City-Birmingham Live Blog!

By: Thad | April 11th, 2010

Adebayor and Onuoha found the net twice a piece as City again turned on the style, hammering Birmingham 5-1 Sunday afternoon in Manchester. Read on for a live blog/minute by minute report….

Manchester City’s push for fourth place enters the home stretch today with a crucial home fixture against Birmingham City. Birmingham have been impressive this season in their return to the top flight, but will be without first-choice keeper Joe Hart, who is on loan from Manchester City. Between the sticks instead will be Maik Taylor, who in the past has produced one or two remarkable performances against City.

With Spurs occupied at Wembley today, City have a chance to open up a bit of a gap in the table with a win today, at least temporarily. The day could get better yet for the Blues if Fulham can hang on for a result at Anfield today as well (it’s nil-nil at halftime in that one as I type this).

Here are the starting lineups for today’s match. City is going with Given in goal, Tevez, Adebayor up top, Barry, DeJong, Johnson, and Bellamy in midfield, and Toure, Kompany, Onuoha, and Garrido across the back.

Birmingham will feature Taylor in goal, Ridgewell, Dann, Johnson, and Carr across the back, Fahey, Gardner, Bowyer, and Ferguson in midfield, and Jerome and McFadden as strikers.

Here’s the kickoff!

1st minute. Brum with an early throw-in and possession.

2nd minute. Tevez wins ball, sets up Bellamy whose shot is blocked in the box. City retain the ball and set up shop. But a long ball by Barry is picked out by Carr. City win it back straight away.

3rd minute. Great weather today unlike last week at Burnley. Crowd in full voice early too. Nedum’s attempt to play in Johnson there is cut out but City again get it straight back.

4th minute. Tevez and Adebayor try an ambitious one-two that is picked off. On the break Brum almost had a great chance after Jerome beat Toure to the ball on the edge of the box. But Kompany stepped in for a crucial interception.

5th minute. City win a corner on the left. Johnson takes, Barry heads it on and Adebayor recovers on the other side of the box. City work it round to Johnson over on the left but his cross is ballooned a bit and Taylor takes.

6th minute. More City possession.

7th minute. DeJong fires from distance after a nice lay-off by Adebayor, but it went way over the bar. Not a bad idea though. Meanwhile Joe Hart is looking on in a suite and tie.

8th minute. Bert Trautmann and Garry Cook enjoy a laugh in the director’s box. City break through the middle and Tevez plays in Adebayor, but it goes to a tight angle and the Togo man can’t get it on goal. Should probably have knocked it back to Tevez, instead it was side netting.

10th minute. Bellamy cuts in from the left and fires from about 22 yards out, low, hard, and wide. Goal kick.

11th minute. Given has his first proper touch ten minutes into proceedings. Now Birmingham has it for a spell, Garrido did well there to nick it off Jerome for a goal kick.

13th minute. Birmingham have a free kick on the left, it’s whistled in low but it takes two tries for City to clear it. When they do Bellamy takes it away, it’s worked over to Johnson but his cross into the box is headed away. City retain possession.

14th minute. Garrido now starts a move, the ball goes to Adebayor who feeds it over to Tevez for another shot from distance–but this one is high and wide. Interesting move.

17th minute. Adebayor nearly scores off something of a scrabble, but the flag was up anyway apparently. If it was, replay shows that was a bad call. But it doesn’t matter as Adebayor poked it wide from about 8 yards on the left.

19th minute. Barry wins the ball and plays it to Bellamy, but Bellamy is called for a foul after a tangle with Bowyer. That didn’t look like much of a foul. Bellamy would have been in a good position if play had continued.

20th. Brum have a corner and take it quickly, a short one. But McFadden’s cross doesn’t find anyone, goal kick.

21th minute. When these teams met earlier this year it was a bit of a bore draw. This game looks it has a goal in it but Brum have withstood the early pressure fairly well.

