Doncaster 0, Birmingham City 2: Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Mar 16 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

Jerome, who used his strength to hold off Brian Stock and James Chambers to steer in the opening goal with a looping header in the 19th minute, was a constant thorn for Doncaster.

His rumbling and running certainly made for a torrid evening for Matt Mills, the centre-half Blues wanted to buy, and are still interested in.

His mood will have been of sober reflection afterwards.

When Chambers, chased down by Bouazza, played a poor back pass to Neil Sullivan and Bouazza veered on to it and flipped the ball round the goalkeeper expertly with the outside of his left foot, Blues doubled the lead in the 41st minute.

That was effectively that and Blues’ resolve from then on never wavered.

They did a professional job in the second half to see the game out, drawing on the experience in the ranks and a desire to post a victory that, given Reading’s defeat at home hours earlier, was a huge psychological positive.

Garry O’Connor returned to action for a 25-minute run, and Ulises de la Cruz debuted as a substitute to make a contribution to the cause, or the local employment economy, depending on your point of view.

Reading have only three of their remaining eight games to play at home, including Sheffield United and the last of the season against Blues.

By then, hopefully, their crisis of confidence and Blues’ burgeoning belief and return to form will have made that clash immaterial to McLeish and his men.