FOOTBALL Live

Sunday May 11, 2008 Finished St Andrews

Logo 4 - Blackburn Rovers 1

Birmingham City

  • Murphy 32’
  • Jerome 73’, 88’
  • Muamba 90’

Blackburn Rovers

  • Pedersen 49’
  1. Birmingham down despite win

    Birmingham down despite win

    Birmingham City were relegated from the Premier League despite defeating Blackburn Rovers 4-1 at St Andrews. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Birmingham City
    • Blackburn Rovers
    • - The fans come on to the pitch as other games draw to a close all over the country. Manchester United are the champions.
    • 90+4' There it is, the final whistle. Reading join Birmingham in the Championship next season and Fulham stay up.
    • 90+3' As injury-time ebbs away Fabrice Muamba heads a great fourth goal for Brum in the sunshine. They needed seven to make sure of their status, and it has proven too much.
    • 90' READING HAVE WON AND THAT SENDS BIRMINGHAM DOWN!!!
    • 88' Jerome goes through on goal and scores his second, although Friedel gets a hand to the ball.
    • 87' Brum change: Kapo replaced by Gary McSheffrey.
    • 84' There's no way back for Birmingham. McLeish will go from being an international manager to a Champo boss in less than a year.
    • 82' Bentley races through on the right and bangs a shot to the near post - Taylor blocks brilliantly to deny the England man.
    • 81' Blackburn change: Warnock replaced by Benni McCarthy.
    • 79' Jaidi and Roberts exchange fouls as the game becomes fractured.
    • 76' Liam Ridgewell booked for a foul on Roberts.
    • 75' Bentley slams a free-kick into the wall. There has been a goal on the south coast... but which way has it gone?
    • 73' Jerome makes amends with a well-taken volley from 10 yards out! Good finish. It could well be Brum's last goal in the top flight for some time.
    • 73' City change: Johnson replaced by Mehdi Nafti.
    • 72' Jerome misses an open goal with possibly his first touch! The ball was squared to him and he somehow scooped it over under no pressure!
    • 70' Reading have a third goal and Blues look down and out. The fans are staying where they are, but it will be in vain.
    • 69' And a Birmingham change: Forssell off, Cameron Jerome on.
    • 67' Blackburn changes: David Dunn and Tugay on for Pedersen and Johann Vogel.
    • 63' Still Blackburn pour forward, another Bentley cross dealt with. Blues have to find something of their own in attack.
    • 60' Santa Cruz arrives to meet a Pedersen cross... it's pinpoint yet he somehow puts his header over the crossbar!! City let off!!
    • 58' Oh all right - it's gone to Reading. Awful news for Birmingham. Kapo on the left side of the box, lazily playing with the ball before dragging it down the line of the area and smacking a stunning shot across goal! That would have been a goal of the season contender.
    • 58' There's been another goal at Pride Park... which way has it gone? Click on the Derby-Reading link to find out...
    • 58' Roberts again patrolling near the box, unable to make anything of it - but his athleticism looks sure to cause more problems for the home defence.
    • 56' End to end stuff now as Bentley gets the ball out of his feet - and gets it out of play too! Dear oh dear.
    • 53' Bentley sends in a wicked cross to test the Birmingham defence and soon after Emerton lets himself down with a poor shot on goal from a promising position inside the box.
    • 51' Kelly outraged as Santa Cruz takes a dive in the penalty area and Webb shows the South American a yellow card.
    • 49' What was Johnson doing? He had the ball in midfield and stumbled, allowing Roberts to get inside the box and have two shots, both saved by Taylor. It fell to Santa Cruz, who passed across to Pedersen - and the Norwegian made no mistake.
    • 49' GOAL FOR BLACKBURN!!! BIRMINGHAM STUNNED!!! PEDERSEN HAS IT!!
    • 47' Roberts is inches away from connecting in the penalty area as Rovers attack immediately!
    • 46' The players re-emerge and we are underway in the West Midlands, the final 45 minutes of the season.
    • 45+2' The whistle sounds as Taylor takes a goal-kick. Not a bad half of football and all the better for the drama surrounding it this afternoon.
    • 45' The Birmingham fans are in good voice as we enter injury-time at the end of the 45...
    • 43' Zarate stretching to try and poke home a rebound, but the offside flag is up against him.
