Southampton 1 Birmingham City 2: Colin Tattum's big match report
THIS tie was heading the same way against the same opposition at the same stage of the competition, almost a year to the day.
Then Blues got their act together and produced moments of quality that were befitting of their Premier League status.
Lee Bowyer and Lee Carsley scored in a three-minute spell at the end to wipe out the effect of Adam Lallana’s 52nd-minute opener.
And significantly, Alex McLeish will have been heartened not just by the turnaround and result – these were Blues’ first goals in open play this season – but the contribution of those new, and old.
In Christian Benitez, Blues seem to have landed on a player all right.
He smashed a shot of tremendous power against the post in the first half after making room for the opening himself and had a decisive part in Blues’ equaliser.
Taking a pass from Gary McSheffrey on the left when a one-two looked on, he instead swivelled off his marker and slid a superb ball through to Bowyer who strode on to finish with aplomb high into the net.
Another slick move by Blues a minute before Carsley’s winner saw him let rip again with another fierce attempt only for Kelvin Davis to make a fine save.
Benitez, asked to play the solitary striker’s role until Blues changed – for the better – to 4-4-2 with half-an-hour to go, was a tough little ball of speed and trickery.