22nd minute. Dann may have a niggle for Birmingham. Nice play by Brum to get it in the box but Nedum boots it away. City recover and Tevez goes deep to get the ball.

23rd minute. Onuoha is fouled just inside Birmingham’s half, play continues after a quick retake.

24th minute. Johnson on the right starts play again, Barry shot from distance and Adebayor actually intercepted it, the ball popped in the air and Taylor took it.

25th. Bellamy gets it again, City play it over to Tevez on the right, he played it to Nedum but the fullback’s first touch was too heavy and it’s a goal kick. City may have missed Micah Richards on that one.

26th minute. Indeed the only senior City players on the bench today are Vieira, Santa Cruz, and SWP. Youth players occupy the other four sub slots. Meanwhile a Birmingham attack down the left comes to nothing.

27th minute. Johnson attacks down the right, great work by Tevez to keep the ball, Johnsons’ cross is headed away again. City have it, after a foul play continues. Ridgewell with a hefty challenge on Johnson there but City got it back. But not for long, foul against City.

28th minute. Birmingham as you’d expect look very organized when City have the ball. City are playing reasonably but need to be really careful not to concede anything on the break.

29th minute. There’s some good play by City and Barry wins a corner.

30th minute. Johnson runs over to the left to take, Brum head it out but City still have it. Adebayor with a volley on the right that is cleared away.

31th minute. When City push forward, Birmingham have literally 8 players in the final 25 yards.

32nd minute. More City possession. Nice turn by Adebayor there but couldn’t quite get away a shot, Johnson knocked it behind for a corner instead. Bellamy takes from the right…

33rd minute. It’s cleared back to Bellamy who again crosses in and again can’t find a City shirt.

34th minute. Yet another corner for City, again taken by Bellamy. It’s cleared away again.

35th minute. Tevez cuts in and is tackled as he released a pass, Tevez wanted a foul but the ref says Carr’s tackle was fair.

36th minute. Johnson is now attacking on the left, Bellamy from the right, and it’s Johnson who is offside.

37th minute. Penalty! Adebayor got into the box, he took it round Johnson and Dann bumped into him before he could get a shot off. Looked pretty clear cut there. Dann gets a yellow card.

38th minute. Tevez takes….GOAL! 1-0 City, Tevez slotted it into the right side. Tevez repeats his shin pad message drill–”Flop” the pad appears to say.

39th minute. City get the breakthrough then, as Brum are made to pay for the ease with which Adebayor has been allowed to receive the ball in the box. He’s gotten the ball there a number of times…

40th minute. 2-0!! Onuoha scores a rare goal with a great diving header off Johnson’s corner.

41th minute. City had won a corner through Bellamy. Play restarts and Tevez is nearly on to that long ball. City fans are now in a happy mood after those two quick goals.

42nd minute. Oh no–Brum have pulled one back! Great play by McFadden found Jerome unmarked at the back post. He may have been slightly offside but it’s not given, and now it’s 2-1. Cancel party time, it’s game on again.

43rd minute. INCREDIBLE! City come right back off the kickoff and score again! 3-1, through Adebayor who taps in Bellamy’s cross. Bellamy timed his run perfectly onto that long ball, played it past Taylor to Adeabyor who just couldn’t miss.

44th minute. An amazing last 10 minutes. City now will want to be sure they don’t give anything else away before halftime. But they will also be looking for a fourth….

45th minute. Tevez perhaps a little winded has misplaced a couple of passes in the last minute. The pace remains high but even fans are trying to catch their breath after recent events.

47th minute. Bellamy on a long diagonal run from left to right, he’s fouled by Jerome who is given a yellow card. The ref might have played advantage there as Johnson recovered and continued play, but instead it’s a free kick about 40 yards from goal. Bellamy manages to get a head to it but it goes softly into Taylor’s hands.

There’s the halftime whistle–the crowd applaud happily as City take 3-1 lead to the interval.

