ hope. If we beat Norwich on Monday we set up an­ exciting weekend next week! If I'm honest though­ it's the Blades run of good form and the injustice­ of their relegation that deserves to send them up. Our­ poor home form cant beat the bottom three and i'm­ not sure we deserve it but Birmingham certainly­ don't. But will Warnock throw a spanner in the­ works for the Blades' last game at Palace or will­ Delia's mob cook up something special on Monday?

    From MALCOLM W, on Sat 25 Apr 9:56PM

  20. stu r how do you make that out we are champs so as if­ we care bout where you are you got ine thing right­ behind us where you will always be!

    From Garry W, on Sat 25 Apr 9:30PM
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