    • 41' Brett Emerton played in down the channel, Taylor leaving his box AND HE'S MISSED THE BALL! The Aussie puts the ball across and as Roberts arrives at the near post to finish, Kelly dives back to get a foot to it and save the goal!!!
    • 40' Larsson was booked by Webb for speaking out of turn.
    • 39' Blackburn are still moving the ball about well, forcing Larsson to concede a throw-in as he heads away... referee Howard Webb gives a corner! Larsson is not happy about the decision.
    • 35' Kapo into the area on the left, he has a sight of goal: Friedel redeems himself somewhat with a save low down. That could have been 2-0.
    • 33' The home fans are delirious, but they should take note - currently they are still going down. Reading are one up and Fulham are still 0-0. Roberts is booked for dissent.
    • 32' The full-back brought the ball forward from the left and unleashed a wicked strike - but Friedel will hang his head in shame. He 'did a Carson', shipping the ball low down, only he didn't even get any contact on it.
    • 32' MURPHY SCORES FOR BIRMINGHAM!!!!!!!!!!!
    • 30' Bentley digs out a strike from 30 yards that bounces up into the arms of Taylor. Easy enough.
    • 29' Roberts leading the Rovers attacks again... repelled on the edge of the penalty area by Birmingham.
    • 28' Birmingham man Kapo arrives in the box AND HEADS JUST PAST THE POST!! He should have scored there - a great ball by Larsson.
    • 26' Jason Roberts haring away from his Birmingham markers on the left after a home corner is cleared... City captain Damien Johnson leads by example with a well-timed foul to prevent him going one-on-one with a defender at the back. A booking for you, sir.
    • 23' The Zarate kid looks hard with his skinhead hairdo, at least compared with his former curly effort. This time a ball through the middle with the outside of his right boot is cut out.
    • 21' Blackburn having a spell of pressure now, Pedersen winning a free-kick under the challenge of Kelly. It is wasted by Bentley, curled beyond everyone into the waiting arms of Taylor.
    • 20' Warnock hits a shot over the far-post top corner on the half-volley as Blackburn counter again.
    • 18' Friedel living dangerously with a pass along the by-line that Larsson slides to meet, but cannot quite reach.
    • 15' Rovers on a fast counter, nipped in the bud after a poor pass. Birmingham were stretched there...
    • 14' Sebastian Larsson on the end of a quick move for the home side, winning a corner as he seeks to bend a cross around the left-back Warnock...
    • 12' David Murphy sends a cross into the box, but it flies into the side-netting. A poor ball, that.
    • 10' David Bentley looks to have a dig from distance, but Radhi Jaidi blocks well for City.
    • 7' Morten Gamst Pedersen intercepts a loose pass and surges forward, plays in Roque Santa Cruz... he tries to square from the corner of the six-yard box but goalie Maik Taylor is there to get something on the ball and Blues survive!
    • 6' Two of three then - no one really expects Bolton to go down, there would have to be a ten-goal swing and all results go against them - to join Derby County in the brutal and fast world of the Championship next season.
    • 4' Zarate on the right for Birmingham, playing a one-two with Kapo and SMASHING A SHOT ACROSS THE FACE OF GOAL AND JUST PAST THE FAR POST FROM A TIGHT ANGLE!! Friedel was beaten with that zinger!
    • 2' City toss up a couple of long balls early doors that run through to Brad Friedel.
    • 1' Here we go then, final day jitters jangling - can Birmingham pull off an escape by bettering the results of Fulham and Reading?
    • - Blackburn are playing for an Intertoto Cup spot. In fact McFadden has picked up an injury despite being named and Mauro Zarate will take his place. Could that be a body blow too far for the home team?
    • - An attacking line-up for Alex McLeish's men: Olivier Kapo, Mikael Forssell and James McFadden all in the starting 11.
    • - It's a beautiful day at St Andrews as the players emerge to a roar from the home fans and line up.
    • - Welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE text coverage on the final day of this Premier League season. Birmingham face Blackburn, with the Blues in dire need of three points to have a chance of staying up.