Okay, I’ve had a work-related delay so we are now about 10 minutes behind real time as the second half kicks off.

46th minute. Bellamy attacks down the left right away but his cross is recovered by Maik Taylor. City will keep pushing forward this half, another goal would actually put City ahead of Spurs in the goal difference department.

47th minute. Good chance from Adebayor there, he tried a spectacular volley getting on to the end of a free kick, but it found side netting.

48th minute. Birmingham have been holding players left and right in the box on corners and free kicks, by the way.

49th minute. City attack, and keep the ball despite a slip from Garrido. Good work by Garrido to keep it in on the touchline after a back heel from Bellamy. He wins a free kick.

50th minute. Bellamy takes it from the left, and it’s a good one–and Nedum O almost had his second! He headed it just over from about 5 yards, in the territory that keepers usually make their own.

51th minute. Birmingham have too much self-respect to give up just yet, but a fourth City goal would bury this game, one feels. Until then, they will be hoping for another City slip-up to let the visitors back in.

52nd minute. Another yellow card for Brum , this time to Fahey. That’s the third Birmingham player on a yellow.

53rd minute. Garrido cuts out that cross and it goes high into the air and behind for a corner kick. Fahey will take…

54th mnute. Nedum won the header, and City are away on a great break, but Barry didn’t control Johnson’s pass. That should have been at least a shot there, City had a 3 v. 2.

55h minute. No worries as again City have it, and this time at least get a corner off the break won by Adebayor. Bellamy takes and the ref says it came off Barry. Goal kick.

56th minute. Birmingham are going for it a bit more this half, Carr popped up all the way in the right channel for an attacking cross. Another cross moments later from Gardner eluded Given, but he didn’t get there! Fortunately Fahey headed it a yard wide when the net was empty.

57th minute. Sebastian Larsson is on and Carr is off.

58th minute. Birmingham with a spell of modest pressure but that move ends with a ball by Gardner being played aimlessly over the endline for a goal kick.

59th minute. City should have plenty of chances to break when they win the ball back. But for the second time running, they get the ball back via a goal kick.

60th minute. Bernard Halford long-time club secretary gets some rare TV time!

61th minute. Tevez had a great chance there but for once the Argentine blew it, he probably should have played in Adebayor but instead tried to fake out Taylor–but his touch was too heavy, he slipped, and Taylor made a save. On the other end Fahey had a close range shot that Given had to save at feet.

62nd minute. David Pleat criticizes City for not pressuring Birmingham enough in possession, and he’s probably right.

63rd minute. City should have killed the game a couple of minutes ago but maybe they can here. Bowyer fouls DeJong about 30 yards from goal in the middle of the pitch.

64th minute. Mancini and Kompany are talking tactics animatedly on the touchline. Either Bellamy or Tevez will take this–great save by Maik Taylor! That looked goal bound from Tevez, with plenty of spin, but Taylor put it around the post just as it was about to find the corner of the net.

65th minute. Great move by Johnson to beat defenders but his cross doesn’t find a City head. City retain posession.

66th minute. Another good move by Johnson frees himself for a shot in the box but his right footed shot sails over the bar from about 12 yards. Lovely dribble there. I wish I could dribble like that!

67th minute. Kevin Phillips is on for Fahey. He’s had some goals off the bench this year and City will not want to allow him to have a chance. Meanwhile Adebayor can’t quite get control after beating Maik Taylor to that long ball just outside the area on the left–goal kick, but good hustle.

68th minute. Kompany had an awkward touch there giving Jerome a chance to attack but then made a great recovery tackle. Now DeJong chips in with a great tackle and City have it back.

70th minute. City pass it around for a bit but Johnson’s error makes it a throw-in. Now it’s being reported that Vieira picked up an injury in pre-game, which is why DeJong is playing.

