Birmingham City: Colin Tattum's match stats and player ratings
HART..............................7
Unafraid to come for all the highs balls and get something on them, stayed alert and sharp.
PARNABY........................6
Was durable and a tigerish competitor even when seemed to be teetering at times.
MAN OF THE MATCH: CARR.........................8
Shifted to left-back, performed with commendable aggression and relish to thwart danger.
R JOHNSON.....................8
Unheralded presence, played with determined air and strength in the right slots.
QUEUDRUE.....................8
Irrepressible, has knack of doing right things and making right challenges at right times.
McFADDEN......................6
Tried desperately to generate thrust and impose creative skills but often got bogged down.
BOWYER.........................5
Not as sharp and sparky as can be, midfield skirmishes strait-jacketed him.
FERGUSON......................7
A heads-up player, always sought the right pass and knitted play calmly.
FAHEY.............................6
Did his shift but unable to break free from the slog of battle to ghost away and stamp mark.
PHILLIPS.........................5
On the fringes, struggled to get the required type of service against very strong defence.
O’CONNOR.....................6
Soldiered away and willing, behind best chance but hasn’t clicked like this time last year.
SUBSTITUTES:
Benitez (for Phillips, 53) initial promise but kept in check strongly................................................5
Larsson (for Bowyer, 61) bright .......6
Not used: McSheffrey, Espinoza, O’Shea, Carsley, Maik Taylor.
STOKE CITY (4-4-2): Sorensen, Higginbotham, Wilkinson, Faye, Shawcross, Lawrence, Whelan, Delap, Beattie (Kitson, 11), Fuller, Etherington (Whitehead, 76). Not used: Griffin, Cort, Pugh, Cresswell, Simonsen.
BOOKINGS: Whelan (unsporting conduct, 67), Fuller (deliberate handball, 74), Whitehead (foul, 86) – Stoke.
CROWD WATCH.................................6
Perked up belatedly, appreciated team’s backbone. Attendance: 21,694.
REF WATCH.........................................8
C Foy (Merseyside): Let things run well, judgment sound, never got over fussy.
THE MANAGER..................................6
Players stayed true to Alex McLeish’s pre-match demands, but unable to fire to get goals.
GAME RATING...................................5
Defences on top, no-one made errors or lit it up.
INJURY WATCH
None reported.
WHO’S NEXT UP FOR BLUES?
Southampton (a) tomorrow, 7.45pm.
