Birmingham City 1, Bristol City 0: Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Mar 5 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

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IT WAS late coming, but worth the wait – and possibly worth it’s weight too.

Franck Queudrue’s winning goal in the 87th minute, an unstoppable header from a corner, catapulted Blues back into the automatic promotion places.

But not only that, it was just reward for Blues’ vibrancy and determination and fired hope that they could come through the recent travails.

Plus, the mood at St Andrew’s was much more alive and engaging of the team in a positive manner, which ironically Queudrue himself had appealed for the day before.

In essence, the fans fed off what they saw before them.

And it was how Blues have to carry on performing until the promotion shake-up has been decided.

They had drive, a real sense of purpose and aggression. They forced things to happen rather than let it come to them, and persevered.

As a base requirement, that’s what fans want of their team.

Bristol City came to St Andrew’s as a form team, with the second best away record in the division. They were sent on their way with no complaints about the result.

Blues never allowed them to settle into their rhythm.

Alex McLeish made some significant changes – Scott Sinclair on the substitutes bench and Hameur Bouazza out altogether – while Ulises de la Cruz’s versatility saw him jump-started into the 16.

It was a selection that made the team less open than they have been when the accent has been on width and more compact, yet resolute.