Birmingham City 2, Wolves 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict
Feb 8 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
Still, they had another good chance, again from a corner, when Scott Dann hooked the ball wide from eight yards.
Wolves responded with a volley from Kevin Foley that smacked straight into Joe Hart’s midriff and moments later took the lead.
An opening was worked on the left and Matt Jarvis drilled a cross-shot that rebounded off the post after it was deflected by Roger Johnson’s out-stretched leg.
Doyle had the simple task of sweeping the loose ball in as Hart, caught by the deviation, was stood frozen.
If a reaction was expected at the beginning of the second-half, it simply didn’t come from Blues.
Quite frankly, for 15 minutes, they were shocking.
They just didn’t look like the Blues seen in the previous few weeks. They were uncertain, careless and somewhat careworn.
Wolves continued to be aggressive, they maintained a high work ethic and didn’t mess about in their defending.
Phillips replaced the ineffective Christian Benitez in the 63rd minute, by which time Wolves appeared all too comfortable.
Craig Gardner then came on for his Blues debut, replacing Sebastian Larrson on the right flank.
Yet try as they might, Blues just couldn’t rally themselves in any meaningful manner.
There was plenty of huff and puff but Blues are not the best of sides when they are having to chase a game, especially against opponents like Wolves who really dug themselves in.
But then you don’t count them out too soon – especially when arch predator Phillips is about.
With 10 minutes left of a tussle that increasingly looked as if it was slipping away, Phillips guided in Blues’ equaliser.
He provided the finishing touch from inside the six-yard box and it was nicely crafted by Blues’ other substitutes.
Keith Fahey, receiving the ball just inside the penalty area on the left, shimmied and clipped a fine ball towards the back post.
Gardner ran round to meet it and cushion a header back, then Phillips did the rest.
Galvanised, Blues at last began to get into a stride and it was that man again Phillips who popped up to break Wolves’ now wavering resistance and salvage a gutsy victory for McLeish’s men.
Stephen Carr barrelled down half the length of the pitch before carefully chipping his cross into the middle.
There was Phillips who took the ball on his chest and in an instant swivelled a crisp angled shot into the bottom corner.
So often Phillips has stuck a dagger in Wolves’ hearts as an Albion player; here he thrust in a Samurai. In effect, Blues had played well only at the beginning and the end of the derby. But with Phillips loitering with such intent, showing he has not lost his nose for goal, it hardly mattered.
