Birmingham City 2, Wolves 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict
Feb 8 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
SO MUCH for all the hand-wringing about Blues being unable to sign a new striker before the transfer window shut.
Turns out he was at the club all along, going by the name of Super Kevin Phillips.
The veteran has seen little game time all season as Alex McLeish naturally couldn’t find much justification for tinkering with a winning formula.
Phillips has been nothing more than a frustrated spectator on the substitutes bench.
But when needs must, and when the high-profile arrivals touted never materialised before the last day of winter trading, off goes Phillips to get changed in the phone booth.
His two goals in a five-minute spell during a dramatic finale turned the outcome on its head and all but secured Blues’ Premier League status, as if that was ever really in doubt.
Wolves arrived at St Andrew’s in the relegation zone and left still in it, but with more of an aching hurt, courtesy of Phillips.
Ahead through Kevin Doyle in the 42nd minute, they performed with enough purpose and determination to have won.
Until the introduction of Phillips, Blues were meandering along.
Yet Blues couldn’t have started with much more bristling intent.
They laid siege to the Wolves penalty area and should have taken the advantage themselves.
Wolves had to cope with a flurry of corners and from one, in the sixth minute Michael Mancienne’s instinctive reactions saved a certain goal.
Cameron Jerome flicked the ball towards the net but Mancienne, virtually in front of him, headed it up and out of harm’s way.
It was rousing stuff from Blues but ultimately counted for little as they then tended to regress in their focus and use of the ball.
Wolves, after settling down, became more spirited and confident and should have made Blues pay even before Doyle swooped.
Ronald Zubar, towering above everyone, planted a header from a free-kick back across the far post when he should have hit the target.
Wolves got players forward to join in and Blues were untidy in getting the ball away, or constructing attacks.
