Reading 1, Birmingham City 2: Colin Tattum's big match promotion verdict
Reading fancied it all right. They had beaten Wolves twice, Blues at St Andrew’s and, in all truth, have probably under-achieved more so than the rivals they are now watching ride off into the sunset.
At home, they have resembled a surprisingly soft touch. They came into the £50million showdown with a record of four defeats, three draws and just two goals in seven games. Blues extended the sort of sequence you don’t want to be taking into the play-offs, but – and wouldn’t you just know it – it was far from straightforward.
Alex McLeish opted for his nail-hard pair of captains Damien Johnson and Lee Carsley in the centre due to the absence of the suspended Lee Bowyer.
Phillips and Cameron Jerome, Blues’ most productive goalscorers, started, James McFadden was wide on the right, favoured to Sebastian Larsson, whose shoulder problem rendered him less than 100 per cent.
Whatever misgivings Blues fans may have had that Eck wasn’t ‘going for it’ enough, they were proven misplaced.
He wanted a strong, experienced duo to halt Reading’s plan at getting through and down the sides of Martin Taylor and Radhi Jaidi, Blues’ hardy yet rustic centre-halves.
Better positioning, awareness and alertness were the key words drummed into Blues from a defensive standpoint all week, and they were watchful and denied Reading enjoyment of what they are good at.
Johnson and Carsley were immense, Taylor – in for the injured Franck Queudrue – and Jaidi rugged, they refused to buckle.
When it got tense towards the end, with Reading throwing everything at Blues, they were a feisty, determined collective repellant in all red.
At the other end, going forward, Blues were clinical when it mattered.
McFadden lit up Blues’ forays after the game settled down and it was his teasing run at Dan Harding that earned a corner from which they scored in the 19th minute.
After a near-post scare from the delivery, the ball came back out and was picked up by Fahey, from a Phillips flick, on the left.
He cut inside and let fly with a low shot from just outside the box that Marcus Hahnemann got hands on to as he dived but was unable to keep out.
Fahey’s brilliant slaloming dribble set up another chance for Phillips but his attempt slammed into Hahnemann’s legs (38 minutes).
Blues were good value for their lead and maintained their viligance, particularly when Reading finished the opening half strongly.
After the break, Reading withdrew Harding and went to a 3-4-3 formation. Kevin Doyle came on; the intention was clear.
But Blues extended their lead when Phillips, the goalscorer supreme, kept his head in the 60th minute when Fahey slipped him through with a delightful ball. A deft and deliberate steer with his sidefoot sent the ball rolling beyond Hahnemann and bobbling just inside the post, and Blues were seemingly in dreamland.
However, 60 seconds later Marek Matejovsky blasted into the bottom corner and it was game on yet again.
Blues decided to protect and survive. They brought on Hameur Bouazza and reverted to a five-man midfield.
It was nerve-shredding stuff. Maik Taylor made a fine stop to deny Matejovsky and recover to bat away the loose ball, and flattened Shane Long in the process.
With five minutes left Garry O’Connor could have put the issue beyond doubt.
Sent on his way by Johnson, he hit a skidding shot that thumped the base of the post and stayed out.
Andre Bikey was thrust up front for Reading as the clock ticked down. Their hooped shirts clogged up the Blues penalty area like the Queensway Tunnel after a prang.
Blues had to head, tackle, chase and harry for all their worth – and they did, sparking scenes of celebration, mixed with huge relief, among the 2,000 travelling support.
So the boys are back in town, Premier League town. And with some kind of record: a ‘double double’ of relegation, promotion, relegation, promotion in the four seasons including and since 2005-06.
The next challenge is to stop that pattern continuing. But for now, savour the moment.
David Gold recently recalled his summer conversation with McLeish: “I said ‘Alex, get us promoted pal’. I didn’t say how.”
Little could the chairman have known that McLeish would take him at his word and stretch levels of incredulity, agony and ecstasy to the limit.
What a season, what a draining season.
And Blues kept right on.