71st minute. Phillips has a touch, he played it to Jerome whose cross is cut out. McFadden tries to bull his way into the box but City get it away. On the break Tevez is set up by Adebayor, whose left foot shot is well saved by Taylor, Bellamy pounced on to the rebound but his left footed shot flies wildly over the goal line.

73rd minute. Chucho Benitez is on now. A free kick for Birmingham is taken by Given, who rolls it out to start another break. Surely another City goal will come out of one of these situations in the next twenty minutes.

74th minute. INCREDIBLE!!! NEDUM ONUOHA! The reserve defender, just dribbled 30 yards right through the middle of Birmingham’s defense and scored with his left foot–a beautiful run and finish.

75th minute. The former sprint champion weighs in with a goal that you might not have believed if you saw it in a video game. Nedum’s move started with a pass that ricocheted right back to him, he saw space and took it, and no one from the visitors intervened. One of the classic goals by a City defender, up there with Micah Richards long run and goal against Blackburn earlier this season.

77th minute. A long shot from Phillips is taken by Given. Nedum now has it again in his own half and the City fans yell for him to shoot! He doesn’t, but he still has 13 minutes for his hat trick to come.

78th minute. Wish I had put a fiver on Nedum Onuoha to score two goals today.

79th minute. Gardner comes down the right side, Barry tracks back to block that cross. Corner kick. Shaun Wright-Phillips is going to come on for Bellamy at the next opportunity.

80th minute. Phillips had it in the box but for some reason tried to take it wide rather than just blast it when he had the chance. Eventually he chipped it with his left foot right into Given’s hands. Another terrific run for Johnson but his lay off for Adebayor is cut out–throw in.

81th. Bellamy applauds the fan and they applaud back as he is taken off. SWP is on for a cameo, it would be no surprise if he gets on to a chance before this is over.

82nd minute. Onuoha disappoints the crowd by playing a back pass to Given. City keep the ball for a bit but now Brum have won a throw.

83rd minute. SWP brings it away but Birmingham are back quickly to fend off that break.

84th minute. Santa Cruz is slated to be the next substitute, probably for Adebayor. Larsson brings it forward but is forced to circle back. City are applying only light pressure now.

85th minute. Finally Brum have to try a cross and Given takes it easily. Here comes Tevez, he tries a one-two with SWP but the return ball had a slight deflection so it doesn’t come off.

87th minute. Here’s the substitution, and it’s one South American for another as Santa Cruz comes on for Tevez who comes off with a satisfied look on his face, to very warm applause.

88th minute. Adebayor makes it FIVE! Barry I believe just pumped a long ball out of the back, it cleared everyone’s head and Adebayor got onto it, then side footed it to Taylor’s left for a goal. Quite similar to his first half goal last week against Burnley.

89th minute. Greg Cunningham is about to make his league debut, he’s coming on for Adam Johnson. More cheers from City’s supporters for a departing player. Cunningham played previously against Scunthorpe in the FA Cup but this is his debut in the Premier League. He’ll go into midfield.

91st minute. Three minutes of added time, City play head tennis off that Brum corner. Brum keep the ball and end up with a shot from Larsson from outside the box but it fizzed wide.

92nd minute. Half a chance there for City, Adebayor stayed onside after Cunningham’s good pass and laid it off hoping someone would get onto it. Then Adebayor tried to shoot from a very tight angle after Taylor had come out, but it was well wide.

94th minute. Final whistle should be any minute–and there it is!

A fantastic performance and result for City–5-1 over a Birmingham side that just a week got a point against Liverpool. In the last three matches, City have outscored the opposition 14-2, and will be flying with confidence into the home stretch. Today City had to work for it over the first half hour, but once Tevez converted a penalty won by Adebayor, the flood gates opened. One mental mistake by Garrido in allowing Jerome to slip behind him with too much space cost City a goal, but that’s a mere blip on the radar. A great day for City and just what the doctor ordered heading into the season’s fourth and final Manchester derby next weekend….