  • Team Stats

    Birmingham City Stats Blackburn Rovers
    47% Possession 52%
    15 Shots 15
    8 Shots on target 7
    5 Saves 3
    5 Corners 2
    11 Fouls 16
    3 Offsides 6
    3 Yellow cards 2
    0 Red cards 0
    18 Tackles 15
    190 Accurate passes 233
    48 Bad passes 36

  • Player Stats

    G =
    Goals
    S =
    Shots
    SoT =
    Shot on Target
    F =
    Fouls
    FW =
    Fouls Won
    O =
    Offsides
    A =
    Assists
    AP =
    Accurate Passes
    BP =
    Bad Passes
    T =
    Tackles
    • Birmingham City
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Maik Taylor 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 3 0
      24 Radhi Jaidi 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 13 2 0
      14 David Murphy 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 24 13 3
      2 Stephen Kelly 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 14 1 1
      6 Liam Ridgewell 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 11 0 4
      26 Fabrice Muamba 1 3 3 2 2 1 0 21 1 2
      22 Damien Johnson 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 16 2 0
      7 Sebastian Larsson 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 24 3 3
      23 Olivier Kapo 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 24 11 2
      9 Mikael Forssell 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 8 4 0
      19 Mauro Zárate 0 1 0 2 2 1 1 19 4 1
      10 Cameron Jerome 2 3 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 1
      13 Colin Doyle 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      12 Mehdi Nafti 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 6 2 1
      11 Gary McSheffrey 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0
      21 Stuart Parnaby 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    • Blackburn Rovers
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Brad Friedel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1 0
      4 Christopher Samba 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 16 1 1
      3 Stephen Warnock 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 16 9 0
      6 Ryan Nelsen 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 29 2 0
      11 David Bentley 0 4 2 3 1 2 0 12 0 1
      14 Steven Reid 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 27 2 6
      7 Brett Emerton 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 28 4 3
      12 Morten Gamst Pedersen 1 1 1 3 3 0 0 10 5 0
      8 Johann Vogel 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 20 5 1
      30 Jason Roberts 0 3 2 3 4 1 0 15 3 1
      9 Roque Santa Cruz 0 1 0 1 0 3 1 26 1 1
      13 Zurab Khizanishvili 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      10 Benedict McCarthy 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0
      5 Kerimoglou Tugay 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 14 2 1
      32 Jason Brown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      19 David Dunn 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 8 0 0

  • Summary

    • 90+3' As injury-time ebbs away Fabrice Muamba heads a great fourth goal for Brum in the sunshine. They needed seven to make sure of their status, and it has proven too much.
    • 90' READING HAVE WON AND THAT SENDS BIRMINGHAM DOWN!!!
    • 88' Jerome goes through on goal and scores his second, although Friedel gets a hand to the ball.
    • 73' Jerome makes amends with a well-taken volley from 10 yards out! Good finish. It could well be Brum's last goal in the top flight for some time.
    • 72' Jerome misses an open goal with possibly his first touch! The ball was squared to him and he somehow scooped it over under no pressure!
    • 58' Oh all right - it's gone to Reading. Awful news for Birmingham. Kapo on the left side of the box, lazily playing with the ball before dragging it down the line of the area and smacking a stunning shot across goal! That would have been a goal of the season contender.
    • 49' What was Johnson doing? He had the ball in midfield and stumbled, allowing Roberts to get inside the box and have two shots, both saved by Taylor. It fell to Santa Cruz, who passed across to Pedersen - and the Norwegian made no mistake.
    • 49' GOAL FOR BLACKBURN!!! BIRMINGHAM STUNNED!!! PEDERSEN HAS IT!!
    • 47' Roberts is inches away from connecting in the penalty area as Rovers attack immediately!
    • 41' Brett Emerton played in down the channel, Taylor leaving his box AND HE'S MISSED THE BALL! The Aussie puts the ball across and as Roberts arrives at the near post to finish, Kelly dives back to get a foot to it and save the goal!!!
    • 35' Kapo into the area on the left, he has a sight of goal: Friedel redeems himself somewhat with a save low down. That could have been 2-0.
    • 32' MURPHY SCORES FOR BIRMINGHAM!!!!!!!!!!!
    • 28' Birmingham man Kapo arrives in the box AND HEADS JUST PAST THE POST!! He should have scored there - a great ball by Larsson.
    • 7' Morten Gamst Pedersen intercepts a loose pass and surges forward, plays in Roque Santa Cruz... he tries to square from the corner of the six-yard box but goalie Maik Taylor is there to get something on the ball and Blues survive!
    • 4' Zarate on the right for Birmingham, playing a one-two with Kapo and SMASHING A SHOT ACROSS THE FACE OF GOAL AND JUST PAST THE FAR POST FROM A TIGHT ANGLE!! Friedel was beaten with that zinger!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Howard Webb

  • Birmingham City

    Manager: Alex McLeish

    Captain: Damien Johnson

    On the Field

    • Taylor
    • Kelly
    • Jaidi
    • Ridgewell Yellow Card
    • Murphy Goal
    • Muamba Goal
    • Larsson Yellow Card
    • Johnson Yellow Card Substitution Out (73′)
    • McFadden
    • Kapo Substitution Out (87′)
    • Forssell Substitution Out (69′)

    Subs

    • Nafti Substitution In73′
    • Parnaby
    • McSheffrey Substitution In87′
    • Doyle
    • Zarate

    Injured

    • Taylor

    Suspended

    None

  • Blackburn Rovers

    Manager: Mark Hughes

    Captain: Ryan Nelsen

    On the Field

    • Friedel
    • Reid
    • Samba
    • Nelsen
    • Warnock Substitution Out (81′)
    • Bentley
    • Vogel Substitution Out (67′)
    • Emerton
    • Pedersen Goal Substitution Out (67′)
    • Santa Cruz Yellow Card
    • Roberts Yellow Card

    Subs

    • Tugay Substitution In67′
    • McCarthy Substitution In81′
    • Dunn Substitution In67′
    • Khizanishvili
    • Brown

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None