Birmingham City 1, Preston North End 2: Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Apr 27 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

THE party’s not over for Blues, it just never got started.

It was all set up for them to secure promotion to the Premier League in front of their own fans.

The last time there was an opportunity for such a knees-up on home territory was in 1992, when Nigel Gleghorn’s header defeated Shrewsbury and Stoke City stumbled on the same day.

Usually, going back 25 years or so, promotion – and there have been a few – has happened elsewhere (okay, Cardiff 2002 is probably unmatchable) or even when Blues have not been playing, like in 2007, Crystal Palace extinguishing Derby County’s hopes on a Sunday.

So the eager anticipation, the raucous noise, why, even the optimism considering Blues hadn’t been beaten in nine games and were proven tough cookies at St Andrew’s, was understandable.

But those two regular visitors to St Andrew’s, disappointment and despair, were back with a vengeance.

It should have been a happy ending to an arduous and at times traumatic season. But Blues’ historical tendency to fail to deliver when the parcel’s all wrapped up and ready to go surfaced again.

They have one last chance now to get the job done, yet the task of finishing runners-up to Wolves got a whole lot tougher after the events of Saturday.

It’s win or bust at Reading, although Blues could get away with a draw if Sheffield United falter at Crystal Palace.

As it was the last home match (play-offs aside), players trudged round the pitch afterwards for one of those awkward, hollow, laps of honour.

The ground was virtually empty, many had long gone in a huff to find the nearest bridge or with a droop of the shoulders, familiar with such feelings of despondency.

Are Blues shot through after shooting themselves in the foot? Is there enough left in the tank, can they rebound from such a crushing disappointment?

To do so, they are going to have to draw on all their reserves of experience, grit and be much more dynamic and clinical. Oh, and keep their heads and 11 players on the pitch and hope injuries and weariness don’t harm some more.

Blues didn’t fire properly in the first half, and got lucky. Preston hit the post and had a strong penalty claim for handball against Franck Queudrue, who kept his arm aloft as he jumped with Youl Mawene. Radhi Jaidi also got away with another couple of fouls on Neil Mellor in the area.

Knowing they were still in with a sniff of a play-off place due to Burnley’s draw at Southampton, Preston didn’t hold back.